July 25, 1904.]
enough, supposing (as we would fain hope) the Hipsang crew escape that shocking fate, to inflame the bosoms of our countrymen. Let all excuses be made for the carnageous conduct of this war; but let its horrors be remembered, that future Hague conferences, inspired by an acclamatory world, may have courage to denounce and abolish altogether such unsportsmanlike engines. The old fashioned man-traps, the gins set for poachers, had, like these mines, a legitimate objective; but their cruelty, and their source of danger to those against whom they were not directed, led to their legal forbiddauce and desuetude. Who would not like to see these floating man-traps share similar treatment?
HONGKONG
JOTTINGS.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. same for the purpose of residence by any but non-Chinese, or to permit any but non-Chinese to reside on or in such land or building. The Governor in Council has the power to exempt any Chinese from the operation of the Ordin- ance on such terms as he may think fit, but this seems to indicate that the framers of the ordin ance had in mind temporary residence only, and there is very little likelihood, I think, that the new ordinance will be suffered to become s dead letter.
The question of compulsory registration of ped up again, has been a subject of much dis- Chinese partnerships, which has recently crop- cussion for many years past. 1874 it was raised by the Chinese themselves, As far back as the native community petitioning the Govern- ment to introduce legislation. An Ordinance was drafted, and although it met with the approval of the Chinese community, the Government declined to submit it to the con- sideration of the Legislative Council. The (Daly Press, 18th July.)
Government doubted in the first place whether The official correspondence laid on the table the measure would achieve its object. It was of the Legislative Council this week disclosed found that the capitalists did not live in the that the Canton officials who instigated or Colony as a rule, and it was considered imprac- connived at a violation of Hongkong territory ticable to follow them or their property. The by compassing the murder of a man in Des Government also took the view that it would be our Road more than a year ago, in order to legislating for a few whose aim was virtually secure monetary rewards, have been punished the destruction of competition, 88 such and the Viceroy has apologised to the Hong-
espionage" would have the effect of checking kong Government. So far so good. But what those combinations amongst the Chinese resid is being done with regard to the more flagranting at Canton, Amoy and elsewhere which are case of the murder of a Reformer in Gage calculated to stimulate and strengthen their Street, committed as far back as 1901 ? When
trade at Hongkong; and finally the Government one of the gang was arrested and tried in the urged that any interference whatever with the Supreme Court in May of last year evidence freedom of trade would be at variance with the was given to the effect that each member of general policy of the Government. But the matter the gang received from the Cantonese authori.
was in succeeding years again and again pressed ties monetary rewards alleged to amount to
upon the attention of the Government by Chinese $2,000 each, and buttons of the fifth rank. A
merchants and by the General Chamber of military mandarin in command of the Guard at Commerce, with the result that a Committee of Canton organised the murder, and a captain of Inquiry was appointed in 1901. The Commit a Chinese gunboat also took a leading part in tee unanimously decided (though for different reasons) that it would be inadvisable to introduce legislation whether penal or disabling. This was
the affair. Six men in all were concerned so
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practice in South China is common knowledge, The Triads can hardly claim mach sympathy when they extend their terrorising into British territory, and their criminal character and methods are against regarding them as
"refor. mers.' The funds they "collect," apparently, of the Kwangai Rebellion. Mr. W. Farmer's are at present being devoted to the carrying on little affair at Macao is still green in our memory. It was the same set of men, probably, who tried to "collect taxes" from him under the alternative threat of burning down his hotel.
Yet
the sight of a European visitor does not gener- In the outlying villages around Hongkong
nowadays such as used to be the case. ally cause much commotion among the Chinese there are one or two places a white man cannot snipes and dogs following at his heels. even now go without getting a tail of gutter- One of the worst villages in this respect is Aplichau, opposite Aberdeen, the residents of which have not taken kindly to British rule and police patrol. A party of Europeans who visited the village last week were subjected to as much unwelcome attention as though they had been monstrosities, and were escorted back to their boat by about half a hundred yelling street urchins who shouted out all kinds of abuse and unsavoury remarks regarding the visitors. A little summary correction administered by the police would have a salutary effect on such offenders if they could be caught in the act.
The servant question still remains to be solved. That Chinese "boys" prefer bachelor establish- ments to those of married people is accounted for by the fact that the fairer sex know con- siderably more about housekeeping than their husbands or bachelor friends. Most servants at Hongkong are engaged under terms requiring them to "chow" themselves, but when they cater for bachelors their masters' meat when cooked is very, very much smaller than in its raw state. The ways Hongkong servants have of "squeez- ing are too numerous for detail, as many
that if the statements made in the Supreme less than three years ago, and I am afraid Sir | bachelors find out to their cost. Sometimes.
