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before now overcome difficulties as great if not greater. Rome was not built in a day, nor will the federation of the Empire be accomplished | in a day. In the meantime, we can draw nearer and nearer towards the goal. The end and aim of Imperial Policy should be Federation- --for policy, for commerce, for defence-a federation in which the enormous wealth, talent, strength, and resources of the Empire will be combined for the mutual benefit of all, and the lasting permanence of the whole.
Mr. Haskell then proposed the following Resolution:----
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
we can welcome anything that will bring the colonies into closer touch with the Home Government.
Mr. H. E. POLLO : Personally I think the object of the scheme proposed by Sir Frederick Pollock is a very important one, and important points affecting the colonies can be only arrived at after mature discussion by those who have spent the best parts of their lives there. Mr. Hursthouse made mention of the Boer war, which showed that the colonies were ready and willing to send forth their sons to fight in the cause of the empire. South Africa is als That in the opinion of this meeting, the plan country which furnishes illustrations of described by Sir Frederick Pollock, in his letter | very grave mistakes which have been to the Times-viz: the formation of a Com-made in part by the want of appreciation mittee of the Privy Council on Imperial affairs, by the authorities at home of the actual consisting of the best possible representatives of Colonial knowledge and opinion, to act in an advisory capacity to the Cabinet, would tend to promote the consolidation of the Empire, and would be a great step towards Imperial Federa- tion, and this meeting endorses the suggestion that such a proposal be submitted to the next Colonial Conference of Prime Ministers for
discussion.
Mr. J: DYBE BALL in seconding the proposition said: We have to thank the lecturer for bring ing the subject before our notice in time, and I only wish the Hongkong community would come out in larger numbers to listen to a question which I think is rather vital to us as colonists; although, as a Crown colony, it would not affect us so much as a self-governing colony if it ever becomes a possible fact. It is not so many years ago that some of England's greatest statesmen wished to cast off her colonies, but now I think it is not only the Mother Country drawing the cords that bind her nearer to her chi'dren, but her children also do not wish to let go their mother's apron strings and go off on their own hook. We have now
the telegraph wires, like nerves, connecting Great and Greater Britain together, and We may
even
hope that our desires will be wafted by the winds of the air, by the Marconi system, in time to come. Now is the proper time to request the Mother Country to take some action to draw herself and her colonies closer together. Sir H. S. BERKELEY said: I wish to thank the lecturer for the extremely able and delicate ad- dress given us. The subject is one which I do not feel capable of dealing with at such short notice.
Mr. HURSTHOUSE: I have listened with very considerable interest to the remarks of Mr. Haskell, The subject is Oue which I confess I know little about; 1 came here for
the express purpose of learning more, and must say I am not disappointed. I quite agree with the remarks of the lecturer that federation proper must be something on the
lines of the German or American Confedera- tions, but there is a vast difference between the American States and the British Empire. The American States have the great advantage of being contiguous; there is a direct incentive towards combination for defence, and when all is said and done, this is the greatest and most material point of all. On the other hand the British Empire is so scattered over the earth's surface-the Bun never sets on it, some people say because God is afraid to trust us in the dark-that the mere fact of Australia being attacked by an enemy, does not show that Canada is going to be attacked by the same enemy. Any scheme of imperial federation which is to be of any use must emanate from the colonies themselves; if they do not wish it, then it is useless to attempt to force anything of the sort upon them. I under- stood the lecturer to say that the colonies wanted federation, but I am sorty to that at present
SBY they do not. There has been a great tendency observable for a long time past towards more complete separation. The colonies prefer pure- ly local government, and a purely local_com- mand of their military forces. As regards the Navy the same remarks do not apply, as the colonies know that in time of war it is obvious. ly to the interest of Great Britain to keep open all the great trade routes. I do not think this tendency points toward disloyalty, but with the Canadian or
Australian it is—“(anada for the Canadiaus," and
Australia for the Australians." I hope I am wrong, but I think we must face the possibility of ultimate separation. At any rate,
condition of affairs which exist on the
spot. If the British nation had been able to press forward and voice their own views on the subject, we should never have had such an incident to record in history as the secession of the Transvaal aft r Majuba, which led up to the direct cause of the Boer war. Another striking instance is. furnished by the American war of secession. The people in Great Britain wer in absolute ignorance of the feeling in the colonie with regard to the obnoxious taxes imposed. Had they known, they would have been withdrawn, and our cousins, instead of being separated now as they are politically, would possibly have remained portion of the empire. What is required is for the colonies to inform the authorities at home of the views of those on the spot who have
been in actual contact with the practical realities of colonial life. I venture to think that Mr. Hursthouse look rather a despondent view of the relations between the Mother Country and the colonies. The forces levied there are local forces of volunteers, and the colonies should rotain military forces. With regard to the Navy, the feeling in the colonies
is that the sea is one, and the ships of the empire are considered as one and work ed more or less as મ homogeneous whole. No doubt you have noticed that the Admiralty have formulated a scheme, grouping together the various ships of every part, for homo- geneous and concerted action, and that is the reason the Colonies are beginning to see the importance of unity in Naval matters.
DISQUIETUDE IN KWANGTUNG.
