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146
THE MANSLAUGHTER CASE.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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[September 4, 1905.
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inevitable, was distinctly unsatisfactory in consider the necessity of sending a fleet to view of the fact that years of liberty or of the Baltic, a move quite probable as well as (Daily Press, 26th August).
japrisonment depended upon it. The so- possible, but one that would presumably be While the Press is charged with t'e riety or otherwise of the decenzed was said left as a last resource ou account of its costliness and risk. At the same time,' duty of keeping an open eye on the public not to affect the law in the case, yet it was interests, ard its reasonable comments not a feature to be ignored. The summing Russia, according to the reports that repre- sent her last attempt to raise funds a failure, welcomed by the authorities of all enlight-up of His Lordship. The JUDGE was admir ened and free communities, it is forbidden ably ludid and fair; although we might say is not in a position to view with equanimity "If this fall was due the continuance of the war, erea so far to intervene in certain cases until the legal that the wording : inachinery of justice has completed its entirely to an inability to stand upright away from her vitals as is Vladivostok.
Now that the manslaughter case from drink, you will acquit the prisoner" is just possible that the Russian statesmen hope to make the world believe that it is not sufficiently ample. which has been exciting the public mind has been settled, it would appear that news-only slightly intoxicated might easily not her fault if the perce conference is paper comment, though permissible, is not have a fatal fall on such a pathway; and as fuile, and so to try for intervention; but likely to be useful. We venture to think, it was by no means proved that the deceased if there be anything in this theory, Russia however, that there are one or two points was too drunk to stand, the jury seemed is likely to be again disappointed. It is a the Anglo- to which attention may still be drawn in debarred from acquitting on the possibility contingency against which th public interest. And first it may be that partial intoxication might have brought Japanese Alliance is particularly directed; With about the fall. All this from the point of and with Japan in the undoubted position said that the case has. ended well. ont pretending to have taken any sort of view of the element of loubt. The intention of being entitled to what the sporting ring plebiscite, we believe that the civilian of the accused in going after the man could calls an award on points, it is unlikely that section of the European community was not be doubted: it would be to express his Great Britain would do or consent to any largely sympathetic toward the man whose resentment, either by word or blow or such procedure calculated to deprive her ally of hasty act had had such a sad ending, other action as the behaviour of the soldier the very real advantages she has gained. There have been, whether the military might suggest. There was, however, always | President ROOSEVELT appears to be one of authorities know it or not, a good many the possibility that the fatal fall might have · the most anxious to secure immediate pears, informal complaints of the rudeness of
occurred if accused had never given chase, but he announced that his intervention was soldiers on the streets In a garrison town,
at all; and recognising that in any case it is to stop at the point which brought the we suppose this to be inevit tile; and it is improbable he would have gone if he could plenipotentiaries together. It goes without in no way a reflection upon the character of have foreseen the result, the verdict and saying that if the present. Japanese terms, the troops generally, As a contra-picture. sentence were equally fitting. More might which have undoubtedly been reducel to we have beard of an act of great chivalry by be said about other developments, the a minimum, be unaccepted, they will a private soldier on the Peak, who escorted facilities for drinking after hours, for, grow cousilerably in the interval that a woman visitor all the way down, very instance; but no doubt the police are con elapses between their refusal and further delicately marching a few yar's ahead that sidering ways and means of remedying these consideration; unless, of course, there should In the meantime, the officials of the be a surprising reversal of positions, as a she might not feel embarrassed by the aften- evils. tion, which he very civilly explaines was a * R.A.O) B” club, which we understol to result of fur her fighting, which, we are His idea of the danger was be a sort of Friend y Society, ought to be bồn to beli ve, is extremely unlikely. necessary one.
Nothing that General LINIEVITCH is likely that unruly Chinese had been lurking about setting their house in order.
¡ to accomplish em seriously improve the On the lower level, the Peak roads.
situation of Russia as a Power in being. It there is sufficient danger from drunken
is tot as if Japan were being suddenly soldiers to make it inadvi-able that unes-
PEACE SPECULATIONS.
confronted with the difficulty of crushing corted women should fare abroad in the
(Daily Press 28th August.)
