+
December 23, 1905.]
11
<
were
"
the
a collection of sacred writings collectively called "The Bible," and that its English was classical and good, and that, if I should like it, he would make me a present of a copy.' He comments, "If it is possible for an educated person to form an idea of this sort in the very heart of the civilized world, one may well be tempted to speculate on what goes on far away in the distant Orient between over-zealous missionaries and people of the common class." There was also the case of two young Christians who invaded the garden of his villa at Karuizawa, a favourite idling place for missionaries in the hot weather, and who, when spoken to by him about cutting down green branches from his favourite trees,
not in the least sorry or ashamed but most arrogantly told him branches were required "for the House of God." He also deals with the famous letter by Bishop AWDRY, and neatly hints that the episcopal meekuess and humility is not quite up to pattern, in 'the general attitude he assumes towards Japin -essentially that of tutelage." He asks. "Can it by any conceivable stretch of courtesy, be considered that the writer of such a letter for publication in a daily journal, circulated in the country wherein he resides a letter in which phraseology of the irritating kind that I have quoted is employed-is a tactful and discret leader of the missionary undertakings of the Church of England, though his intention may be good ?" And so concludes, "It is most essential, in my opinion, that those who are in positions of authority in religious matters should take the utmost care in the selection and discipline of men to serve as missionaries, and to recall those who, by lack of judgment or displays of intolerance, show themselves as being unfit to occupy positions of so great responsibility." As, in the nature of such a business,. no carefulness in selection could possibly eliminate the constaut recurrence of over-zeal, something more seems needed. We would make it condition in admitting missionaries that they should provide their blessings, but wait for those who want them to ask for them.
The commercial traveller in trade seems to be a necessary nuisance; the commercial traveller in religion is a fire-brand, an impertinence, and a common danger.
A
HONGKONG JOTTINGS.
|
|
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. the eloquence they can command. One has no difficulty in divining what are the qualifications for representing the Chamber of Commerce in the Council, but whether there was any clearly the Justices of the Peace should especially defined intention that the member representing represent any other than the commercial interests we might only learn from the nn. published dispatch by Sir George Bowen in which he recommended this electoral scheme to the Imperial authorities, about the year 1883. Presumably there was some such intention, though all Unofficial Members of the Council, Laving the welfare of the Colony at heart, must recoguise the importance of giving their utmost support to ДЦУ proposal which
aims
at conserving and promoting our commercial interests. Nor must one forget that the position of an Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council is a trust for the community as a whole aud not a vantage ground for pro- excellent candidates are contesting the election, tecting particular trade or class interests. Three My choice would b
16
programme: "?
ut where are their Must we vote for men or for principles and policies? We know they are all honourable men, and probably the prevailing | sentiment among the great body of non-electora will be Pulmani qui meruit, førat! The voting is by ballot, and the votes have to be counted in meeting convened by the senior magistrat. the presence of all the Justices who attend the
Whenever an election of Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council takes place, the automaton character of th- Official Members always comes in for remark. They do not s, cak and vote as they pleas or rather in the way the community would like to see them speak and rote. "The Governor pulls the strings and the figures movs accordingly." That is the light in which Official Members of the Legislative Councils in all Crown Colonies are regarded. The community of Hongkong, by petition to the House of C minous on oue ccession, prayed that the Official Members should be allowed to speak and tote as they pleased, and the reply Secretary of the day, in these terms: came back from Lord Ripon, the Colonial
"It is a demand which is familiar in the cure of Crown Colonies, but only one answer can be given to it, viz., that the paid servants of the Goverument cannot be left free to oppose the Government. I should be surprised to lar that the Officials themselves wished to be given this freedom."
official has voted against the Government. I can only recall one occasion on which an That was ossibly due to a mistake, though, as the member was new to the position, he may have voted conscientiously, and in ignorance of what was expected of him in the way of loyalty to the Government.
