Say
June 27, 1908.]
· CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REFORT. history has not quite done justice to that stormy hope it will not escape the notice of the adventurer. The episode of the murder of the Mesdames Drummond and Pankhurst. Wangs the leaders of the Taopings by Li Think what a great and grand historical Hang Chang is dealt with at length by Mr. picture it may inspire, for our children's Boulger, who is well qualified to discuss it. He children to gape at on Saturday afternoons does not say, as others have said, that Gordon in in the National Gallery. A still simpler his furious indignation at Hung Chang's trea-idea, which we are surprised was overlooked, obery started out to shoot him with a revolver; but he shows us both the noble and the extremely would have been to have given every female impetuous and impracticable sides of Gordon's in that proud and happy band a bell like character. Gordon wrote to Li to say that if the one with which Miss MOLONY discom- he did not at once resi n his office he would fited Mr. WINSTON CHURCHILL at Dundee attack the Imperialists, retake all the cities The opportunity was lost. So, according to captured by the Ever Viotorious Army, and The Academy, is the Cause. According to hand them back to the Taepings. He even condemned Macartney, in quite unwarrantable
our pious and occasionally scientific con. terms, in an official despatch, because he tried temporary, the Suffragettes have been from to play the part of peacemaker; bat with the outset doomed to squeal in vaiu, characteristic generosity he afterwards made bandsome amends in public, and his letters show that he manifestly had a strong belief in Macartney's ability.
The part of the book which has most interested us happens to be the part dealing with MACARTNEY's relations with GORDON, and to us it offers a striking confirmation of Lord CROMER's recent estimate of that popular hero's character.
"THE LADIES: GOD BLESS
THEM."
(Daily Press, 26th June.) Except by the quiet way of a Daily Press telegram, we in Hongkong heard nothing of the great united shout of the Suffragettes in London on June 21st, which was to have brought down the Jericho-walls erected and maintained by those who do not see why decent women should be turned into more or less silly voters at Parliamentary elections. The simultaneous squawk from half a million feminine throats must have been awe-inspiring, as well as ear-split- ting. Perhaps it was responsible for Mr. ASQUITH's announcement that if the people of England showed that they really desired votes for women, the Government would have no objection to the introduction of a Bill to enfranchise the Jills. Perhaps it was not. In any case, we hear no malice- distance having rendered the co-operative scream less spouvantable to us-and sincerely trust that it was not responsible for too many sore throats in that "proud and happy band.” 'Tis a suffragette poem we quote from :
1
They'll tell in song and story
How women once were slaves; How those who strove to free them
Want sorrowing to their graves; Until they came in numbers
That no one could withstand. Hundreds of thousands marching,
We
From the earliest times the animal man has found it expedient to indulge grave suspicions about the animal woman. Early in his chequered and variegated career he discovered that the ing and amusing to a degree, was not really to other and better part of himself, though charm- be trusted. Hence he took particular care to keep her under his thumb, and when his thumb grew tired, he would employ his heel rather than let her go free. This was nobody's fault; nobody should be upbraided for it; hobody bad the smallest right of complaint. It was Nature or the Order of Things who arranged matters as they were arranged, and it is not for the creature to improve so little upon the views of the Power who created him. We shall spare the reader fat disquisitions upon the middle history of this strange relationship, contenting ourselves with the observation that right dowa has insisted upon being "lord of the fowl and to the present silken epoch the creature man the brute." And in spite of thousands of years of tradition, ad thousands of years of broaden- ing down, as it were, we find ourselves face to face with what is probably the most annoying ened to interrupt the orderly process of and least edifying portent that has ever threat civili-ation, the said portent taking the shape of the Screaming Cockatrice and her loose-witted male supporters and victim. It is worth noting, at the risk of triteness, that the rehests of the Wherever you find unnatural action or unnatural Order of Things cannot really be disobeyed. thought, there, if you look closely, you will sure y find the authentic law silently insisting upon correction. Which is to say that all foolishness. howsoever applauded, or howsoever triumph for wisdom. supported, comes in the end to be a s rt of
A proud and happy band. Hundreds of thousands screeching, it was on this famous 21st of June; and we can- not but think more effective tactics might have been employed. It was a male voice choir that laid flat the walls of Jericho, and we
fear the feminine pitch, being higher and of greater vibratory voltage, so to speak, would not blend into the proper thunder. It would be too much like the "clamour of citizens without," when the economical stage-manager hires small boys to produce the stentorian murmurs of the oi polloi. If they wanted Asquith and Co. to tremble, they wanted something more than a tremendous treble, adulterated with blends of soprano and falsetto. It might have paid them to take a hint from the tactics of Mrs. Pott in "Pickwick." Half a million suffragettes, all lying on their backs in Hyde Park, and drumming with their be ls at the word of command, might have made an impression. This is a sublime conception, and when the suggestion reaches London, per our weekly mail edition, we
Furthermore, says The Academy,
We have sprawled in our noble rage and admiration for this fairest of God's creatures and we are reaping something of the whirlwind. To speak, and we have allowed her out of her gilded put it another way, we have taught the parrot to cage. She flops about in startling plumage and shrieks her phrases with an assiduity which shows her to be a bird of pluck and perseverance. But she is becoming an obvious and dangerous nuisance. She disarranges the room. She rings bells. She shouts for apologies. And she will not allow poor papa to get on with his Elections. What is be to do? We say it with regret, but there is only one thing that he can do, to wit, he must place the bird back in her cage. His irresolute hands will probably suffer in the process. If she can't bite them she will peck them. All the same, the time has come for
Fevere and firm measures.
