120
CHINESE BANKNOTES.
A joint proclamation issued by the Tientsin Prefect and Magistrate.
The public are hereby notified that inst uctions have been received from H. E. Viceroy Yuan to the effect that the chairman and members of the native chamber of commerce in Tientsin have sent the Viceroy a petition in which they say:- ! "The circulation of dollár notes by native binks gives much convenience to the market. Not long ago when Yi Feng Te bank was in bankruptcy, all who had notes in their possession, went to cash them at the various binks and in con- sequence the market was badly affected. We had then petitioned the Prefect and magistrate for immediate payment of the notes issued by the said bank, based од the rule adopted for settling official and foreign funds when a bank is closed. In reply to our request, a notification has been issued ordering that he notes on the market must all be cashed by the said bank irrespective of their amount, so that the holder shall not lose. It has also been ordered by the Police that a fund must be raised at once and the notes paid first. We appreciate these orders very highly."
"We find that paper money has significant consequence on trade and great attention is paid to it in Japan and by Western nations Sometimes severe punishment is inflicted in conection with paper money, Greater pr can- tion is taken, more importance is attached to it. At present, in Japan. money used in the market from one yon ppwards, except smell sums in cents, is all in notes, which are acceptable among all classes. Much paius have been taken by the officials and merchants for the initiation of paper money.
Now, our police authorities have been convinced of the advantage of dollar notes and expressed a com- prehensive view in Yi Feng Te's case which should serve as a warning to other banks and
notes.
give benefit to both the issuer and ho'der of the This is the best policy for the protection of paper money. The people have been aware that the notes are more valuable than official and foreign funds, and the circulation during the two months has been good, which is greatly due to the protection given by the anthorities."
"As we are in contact with the merchants, we beg to request H. E the Vicerey to issue a proclamation to the effect that in future, should any bank be in bankruptcy, the notes be paid off previous to the payment made for official and foreign funds, or the property of the bank be confiscated for settlement of the notes in
order to win faith and protect trade."
In compliance with the request, H. E. the Viceroy gives order to the Tient-in Prefect and Magistrate to jointly issue a proclamation to this effect. We, the Prefect and Magistrate, on receipt of the instructions, hereby notify the bankers that the circulation of dollar notes is for the benefit of the market and that in future if any bank be in bankruptcy, the notes must be settled first, taking the above mentioned case as a precedent. Let this be observed.-- Tientsin Official Gazette.
A CHINESE REVENGE.
At Chienchuang, near Linchingchou, some time ago, occurred a spicide of a surprising character. A man, whose family had once been well-to-do, went into the store of his adversary with whom he had had a lawsuit and lost, and demanded a large sum of money, threatening to take his own life on the spot if the money was not forthcoming. The manager objected, re- fused we had better say, and then the man promptly killed himself The magistrate sent down a commissioner, who, of course, would not believe the man had committed suicide until
a thousand taels had been paid him. Then he gave verdict that the firm were to hand over a thousand strings of cash for burial expenses, and forty mow of land as relief money to the distressed family. The ran was horribly poor, which suggests that we have here a good application of the Chinese proverb which freely translat d means: "Aliye worthless as a straw; dead it is as precious as jade.”
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PŘESS AND
IMPORTATION OF ARMS AT
SWATOW.
Now
that clan-fighting has become less their general the mandarins have relaxed vigilance, with the result that arms of all sorts district. Formerly a gun had to be taken to are being freely imported into every part of the pieces, or wrapped up with care, in order to escape observation. Now it is not unusual to see men carry guns openly from place to place, To say that the fights are less frequent is not to or especially from the port to villages inland.
the contrary, s ys the Swatow correspondent say that they have altogether disappeared. On
of the N.-C. Daily News, considerable dimensions has been in progress one fight of
for a month and has claimed several tens
of lives, besides causing the destruction
two vill by fire of a large quarter in ages. It is the after-math of a larger fight settlement by the mandarin left seeds of hatred two years ago, in which the unsatisfactory that are now springing up. If strict measures are not immediately taken for its suppression the trouble will extend over a wide area, as many other villages a: e engaged to take part on one side or the other in case of need.
NAIVE FINANCE.
Ahinese Imperial Decree of January 23rd is thus translated by the Peking Times:
We have received a memorial from Yuan
Shi-kai proposing to raise a pulic loan in Chihli. All foreign Powers when their countries need money for important domestic works raise loans and the public willingly subscribe. But in China the people hesitate because the officials do not keep faith, and therefore the public do not feel confidence.
The Viceroy now memo- rializes that the loan bonds which he proposes to issue would be faithfully honoured and this is very important. He proposes to raise a sufficient sum to pay interest, and issue these bonds in evidence, and let these bonds bo re- cognized in the payment of duties and other It is therefore granted that the idea be given taxes, and the regulations appear satisfactory.
trial. The Viceroy of Chihli and the Salt officials in office and their successors must be Commissioner are held responsible, and the very careful in the management of this. The regulations now passed must be regarded as law and no alteration can be made. If they neglect any any of the undertakings or are guilty of such faults as have occurred in the past or there is any corruptness, they will be severely punished and no mercy will be shown.