Russia by attacking her outposts: all that evenings. In the premises, there was
The further adjournment announced by has been well understood and thought out feeling that whatever the character of a
before. However, the conference is not woman may be, she is a woman, and should pur London correspondent may, of course, not be molested. With regard to the social ! be hailed by the pessimists as an indication abxncoved, but only adjourned, and while purity of the strects in this City, if the
the representatives of the billigerents are still engaged in negotiations, it is clear that Police are to be praised for nothing else,
there is always the hope of a bargain being they may justly be credited with the fact;
struck that en are ot molested as they are else where on the China coast. They may find wickedress who seek it, but it is not unduly forced upon them. With regard to the conduct of the case, we cousi ter that it allows an opening for submitting suggestions as to the ideal attitude of future Conusel, for the Crown. But for his kind suggestion. after he had secured a verdict, that a fine would meet the needs of the case, we should ' have held that Mr. HowLey showed need- less rigour in his prosecution. In pestering, one of the female witnesses, deceased had only done what she invited others to do," was one point made that was neither good law nor good morals. The later suggestion that "the woman pulled the piu from the soldier's jacket in the hope of destroying the identity of the man who was knocked down" strikes us as alisured, and, for an in- partial Crown Advocate, gratuitous: as was also the “bully" epithet. So far as we au gather from the proceedings, the under-sized prisoner was less a bully thay a rid culous and foolish Don Quixote; and it is unnatural to suppose that he intended to inflict any grievous bodily harm. The medical evidence said a fall caus a the fracture; and the cause of the There fatal fall has still to be guessed at. was quite enough doubt to intile the prisoner to a verdict, according to modern sufficient practice; although there was circumstantial and presumptive evidence to have hang d him in earlier times. So far, as questions of fact were concerned, the the conference fail to evidence on both sides, where bias w s
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We
of more impesses, but it may also be taken, as a sign that both sides have hem giren fresh ideas for a modns vivendi which they want to deliberate upon at leisure. have noticed that the most pessimistic fram Furrent Comments come of the
persu uled that the America; and are diffi ulty of obtaining information has soured our American colleagues, much as «. rtain
amg
CHINESE PUNISHMENTS.
"[
(Daily Press, 29th August.) China appears to be watering upou a war correspondents viewel the reform which was not so very long ago the Japanese campaign with a jaundiced eye subject of protracted and lively disc issi u That is the question of when they did not find their own paths in England.
them. Ther are still corporal punishment. According to nor heru smoothed for
the papers, the Tientsiu Magistrate, by order numerous Lopeful writers British, and the French Press is particu- of the Viceroy, has publishe Lan annouura. ment that the use of the bamboo bas besa `larly optimistic. This latter feature may
the abandoned, and that fixes will be substi- be perhaps as open to doubt as
as prevails American point of view, for our French tutel for corporal punishment,
According to the friends have perhaps more to gain by a ́in other countries." speedy peace" than any other onlooker. Tientsia Times, the scale of punishment is
party in thus re-adjusted : Appatently the stop-the`war Russia is by no meus as powerful as was * For offences which are generally pan- at first believed and the parties at St.'ished with fifty blows a fine of half a tael For a Petersburg have still got their hands fairly will be imposed, and for offences of a more free for their policy of bluff. The broad; serious mature, two and a hilf tae's.
are anxious to, sentence of sixty stick blows—for there is a point that Loth sides arrange a settlement is admitted, and counts distinction between this and the ordinary for touch, M. de WITTE has said that' bamboo--five taels, with an additional two and a Falf tiels for each additional ten he will do everything that is practicable to attain peace, but he would, of course, be blo es, or filtreu taels for a hundred blows. failing in his duty if he did not, at the sane. Those an oble to pay the fine will be made time, resort to ev ry device of diplomary toz to take it out in labour, Eme day's work bring about a solution as favourable this lei grckoned to the tael, or for fifteen Bannermen are to taris sixty day's work. own side as possible. It is altogether a
bargaining, aml neither be treated on exactly the sam· fosting as question of
The Magis rate notifies the side is se indifferent to the result that the people. they are likely to abandon the present people that from the date of publication opportunity for any slight cause. Shoull; this regulation will be enforced and all mikan agree offences, with the exception of theft and
i 1. Japan would probably have to robbery, will be dealt with iù this way.”
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