January 16, 1904.]
The visitors to the City Hall Library and Museum for the week ending the 1 th January. 1904, were 233 non-Chines) and 9.) Chiusse to the former, and 62 non-Chinese and 2,275 Cinese to the latter institution.
The date of the Hongkong A.D.C.'s, per- formance of His Excellency is not yet definitely fixed, but it will be before China New Year (the 16th prox.). During Rice Week (23rd 27th prox) the Pallas Company will be oude more playing at the Theatre Royal.
H.M.S. Alacrity, with Admiral Sir Cyprian Bridge on board, arrived from Shanghai on Thursday evening. Admiral Bridge, it will be remembered, was to have arrived here befo e, but was stopped at Shanghai by telegram on account of the threatening aspect of affairs. We do not know whether mors hopeful pro- spects are to be inferred now.
The Portuguese Minister to Poking, H.E. Conselheiro Jose d'Azevedo Castello de Branco, who arrived at Macan from Europe. vii Hongkong not long ago, refurnd here by the 88. Heungshan on Monday H.. left for Shanghai by the M.M., mail .8. Ernest Simons next evening, being accompanied on board by Conselheiro A. G. Romano (Consul General for Portugal. After spending sight or ten days at Shanghai H.E. will proceed to Peking did Tientsin.
Several complaints have reached us regarding the want of supervision and control of the natives waiting outside the Court at the Magis tracy, which makes it most unpleasant for Furopeans whose business calls them thither, and who do not care to sit in the Conrt while waiting for the calling on of the special case in which they are inter stel. Colies of the lowest type, it appears, crowd at the very doors of the Court room and jostle, unreproved, europene and respectable Chinese, while at the same time they smoke vile so-called cig rettes, ud X- pectorate freely wherever they happen to be standing. This would scarcely appear to be as it should be, and is certainly deserving of the attention of the authorities concerned.
The children of the Kowloon School g.ve two very pretty perform.
mances of the comic cantata Old King Cole, on the 8th and 9th inst. These performances were given in aid of the Ministering Children's League, and were a pronounced success both from an rtistic and financial point of view. All the children taking part were letter-perfect, and much credit is due to Mrs. Donaldson for the result of her coaching in the da ces, and to Mr. W. Stewart for his efficient stige-managing. The play was written by Messrs. W. Young and F. Pascal, and the children taking part were Misses Mary Stewart, B Kenuett, D. Lam aert, M ammert, J. Craik, A. Logan. M, Wilson, T. MoNeil, G Ferguson, McNeil, L. Noare, Lizzie Vanstone, L, Lagan. R. Macke, A. Macdonald, S. Lowe E. Packham, and Irene Newton; Masters A. Stewart, Harold Perkins, L. Focken, T. Macdonald, A. Martin, J. Jack, A. Christenson, W. Robertson, C. Hoskius, H. Stewart, J. liuegg. W. McNeil, J. McGlashan, E. Packham, L. Macdonald, T. Martin, and G.
Focken.
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Parties of men linded from the British war- ships Albion, Ocean, Centurion, Talbot, Amphitrite, and Eclipse on Thursday morning at 7.3, an proceeded t Happy Valley for
instruction in rifle and field exercise on the
I
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
We are officially authorise to stated that sub- jest to audit, the directors of the Hongkong an i Shanghai Bauki g Corporation will recommend at the forthcoming meeting a dividend of 21. 108. per share, a bonus of 108, per share, add to the reserve fund $500,000, and carry forward about $1,400,000.
*
The somewhat masty mortality returns for September last are published in the Gazette, 463 deaths were recorded in that month, 21 in the European and foreign community (18 civilians, 2 Army. 1 Navy), and 442 among the Chinese, 32 deaths were due to malaria, and 114 to chest affections, The British and foreign civil d ath-rate was 21.4 per 1,000 per a num; the Chinese, 17.3; and the whole civil community's, 17.4.
Banks.
:
The following returns of the average amount of bauk notes in circulation and of spe is in reserve in Hongkong during December, 1903, are certified by the managers of the respective' banks :-
Average Specie A mouut, in Reserve. hartered Bank of India,
Australia and China...$ 3,39 1,749 2,000,000 Hongkong and Shanghai
Bauking Corporation 13,044,183 7,500,000 National Bank of Cina,
Limit d
445,630 150,000
...$16,880.56 9,650,00 At 7 a m. on Thursday one-half of the mem- Brigade turned out for bers of the Fire practice at the City Ha Deputy C.S. P., and Chief Inspector Baker were in charge of the men, and sergeant R. Macdonald assisted in the exercises, which consisted in the manip lation of tele-copic ladders, bamboo ladders, despatch-boxes, and hose-reels. Some very good and us ful work was pat in and some excellent exhibitions of speel were given. The Brigade have been training during the last six weeks outside the
Total
Mr. E R. Hallifax
on
on
Fire station. They are going to carry their exercises, we understand, one-half Thursday mornings, the other on Fridays; and in all probability an exhibition will be held about the middle of February either on the Cricket Ground or the Parade Ground.
MISCELLANOUS.
Advices from Newchwang, dated th 19th December, stated that the river above and below Yiukao was frozen hard, but that abreast of the Settlement there was drift ice only.
The Waiwupu (Chinese Foreign Office) makes it a rule to send copies daily of Reuter's telegrams received by the Board to the Palace, for the Empress Dowager's-perusal.
It is stated tht at Port Arthur now vessels entering and leaving the harbour are conducted by a pilot-boat, it is supposed to avoid any danger of running on the turpedoes which are presumed to be laid.
