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454
REACTION IN CHINA,
(Daily Press, 23rd December.) While the recent awakening of the great, but unwieldy realm of China to a sense of her own importance amongst the nations of the world cannot be looked upon otherwise than as, in the long run, satisfactory for the world at large, it yet has its embarrassing features: not the least unsatisfactory part of which, as we the other day pointed out in connection with railway affairs, was that it was being taken advantage of by the reactionary party to block the wheels of progress. A curious instance of how slight is as yet the way gained, is afforded by the change in the deportment of the five commissioners being sent under Imperial auspices to study on the spot the practical working of representative governments throughout Europe. But a few weeks ago the first step was taken amidst the universal plaudits of the nation: the new light had already dawned and all classes concurred in forecasting a happy result for the rejuvenated Empire. The explosion of a single bomb carried by an unknown an apparently unfriended individual has, to all outward appearance, changed all that, and the Commissioners, no longer the hope of the patriotic classes of the land, half ashamed of themselves, and no longer the observed of all beholders, are with ill grace being literally thrust out, practically ignominiously, and certainly unwillingly, The lessons of many years have, in fact, under this new excitement been momentarily forgotten, and consciously or unconsciously, we find China, but a few days ago with her garments bound up and her face resolute to take the needed step, now halting, shivering on the brink, aud again turning a longing glance to the old slough of despond whence her best friends had hoped that she had at last escaped. Now he it understood we are not deprecating in any way the returning desire of China to be once more a power amongst the nations: on the contrary we should welcome such a movement with outstretched arms, but China's return to greatness is not to be accomplished in her present mood, which is simply a harking back on the old tracks of self-conceited ignorance. With much humiliation of spirit ber exemplar, Japan, saw the necessity, would she too be great, of accepting the role of learner and sitting at the feet of Europe; her path was not made smooth for her, and many a time she was disposed to resent her treatment, but if her humiliation was great her reward has been still greater, and now her alliance and friendship is a thing sought by the greatest of the powers. If it be China's ambition to take her place likewise amongst the great nations, the way is like. wise open to her: she will receive more help than Japan; but, and there is a very effectual but in the case, she must, as a preliminary, attain the rt of learning with- out temper or self-assertion. Now un- fortunately it has been the weak point of China that throughout 'all her history she has been wanting in these very qualities; and it is not too much to say that in all ages her chief calamities have befallen her through their lack. The present year has shown that she has not even yet begun to see the weakest of her many points of weakness. With a splendid case, and the sympathy of the entire world, she has succeeded in thoroughly alienating the public feeling of the United States by her weak attempt at boycotting a trade, in which she was herself the principal gainer; and equally her ill. timed self-assertion in the matter of railways, as she was just beginning to
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND experience their benefits, political and commercial, seems likely to cause the with- drawal of her best friends and throw her back into the hands of those very Powers who, under the cloak of friendship, are plo.ting her destruction,
- Į Degember 30, 1905.
Meanwhile the number of prisoners necessary to be provided for was, with the growth of the Settlements, the population of which already approached half a million, rapidly increasing. The jails provided by the Courts were, as all Chinese jails, utterly The recent affair at Shanghai exhibits devoid of all attempts at sanitation, and with more clearly still how seriously these defects constant outbreaks of beri-beri were be- of temper are retarding all her best efforts coming a source of danger to the community at amendment. Of the many points in at large. Under the circumstances, the which Chins stands in the rear "rauks of Municipality built a new jail with all neces civilisation, there is none more arked, sary appliances for sanitation and inspection, even according to her own confession, than and the affair, taking expense and respon- her administration of her criminal law. It sibility off the shoulders of the Magistrate is, in fact, one of the points on which her of the Mixed Court, for a time all went along own wise men have in every age been agreed. merdily; no one was hurt, no diguity was Iu connection with her criminal law, her offended, and better control was able to be jails have at all times been a disgrace to exercised over the number of criminals who humanity, and her wisest have acknow- always gather around a growing population. ledged the necessity of her purging herself Unfortunately for the peace of the com- new Taotai, one Mr. YUEN, of the disgrace. It being an impossibility munity a for any community belonging to the higher afflicted with the newfangled ideas of civilisation to exist under these conditions, dignity to which we have alluded, but when the port of Shanghai was opened, in unable to see the reason why it had become the anticipation of an important settlement necessary for China to assert herself, was of merchants and others engaged in the appointed to the post, which above all commerce of the place, it was distinctly requires the exercise of good temper and understood that on the foreign community discretion, in both of which he has proved should rest the responsibility for the good himself lamentably deficient. The ordinary order of the place, and to that intent certain Chinese jail is bad enough, but on the powers were conferred upon the community female side all its drawbacks are magnified. as a whole. The practical extinction of all When the male prisoners had been removed rule of any sort in the districts round, conse to the new jail with the approval of all, the were not completed. queut on the Taiping Rebellion, caused female quarters
new influences new uumbers of Chinese to seek refuge in the Meanwhile under settlements, where all through under the officials were appointed, and when, on their aegis of foreign protection, order had been completion, the Council wished to move the When the Imperial govern- women into the new quarters the cry of preserved.
