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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[February 3, 1908, international and national, chartered and yet treaty-boun, free and self-contained, and still hampered and clogged by all sorts The Municipal Election of reservations. of January 23rd raised an issue we had been The N..C. expecting for a long time. Daily News on the day before the election referred to the "Tammany-like tactics of an American caucus which had at the last moment nominated extra American and German candidates, without warning, and which had, as our contemporary alleged. "' for these individually agreed to "plump
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'dark horses," and so upset the traditional constitution of the administrative body. The Shanghai Municipal Council has for nearly half a century been composed of nine British members, one American, aal one German.
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ness like and unromantic basis, but Sir | it to our gratitude and respect; but of late EDWARD FRY, like SHAKESPEARE, is nothing years the old-fashioned taipan seems to have unless a moralist and he proceeds seriously gone, and a new personnel, composed of am- to observe: "There remains a moral question. bitious younglings of the WINSTON CHURCH Ought a master to consent to the receipt by 11 pattern, seems to have arisen with his servant of a donation from the dealer?" the best of intentions but a fatal facility and he goes on to conclude that he should for putting its foot into things. We have not do so, because such a pre ent would | found occasion in recent years to utter a create an obligation or an inclination to mild but timely warning against the threat- act in the interests of the stranger when he ened policy of offi'ious and ineffective in- ought to act with a single eye to his master's terference. We noticed with regret what interest." Sir EDWARD is hardly fair to
we diagnosed as a tendency to seiz the servants. He does not give them credit every opening to assert its supposed in for the ingratitude, which is the notorious fluence and to remind the world of its characteris ir of the recipients of all kinds important existence as a god in the car, of tips. It seems that the Attorney-General and it was easy to see that such a policy, wi en consulted on this gig ic question, if rersisted iu, must werken its influence gave the common sense opinion that Christ and tarnish its reputation. In this matter
Over four decades ago, the mas boxes were not within the scope of of Sir ROBERT HART's succes-or, we think the act. But this version of his answer dos it will certainly he discovered that the American Gy-rume it took nothing like the not satisfy Sir Edward who says it is an China Association has overshot its mark, sam interest in the fate of its Shanghai error to suppose the Attorney-General and older members and supporters will representatives that it has lately done, and find. meant this, as what he said was that he regret that it should have been allowed. the American settlement in Hongkew,
surificed to petty considerations of that sort, was clear that Christmas presents whica For Mr. GUNDRY as a journalist and as a really have that character and are openly student of things Chinese we have learned as, for instance, in the case of Sir ROBERT whose personal unpopularity and honestly given as such cannot be within to entertain a profounl respect, but this | BREDON,
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the members of of $200 the Act. "This Sir EDWARD admits is does not drive away from us the uneasy incontestible but he goes on to say that the suspicion that he has grown amenable to | Shanghai branch of the Chini Association question what Christmas boxes are hon stly | human weaknesses that journalism should ¦ is not and never should be a justification It looks rather as if the 10 his rejection from the important post and what corruptly given is not touched by have eliminated. the opinion of the learned Law Officer of the lavish praise bestowed upon his diplomatic for which he is peculiarly fitted. Shang- electors, those who are British, Crown and "it is desirable the public capacity has createl in him a new cucoethes
any candila'e who is should not be misled by a careless and scribendi, so that he hastens to write where should vote for
of afflirs, hasty reading of a very simple expression he once would have stopped to think. This British and a capable man of an inconte-tible proposition;
and has not only led him to write a letter, whether they like or dislike his face or his manners. Surely this does not require to having thus uttered an incontestible pro-instigated by the Shanghai branch, which