+
The recently-purchased Chilean battle-ship Libertad, now the property of the British (o- rnment, is to be amd the Triumph, taking the place on the Navy List of the r cently withdrawn ship of that name, which formerly did guard duty on the Pacific Station.
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H.R.H, the Crown Prince of Portugal, Dom Luiz Filipe, starts in March on a tour through the Portuguese and British Colonies in Africa and Iudia. It is hoped that he may Coon to Timor and Macao. He completes his 17th year on the 21st March next and will apparently commence his tour immediately afterwards.
49
In view of the possibility of a Russo-Japanese war, the Italian Government has ordered the cruiser Fettor Pisani to remain at Nagasaki.
The German Consul at Chinanfu, Dr. Lange, died there suddenly on the afternoon of 8th inst, from heart failure, leaving a widow and one d.ughter.
It is rumonred in ·oking that the control of th Russ Chinese Bank is to be transferred from the Ministry of Finance to a Special Com- missiou.
Viceroy Yuan, says the Shanghai Tung Wen Hu Pao, has resigned his post as Director- Gneral of the railway, so that he may devote all his time to the reorganisation of the Chinese army.
The Novoe Frenya last month- announc d that the survey for a railway from Urga to' Peking has been completed, and that every- thing is in readiness for construc ing such ́a hi.hly importaut line of railway.
The Straits Times publishes a Penang telegram to the effect that there had been a gang robbery at Bidor on the Tapah Road, Perak, ou the 5th inst. Mr. Davies was wounded. Üns highwayman was shot in four places and one was captured. The robbers were being pursued.
A Japanese Imperial Ordinance decrees that ica e of necessity a Lieutenant-General or Vice-Admiral shal be nominated by the Emperor to command the military and naval forces in Formosa, under the orders of the Governor- General, but he may act independently in any pressing emergency.
The N.-C. Daily News says:-A painful 8 nsation was caused in the Settlements on 6th inst, when it became known that Mr. R. Schwind of the Russo-Chinese B nk had ben
arrested on a charge of embezzling_abent Tls. 12,000 from his employer. Mr. Sohwind was arrested. on, a German-Consular warrant eserday morning and was brought up b-fore Mr. Macass, H.I.G.H, Vice-Consul The proceedings were of a private nature and
it is understood that there will not be another bearing for some days.. Meanwhile the accused
to be kept in custody at the British Consular Gaol. Defalcations having been alleged against another member of the staff of the Bank, who recently left for home, a warrant for his arrest. has been telegraphed to Singapore by the Ger- man Consular authorities.
Mr. W. H. Taft, Governor of the Philippines and coming U.S. Secretary for War, nearly met with an accident at Kobe, on the 3rd inst, He was driving with Mr. Sharp, U.S. Vice- Consul at Kobe, in a carriage and pair along Moto-machi, in the Foreign Settlement, when a loud report of fire-cracke's immediately in front The driver lost caused the horses to bolt. control of the animals, nl the position in the narrow and busy street was one of great danger, Both Mr. Taft and Mr. Sharp stood up in the carriage, and each seizing a rein endeavoured to hold the horses in. Whether because of Mr. Taft's greater strength on the rein-or from some other caus, suddenly the horses swerved and ran into a wall at a street corner, and at this time Mr. Taft and Mr. Sharp were holding so tightly on the reins that the horses pawed the air. However, they were brought to a standstill with little damage.
Dr. Morrison telegraphed to the Times on the 11th ult.-Another telegram from S. Petersburg was circulated in Peking yesterday. It announces that Russia accepts the Japanese demands regarding Corea with certain modi- fications.
new system-the first instruction they have re eived at Hongkong on these liues. Officers directing the drill were Commander, Jones.
The question of the evacuation of H.M.S. Amphitrite,
Gunnery-Lieutenant Dickenson, H.M.S. Talbot, and Lieutenant
Manchuria is to be left in abeyance. It is Wellington Smith of the Ocean. The band
undeniable that the repetition of snch mes- sages coupled with the long delay, is having of the Vengeance was in attendance. Bize- jackets were dr ssed in blue with straw hats, The Bank of Japan has been victimised in a a tendency to shake China's confidence in black boots, brown canvas sea-service gaiters,curious manner. On the 28th alt. à mau Japan, and to influence the Chinese to con- sword-bayonets, and Lee-Enfield. Mark 2 rifles; presented a cheque for 34,000 yen. The cheque sider, more favourably Russian demands re- lien-fang, the only they formed a very picturesque spectacle. Men was in order, and after the usual examination garding Manchuria, from the Centurion, by the way, had Bew the amount arrived at the paying-out counter. Minister of the Waiwupu who speaks a foreign leather gear, new pattern sword-baynets, and There the incident occurred. By some uvex-language, has resumed close relations with the Midshipmen wore white cap covers, plained process the money never reached the Russian Legation, while the weight of the monkey jackets, gaiters, and swords. The dill hands of the presenter of the cheque. After French Minister's influence is naturally used is much the same as that of the marines, and long waiting he became surprised at the delay in advising China to come to a speedy agres- the sailur-men did not seei to like it a bit, and enquired the cause, whereupon it transpired ment They went through the movements of attack, that some unknown individual hud interposed, wheeling in Jine, forming a square, preparing received the thirty thousand yen and taken for cavalry, marobing past, and developing in himself away. The precincts of the Bink were line. Driil terminated shortly before eleven at once placed under police guard and a strict o'look, when the men returned to their search was instituted. But of course it proved respective ships.
fruitless.
carbines.
with Russia and legalise the Russian position in Manchuris......‚ Prino! Ching is always irreseinte, but Na-tuag. whose reappointment to the Waiwupu advantageons to Japan, stundis ärm and decliues to believe inspired telegrams from 8. Peters- burg.