Court were true, a sum of at least $12,000 was paid out of the Canton treasury for the murder. It may not be an incorrect assumption that the amount was still larger, as the two leading spirits doubtless required a bigger reward than their tools who carried the plot into effect. This is a case in which the Government ought not to be satisfied with a formal apology and the punishment of the officials concerned. The public awaits with interest some information as to the demands made by the Government by way of reparation for so outrageous a violation of our territory. The public, however, must be patient. It has taken more than a year to reach a settlement of the Des Voeux Road affair, and Heaven only knows how long it will take to exact the more onerous reparation which the circumstances in the other case call for. I do
not imagine for one moment that the Govern- ment can have lost sight of this case.
It is highly satisfactory to learn that His Majesty the King has given his assent to the Ordinance passed by the Legislative Council in April last reserving to the European popula- tion the Peak district as a residential area. The measure is a timely one. True, Chinese competition for Peak residences has not yet arisen, but when we look back over the last ten years or so and note the intrusion of Chinese into the district which the Ordinances of 1888 were supposed to reserve to the European community we shall find ample justification for the Ordinance which has now by Royal assent been proclaimed. But, if the Chinese have practically absorbed the district below. reserved for Europeans by the Ordinances of 1888, what guarantee can there be that the 'Peak district will not in time succumb to a similar fate? In conversation I have heard that question put more than once. The answer is that the Ordinances of 1888 did not expressly prohibit Chinese from occupying tenements in the re- servation area, but it was thought sufficient at the time to prohibit the building of Chinese tenements in that district and to frame precau- tions against the overcrowding of non-Chinese tenements The Ordinance reserving the Peak for Europeans makes it unlawful for any owner, lessee, tenant or other occupier of any land or building within the Hill district to let the
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William Goodman's wishes are not likely to be soon gratified. Sir Thomas Jackson, whose opinion on such a question must carry great weight, told the Committee that it would be far better to leave things as they are. One would rather know "he said," what amount the firm is worth than know the names of the partners.” But seeing that there is and always has been a feeling among a not unimportant section of the Chinese community in favour of registration, would it not be a step in the right direction if the Chinese Chamber of Commerce were to encourage the advertising of partnerships?
When the recent attack was made on Tai O Village, Lantao Island, the villagers were in a mortal funk" until the arrival of Sergt. Floyd. Headed by the fanquai, however, they picked up wonderful courage and proceeded at once to load their ancient-very ancient-muzzle-load ing cannon. The guns were charged with
Eff
coarse powder and slugs of any metal that came along. After the fuse-one of those things that the Chinese light their pipes with-had done its work at the touch-hole and the weapon had belched forth into space, the ceremony of spong ing and re-loading followed. It was too funny for words," said an eye witness. The villagers certainly had never heard the good old maxim about 'altitude being the art of gunnery'. Their sole idea seemed to be to make a noise to frighten off the pirates, and they aimed at nothing in particular. The attacking party, apparently, had just al-out the same amount of pluck as the defenders. When the police boat put off they deserted their junks and took to the hills. The crew, two in number, of the only boat that kept to the waves was captured. If the men had stuck together they might have given pause to the police. Numbers certainly, were in their favour, and some of them were
armed with revolvers.
The pirates, by the way, are said to be representatives of the Triad Society. This Society, of course, requires funds to carry on its interminable political campaign against the Manchu Dynasty, and if the people will not contribute with loyal alacrity, these gentry feel bound to call and collect. That this is a common
they are obliged to abandon housekeeping for the less homely boarding-house existence. The latest idea of the "boy" is that there is nothing felonious in "borrowing" his master's shirt. Such conduct requires some sort of ad. " jective, however.
Something really ought to be done in the way of reducing Chinese signboards. These great swinging, planks, so common at almost all parts of the City, might with advantage be replaced by neat business notices in European style. During typhoons Chinese signboards are blown about the thor ghfares, rendering the streets English extremely dangerous for wayfarers. towns once, not very long ago either, were, like those of the Celestial Empire at present, largely composed of narrow streets where dangerous signboards, etc. were the rule, and it was for similar reasons that they disappeared. They constitute a trespass on the public sidewalk; must they always be at Hongkong?
I have often heard it asserted that Europeans who come to China pick up native swearwords with more avidity than they do the ordinary domestic colloquial. The same thing might be said of the Chinese with regard to their adop- tion of English words of that description. I have met Chinese who have shown a command of this sort of language that no_Billingsgata fishwife need be ashamed of (?) But the other day at Blake Pier I heard a row between a sampan man and his Chinese passenger which surpassed all my previous experience in such things. The quarrel was about the fare. Both disputants were masters of abuse. They cursed each other volubly in Chinese until they had exhausted their vocabularies and then they started in with English and really I naver before got such a vivid idea of the number of expletives we have in the English language.
Is not the statement made in the "Scientific Miscellany"
a week ago, that tomatoes are the natural food of mosquitos, not in some. sort a reflection upon the inhabitants of Hong- kong ? It cannot be respectful to refer to the as tomatoes.
BANYAN.