A gentleman who has just arrived at Hong- kong from the interior informs us that there is every indication of a serious general uprising in Kwangtung Province, especially in the delta of the Canton River. natives even consider it advisable to leave their Well-informed walthy homes to take refuge at Hongkong and else-
where. Piracy is rampant, rendering the in- habitants of small towns in constant fear of being either robbed or kidnapped for ransom. At Tongka (in Heungshan District) last week the pirates captured the baggage of several Chinese returning from the United States baggage containing money, etc. to the value of
[January 14, 1905.
"THE HON. MR."
Our esteemed contemporary, the Straits Echo, against the Governor of Hongkong for holding publishes a slashing artio'e apparently directed
that members of the Legislative Council of that matter) should be addressed, individually that Colony (and of the Straits Settlements for
as the Hon'ble Mr. F. O. B. Smithers or the Hon'ble Mr. C. J. F. MacPhutt, instead of as the Hon'ble F. O. B. Smithers or the Hon'ble
C. J. F. MacPhatt respectively. Our contem. porary sarcastically points out that: "It is now officially declared to be wrong not be deprecated." As a matter of fact. the to Mister unofficials, and it is therefore to
customary omission of the "Mr." is really a compliment, and by insisting upon the presence of the Mr. in official correspondence and reports. Sir Matthew Nathan has shorn the official and unofficial Honorables of Hongkong of a small tithe of their doubtless well-merited glory. The Hon'ble Tommy Dodds is an
appellation which implies that Tommy is the Younger son of an Earl or some son of a
Viscount or a baron-tha he is in fact filius nobilia.
implies that Tommy has acquired his title The Hon'ble Mr. Tommy Dodds by merit or favour, and that he is not an Honorable by birth. By courtesy of usage, however, the Mr. is as a rule omitted save in official correspondence. Nobody with the most in conversation, the Lieutenant-Colonel com- rudimentary ideas of courtesy would address, manding a battalion by any other military title than that of Colonel. imilarly, by custom, the Mr. is generally omitted from the local Honorab'es of this part of the world. But customs differ in different places. We have
seen a semi-official letter of introduction from the Private Secretary of President Roosvelt to the American representative at St. Petersburg. It began:
My dear Ambassador McCormick." The private Secretary to the King would not preface a letter of introduction to Sir Arthur Hardinge as "My dear Ambassador Hardinge."
Straits Times.
CANTON-HANKOW RAILWAY. ·
Writing on the 6th inst., the N.C. Daily News said: It will be learnt with general satisfa tion that an authentic telegram was received bere yesterday from the American-China Develop- ment Company in New York, stating that the control of the stock of the Canton-Haukow Railway is again in American hunds, the Belgian interests having been bought out.
All English and American residents at any rate iu bina will be glad to her this, the sale to the Belgiaus having been a blow to our interests in Chin, and baring had a marked effet parti- cularly on American prestige. The recovery of the control was very markedly assisted by the embargo put on the bands by the Chinese, who regarded the transfer of the concession, to Belgian hands as a breach of faith, and by the sympathetic action of the D-partment of state at Washington. Arrangements have been made to procure all the capital necessary to complets the line, and to keep the control permanently
$5,000. On one side of Wongmoon (at the mouth of the West River) the natives were prevented from cultivating their autumn rice much per mow. crop because they refused to pay blackmail-soin American hands. whatever may happen. able, and police boats are even known to witness The Officials are quite incap. acts of piracy without attempting to guard the shipping and country. The other day the pirates captured the guard boat at Taiping rek with ut meeting any resistance, and they took away all the armis, ammunition, etc.. Arms are being smuggled into the country in large quantities.
The Singapore Free Press publishes the fol lowing:-Brussels, December 1.-A Belgian Chinese Chamber of Commerce has just been founded in Brussels, and is declared to be the first Chinese Chamber of Commerce established in the world. It already includes a hundred and fifty members, Chinese and Belgian mer- chants and traders, and it is the intention of its members, in addition to the work of the ham ber of Commerce in Belgium, to establish a commercial agency for the use of its members at Shanghai. The trade between Belgium and China has increased very considerably of late, chiefly owing to the encouragement given to in high quarters in Belgium.
Thus we have a very satisfactory solution of the difficulties which have lately impeded the opera- tions of the American-China Development Com- pauy, and we may expect to see the construction of the important trunk line from Canton to Hankow proo-eded with rapidly and energeti- cally. We trust, too, that it will not be many months before work is begun on the English or Auglo-Chinese railway between Kowloon and Canton.
!
And in its "Native Notes,” our con'emporary had this:-An Importaut Intrigas Blocked- His Excellency Sir Chên-tung Liang Ch'âng, K.C.M.G., Chinese Minister at Washington, deserves well of hi‹ countrymen by blocking the plans of the Belgians-who are well-known by the Chiose to be acting on behalf of French and Russian capitalists-in getting control of the Yueh-Han, or Canton-Hankow Railway, there by preventing the forging of more chains and føtters for the body politic of this country, an act which stamps his Excellency at one as an able and clever diplomat. In other words, we learn that Sir Chên-tung by impounding the bonds of the railway in question has made it impossible for