"CONSCIENCE" CHU.
This interes ing little sidelight on things Chinese was sent to our hanghai contemporary by its Linchingchou correspondent:
་
It is so often that nothing but evil is said of the district magistrates, that it is a relief to speak of one who has already won for himself a good reputation. This is the new man in
Tungohsien, Mr. Chu. He is said to have changed everything in his office, clearing off the docket within a few days, so that the poor constables are growing thin from lack of culprits on whom to feed. The people have given him the nickname of "Conscience " which is yet being "Old Thousand" (blows) more astonishing, the more common appellations Close-fisted," and the like. Recently Mr. Chu had a petition presented to him by a man claiming to be a Protestant. proceeded to examine him as to his knowledge Mr. Chu called his case, and of Christianity, names of mission, missionary, helper, eto. He soon proved the man false, ordered him to be given a thousand blows for his attempt to humbug, and after a few days, had him put in a wooden collar, which he is wearing during the present month, for the benefit of like
gentry.
8.8. "SCOTSMAN
CAPTURED.
The 8.8. Scotsman, which cleared from Hong kong for Vladivostook on the 2nd instant, with a cargo of rice from Saigon, has been captured by the Japanese.
[February 20, 1905
A CHINESE CRITIC OF FOREIGN MUSIC.
The following criticism is of interest because of the Chinese writer's amusing ideas of pro- grammes and menu cards; and because of his very sensible objection to noisy applause.
The Ling Nam Yut Poo in Canton writes:- On the 11th inst. at 9-15 p.m. the celebrated German Piano-virtuose Fried-nth 1 San gave a concert at the house of the Deputy ommis- sioner General Mr. Rocher, in which all the rooms were filled with the luxury of the Occident,
sparkled on the sky like It was a marvellous clear night; the moon a looking-glass, the spectators also listened with Absolute quietude reigned in nature, and silence when the cha ming music began. Now it sounded like the murmuring of water flowing over stone, now like the w pering of the cryptomerias soft moved by the zephyr; and his loud playing resembled the thunder of the waves in the ocean. Now the player was sitting at his instrument as quiet as the tops of the mountains, now he developed a liveliness and vigour of playing like the player in Yung-Len. His soft and sweet playing formed a heavy con- trast to the illfamed music at the borders of the river Fu. Frieden hal San possesses the talent of Chungi, who, as is known, was able to play everything. He plays like Shih Kuang who, on his queer instrument, knew bow to call forth the songs of the nightingale. At the concert all the diplomats, consuls, deputies, officials and the merchants of Shameen with their families were present, so that the vast halls were completely filled. All held in their hands a paper, in which they read what Friedenthal San was going to play, just as in the European hotels the guests read a paper to see what they are going to eat. After øvery piece they beat loudly with their hands, producing a loud noise, and so they gave the celebrated artist to under stand what pleasure they enjoyed with his music; but I thought this noise was rather a preceded it. I, the humble writer of these lines and editor of the Ling Nam Yat Pao was also stayed in the saloons until the end of the on- invited by the Consul of virtuous Germany, and
cert. Just as Chenlien un-lerstood how to
music, so was I also prevented from doing lead the people in moral ways through bis "nything wrong that night.
bitter contrast to the beautifui music which
WEDDING IN PEKING.
The British Legation in Peking wore an unwantedly festive aspect in celebration of the wedding of Mr. J. W. Richardson and Miss Jessie Ottewill, sister of Mr. H. A. Ottewill, Vice Consul of the British Legation. The ceremony, which 183 conducted by the Rev. Mr. Norris, was
of a simple character, not choral. The bride, who was be- comingly dressed in white silk was given away by His Excellency. Sir Erne-t Satow, while the bridegroom had for his best man Mr. Rospigl'osi of the Customs Service. The bridsemaids were
the Misse Carnegie and Piry and were assisted in their duties by the Misses Lowry, who distributed wedding favours to the guests. After the ceremony the company assembled in the Legation and after a brief_int-rval an adjournment was made into the Legation dining room where the healths of the bride and bridegroom were drunk. This toast was proposed by Sir Robert Hart in a very happy speech in which he referred in graceful terms to the sterling good qualities of the bride- groom as exemplified during a long service in the Customs and particularly during the trying time of the troubles of 1900. The bridegroom havius returned thanks in a few words, the bride retired to change to traveling, costume. The honeym on will be spent at Sir Ernest Satow's count: y villa, which he has kindly placed at the disposal of the happy couple.
:.
One of the most interesting fertures of the wedding was the amazing number of people who attended. It came as a surprise to every body that Peking could produce so many Euro- pesus and doubtless both bride and bridegroom will remember with pleasure this emphatic evid- ence of goodwill of as cosmopolitan a gathering as one could well imagine.—Peking Times,