be argued. It is not entirely becius we position himself, the learned Judge leaves has since been widely characterised as the subject we suppose to proceed to the un-English and unfair, but has male him happen to be British that we dread a really But figure as the chestnut-snatcher for a monkey. international Government of Shanghai, but the matter did not quite end here. An clique in Shanghai which, as we plainly also be ause it is quite clar to us, as our irreverent outsider of the name of GARDINER suggested in our issue of the 6th January, contemporary points out, that a body vɔn- wrote from Wimbledon and asked why, annot claim, in it campaign against Sir posed of representatives of all the nationa- lities in Shanghai would be unworkable. if Sir EDWARD's arguments were correct, ROBERT BREDON, that all its motives are the Government and public authorities absolutely above suspicion of self-interest Yet if Americus and Germans ought to be allow their servants (postmen, policemen and unwarrautable bias. As we said then, represented, why not the Japanese, Portu- and others) to collect Christmas boxes? It the Shanghai meeting that met to inspire guese, Italians, Russians, and all the re-t? seems unkind to have put such a stop.the now notorious telegram was not unaui- Our contemporary urges the community to per" on so much learning and moralising, mous, and we have gool reason to believe maintain the British form of administration because it has ben in po session from the but it will be hard to continue the discus. that those who oppo ed it had in several sion after this short and seasonable little cases, wo.t'der motives than a mere reluct-hginning and can onl? be exchanged for a We go further, and dose of common sense. We have no special ance to appear in a false position. We do Municipal Babel, admiration for the system of giving Christ- not share Mr. GUNDRY's derivative view of would urge it to knock this international mas boxes and more than that of giving Sir ROBERT BREDON's fitness succeed Sir peril o the heal at once, (that is, at the wedding presents (which latter custom ROBERT HART, We fancy we have under- next opportunity) while it has the power, happily shows some signs of being dis.stod his character better, and we certainly and to make an keep the administration continued) but so long as it is the custom have a clearer perception of his abilities. Any purely British, favouring no one foreign nation over another. Otherwise, the flag of (or "form") to give gratuities of the kind, objection to him we could think of would it is reducing Law to an absurdity to argue apply equally to Sir ROBERT HART, whose revolt now waving on the horizon will be that doing so will bring a man within the success is admitted on all han ls, and we pro- brought right into the arena, and no man purview of an Act of Parliament unless (sophesy with confidenc› that when Sir ROBERT dare say what would happen. If Mr. J. far as this is concerned) the act is absurd in
WARD HALL faithfully indicates Americin itself. To push the Act to such an ex'reme
views, we can make a fair guess. He writes, would be the best possible way to get it
inter ali: repealed altogether; and to doubt the Attorney General was alive to this bring of the subject, when he gave the sensibl opinion to which Sir EDWARD FRY takes much exception.
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consideration of his next moral case.
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THE IG CHINESE CUSTOMS.
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BREDON accepts the permanent appoint ment, as we fully expect will happen, he will continue and muntain th excellent traditions that have lifted the I. M. C. almost enti ely out of the mire of political In view of the and diplomatic intrigue. manifestly unfrien ily criticism late'y direct ed at him, we have particular pleisure in wishing him all success in his present
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SHANGHAI ELECTIONS,
(Daily Press, January 29th.
Daily Press. January 29th. Our special telegram from Peking shoukl be particularly interesting to the members of the China Association, In our opinion it is quite probable that it is in consequence of the indiscreet neddling of the Shanghai Branch that this Edict has app ared so promptly, certainly before it was expected; although that is not to lose sight of the fact that Sir ROBERT BREDON has always been what the N.-C. Daily News called him, "the natural successor to Sir ROBERT HART." No one recoguises to a fuller ex- tent than we do that the China Association has, by its efforts in the past, achieved a tentative turaings, and many steps record of creditable usefulness that entitles
Shang ai has no peer. There is no settle- ment, model or otherwise, anywhere in the world that prosents similar peculiarities of constitution. Nowhere ele, we imagine, is there a lik: possibility of 8 many ano- malous conditions. Anyone presuming to argue on Shangai politics, be his acqu cut- an e big or little, commits his way to a maze whence extrication is unlikely to fill ow
"A Britisher fist pat apa thase Settle- ments the name of Interuitia, aul it has adhered permanently, and a refer to the voting list as corrected to Dember 31 list will rea lily prove that Shinghai is not any louzer a British town or community. Hence we cannot longer expect a virtus ly‹ lid British represent tin on the Municipal Čuaoil. The vote has now grown t› the substantial figure of 1,801, and we need no longer fear the power of "Absoutes Landlord' nor the British domina ion. If our voters will take the trouble to vote we control the situation."
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That ought surely to bave roused the British elect rs even if our contemporary ful d to do so. If they do not desire the "situation to be "controlle" by the newcomers, and themselves with it, it would seem desirable that they should basten to put their buse in order. The motto of the municipality is “omnia juca in uan," That is very pretty, very pretty indeel, under existing co- dition; but we would earnestly wirn traced every Shanghailander who cares for the and retraced. That is because it is at once' Model Settlement's fate that it will seem
without periods of sexatious pizzlement,
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