was restored ia ment
the country insulting the sovereign dignity of China round neither side made any efforts was raised. The new Magistrate took upon to alter these conditions, which practically himself the task of building a new female both, native and foreign, found advan-jail, in all respects as its predecessor, and tageous. At the same time no attempt was made to bring these native residents under foreign law except in so far as the necessary municipal regulations for the good order and the sanitation of the Settlements were con- cerned, and the execution of these even being left in the hands of the constituted Imperial authorities. A naturally somewhat complicated system of local jurisprudence sprang up, and to render this capable of so-called practical administration, the
Mixed Courts” were established under the sole authority of the Emperor of China as Lord of the Soil.
Co
By degrees these Mixed Courts, which for a time had been fairly clean, began to revel in all the iniquities and dirt which grow up in congenial soil about the native Yamen. Unpaid runners with indefined duties, but with a generally understood right to live on their offices and to contribute towards the expenses of their superiors, were appointed as in the native courts; their overt duties being to issue summonses, and make arrests. As the policing of the Settlements had from the first been placed in the hands of the Committee of the foreigu land holders, and as these unpaid runners were making use of their offices to exact illegal fees, this no-system became a matter of complaint, with the result that it was agreed that the runners of the Court should be accompanied by the Municipal Police in the execution of all warrants within the Settlements. But the right of jurisdiction, never in any case denied, was of necessity accompanied with the right of administration, aud for that premises for court and execution were re- quired, including, of course, the necessary jails. As in many cases the Magistrate was goly too happy to be relieved of the trouble and expense of keeping his prisoners, a cus- tom arose that the Municipality should take over the able-bodied and employ them on municipal roads and other useful works.
stoully insisted on his rights to supreme control over his prisoners without any reference to the Settlement Regulations
Asia whether sanitary or otherwise. most cases where a wantonly aggressive attitude has been assumed, the actual out- break was accidental, and had nothing to do whatever with the point of quarrel. Some prisoners, amongst whom were one or two women, were brought before the Court charged with kidnapping. There were one or two suspicious circumstances connected with the case, and it was by no means clear that any crime had been committed. Under the circumstances it was decided to adjourn the case, and the BRITISH ASSESSOR, in order to prevent undue influence being used, desired to have the accused taken to the Municipal Jail, where they would be properly treated and free from interference. The MAGISTRATE, carefully primed by Taotai YUEN in the new principle of seeing in every romon- strance some interference with the dignity of the Empire, attempted to intermeddle by force, but naturally ineffectually. Had the thing been permitted to cool there would have been no further trouble, and a way out of the difficulty could have been quickly found without compromising either. Unfortunately the motto appetitus rationi pareat did not prevail the next day, and the TAOTAI, of attempting to bring those instead concerned together, took the unwise course of seeking to inflame the prejudices of his fellow subjects. Such has been the cause of the first dissolution of the hitherto well- understood entente, between the numerous nationalities
of • which the Foreign Settlements are built up. It is a proof, if such were needed, of the wisdom of the first measures adopted, as well as of the general ability for self-government of the residents, native as well as foreign, that for upwards of sixty years, until the advent o
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