409
HONGKONG LEGISLATEVE
COUNCIL.
{
Council was held on June 25th in the Counail A meeting of the Hongkong Legislative
Chamber,
PRESENT:-
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, SİL FREDERICK JOHN DEALTET LUGARD,
K.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O.
His Excellency Major-General BroadWOOB, (General Officer Commanding).
Hon. Mr. F. H. MAY, U.M.G., (Colonial Secretary).
Hon. Mr. W. REes Davies, K.C., (Attorney- General).
Hon. Mr. L. A. M. Johnston (Colonial Treasurer).
Public Works).
Hon. Mr. W. CHATHAM, C.M.G. (Director of
Hon. Mr. E. A. IRVING (Registrar- General).
Hon. Commander BASIL R. H. TAYLOR, R.N., (Harbour Master).
Hon. Dr. Ho Kai, M.B., C.M., C.M.G. Hon. Sir HENby Berkeley, K,C. Hon. Mr. H. E. POLLOCK, K.C. Hon. Mr. WEI YUK.
Hon. Mr. H. W. SLADE. Hoo. Mr. MURRAY STEWART, Mr. C. CLEMENTI (Clerk of Councils),
MINUTES.
The minutes of the previous meeting were read, and confirmed.
PAPERS.
The COLONIAL Snobetart, by the direction of H. E. the Governor laid on the table "The Corps for the year ending April 1st, 1908.”" Annual Report on the Hongkong Volunteer
}
FINANCIAL MINUTES.
H. E. the Governor, laid on the table Financial The COLONIAL SECRETARY, by direction of
minutes Nos. 29 and 30, and moved that they be referred to the Finance Committee.
The COLONIAL TREASURER Seconded, and the resolution was agreed to.
FINANCE COMMITTEE,
The COLONIAL SECRETART, by direction of B. E, the Governor laid on the table the report of the Finance Committee (No. 10).
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion.
PUBLIC HEALTH AND BUILDINGS ORDINANCE
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved that the
Council go into Committee on the Bill entitled
an Ordinance to amend the Public Health and
{
Building Ordinance, 1903, and The Public Health and Buildings Amendment Ordinauce, 1903.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was agreed to,
no
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-In reference to clause 85 Your Excellency informed the Com- mittes at the last sitting that a letter from the Chief Justics had raised points in regard to the bill which required consideration. Tho representations of the Chief Justice were to the effect that, whilst it is songh; to place the duty on the Court to bear and determine questions of law arising on special cases stated That was written before the raucous
by the Governor-in-Council, there was caucus of June 21st, before the five hundred the decision of the Court to be enforced or given provision contained in the bill_requiring the thousand shrieks
were blended in one effect to. The Government after giving full memorable blast, and we presume later consideration to the matter propose to lasert comments will demand something with express words in the Bill to meet the point, but boiling oil in it.
we further propose to limit the power of stating & case by the Governor-in-Council to such questions of law as the Governor-in-Council may, in his discretion, direct and to amend the The victim of a forgery appeared at the clause in so far as the directory - words: are with forgery. The complainant had just arri-in-Council to state case if required by the Magistracy this week to obarge two bank fokis concerned, these words requiring the Governor-
ved from the country with a promissory note for appellant. In olause 84 the express words to $700 on a Chinese bank in Queen's Road. He be inserted preserve the Common Law ramedy, went with a friend to the bank and received the although, as I have hitherto stated, I regari money, among the notes paid to him being the them as unnecessary. Also clause 88.preserves $100 bill in question. He afterwards went to a the rights by mandamus or injapotion. money changer and produced the note, but was The effect will be that all the common law returned to the bank but the men there denied the right of appeal to the Governor-in-Concil informed that it was not a genuine one. He remedies will be expressly preserved and that having paid that note. Complaints were made will be given on all points for the power in the to the police and two fokis were arrested. Mr. Governor-in-Council toatate a case for the Wood remanded them for a week, bail being opinion of the Full Court and when the Glover. fixed at $1000 each.
nor-in-Council invites, on his own/initiative, the
a
!