437
i getting into the casual ward. Our skipper and a friend, having resolved to make the experiment, attired themselves in garbs suitable to the destitate character of the out-of-work portals of a casual ward and were duly admitted. British workman, presented themselves at the
No
One of the first comforts of the institution to which they were introduced was the bath! doubt, the warder remarked that they wers gleau-looking specimens of the British tramp, but that possibly only confirmed the warder in his pre-conceived opinion that they were pro- frasional tram, s, who would, in the ordinary course of things, get a bath every day, though each day in a different workhouse. After a lain, wholesome meal, with no whiskey and cigars to follow, came the order to "turn in" for the night. While the sleeping accommoda- tion was not so comfortable as a captain's cabin on a China coaster; the ably seaman of these ramps might be expected to sleep as soundly parts would describe it as "can do," and tired
hs the average Chinese coolie will sleep on a stone wall. The most amusing part of the tale comes after the breakfast, full and sa ́isfying, but not ap; etising to men of epicurean tastes. Every casual has to cover the expenses of his hight's lodging and breakfast by performing a
"
tusk before he is allowed to leave, and the task is usually to pick a certain quantity of oakum or break a certain quanlity of ston). Picking oakum is the tusk in most casual wards, and our skipper reckoned he e uld do that, like & shot. But in the particular ward he had selec'el to enter stone breaking was the allotted task, and the job well-nigh broke the skipper's heart. His friend knew something about the stratification of stone and managed to complete his task and get quit of the establishment by eloven o'clock; but the skipper had had no experience of s'one-break. ing, and it took him some time to acquire the knack. It was four o'clock before the task was completed, and as the regulations allow only one meal a day to be given to a casual, the famished skipper on the completion of his arduous task took his discharge with a seuse of great relief and has come back to China, his hands still sore from the use of the hammer, and his mind thoroughly made up that the luxury of workhouse life in Euglan i will not appeal to him should the stress of competition ever put him on his beam en ls.
The rain which fell on Friday night was very welcome, for the notices published by the Water An herity recently have warnel us that the reservoirs are getting low. We have had much less rain this year than usual. the last three years the rainfall has averaged
For
inches, but to end of November this year only about 63 inches had fallen. Dr. Clark, the Medical Officer of Health, in his last report Another event to which many are now pointed out that the rainfall records of the beginning to look forward is the Annual Race last twenty years indicate a progressive change Meeting. The griffins from Shanghai aro
in our climatic conditions, From 1835 to the arriving later this year than usual owing to the end of 1894 the average yearly rainfall was 95.19 difficulty of obtaining suitable animals in the inches; in the suceeding ten years the average north, double-s a result of the war. Fiftywas only 74.84 inches. These figures have an have been ordered from Shanghai, and 13 only important bearing on the water storage have arrived, but a further batch is coming accommodation question. on the Kwongsung which is exp c'ed to arrive to-day. The first batch to arrive appears on the whole to be a very satisfactory lot. Every morning before br. akfast owners and riders are to be seen on the track, and we may now regard the training season as commenced.
One of these days si mebody, I hope, will be inspired to write an addendum to the "Tales of the China Coast," giving us a book of delectable yarns which might be entitled "Tales of China Skippers." One was told me the other day which might find 8 place in +nch collection. A popular skipp r who has recently returned from Home relates how fascinatel
18th December. A "parliamentary election "
in Hongkong is a disappointing affir. No flaring posters adorn the walls; no fervid speeches are daily made from the hustings to catch the votes of electors; no colours are worn by the contending parties; and-well, any transient visitor from a vessel calling in at the port would scarcely suspect that we are now in the throes of an election; the election by the Justices of the Peace of an Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council. The franchise is a limited one-a very limited one, seeing that the voters number only about 100 cut of a population of 350,000-bat Crown Colonies have to be thankful for small mercies in the way of representative government. However, though the franchise is narrowly limited, the interest in the event is more widely felt, eren though the casual visitor to Hongkong may deem it obscurely he was by the stories now-a-days heard manit sted, and one of the Great Unprivi in certain circles about the luxury of leged inquires what special qualifications workhouse life in England, and thinking, may- the elect of the Justices of the Prace is be, that som day he might need a quiet, required or expected to possess in distinction to luxuriously comfortable and inexpensive retreat the qualifications of the Member for the Chamber in the "old countrie," resolved to have a little of Commerce. I regret my inability to answer anticipatory experi-uce of 1 fo in a People's the question by a direct reference to any official Palace." Not being old and indigent, au paper, and have pleasure in passing the question application to the Guardians for admission on to the candidates, who probably know to "the House was out of the question, and will be glad to answer it with all but the able-bodied, if destitute, have no difficulty
:
t
11
34
This day week is Christmas Day when Christendom and his wife does the biiding of the poet who says:-
At Christmas play, and make good cheer. For Christmas comes but once a year. Never have I seen the shops of Hongkong so prettily decorated with a'l that goes to 'make good cheer," especially for the younger m-mbers of the community, who must now be dreaming nightly of the coming of Santa Claus. And we are actually to have a Christmas Pantomime. The Zorrilla Comedy Company, who are now returning here from Shanghai, antoure that they will re-open to-morrow in St. George's Hall with "Sinbad the sailor." I would like to suggest to the managem-nt the advisability of arranging for a Matinee performance, or numbers of children would miss what to them would bɔ a treat to be long remembered.
BANYAN.
HI.E. the Governor has been pleased to appoint Mr. C. Rees to be secretary to the Squatter's Board.
1