September 14, 1908.]
September 9th.
ARTILLERY BRIGADIS WITHOUT GUNS.
At the beginning of the year the Board of War instructed Viceroy Chang to form two artillery brigades. The recruits were enlisted some three months ago. Recently His Excellency in- structed the Bureau of Local Affairs and the Authorities of the Reformed Army Department to purchase over thirty modern quick-firing guns and heavy field gaas from the Krupp Arms Factory through Messrs. Carlowitz & Co. here, The prices were settled after consultation with the Viceroy and a contract was signed with the firm, after which His Excellency reported the transaction to the Board of War who replied that the prices of the guns ordered were much higher than those purchased from the same factory by the Northern Army and requested the Viceroy to defer completion of the contract.
It is reported that the Viceroy has cabled to the Board of War that the recruits having been already enlisted, it is necessary to have these guns for training purposes as soon as possible; otherwise the soldiers would be wasting their time and the Government would be wasting at the zame time an enormous sum of money in sup- porting them. Moreover, in the event of a rising in the Province there are no heavy guns опрове the enemy; and under all the circums. tances he requests the Board of War to permit him to carry out the contract with Messrs. Carlowits and Co, without further delay so that the training of the reformed artillery may not
to
♦ retarded.
LARGE PIECE GOODS FACTORY ESTABLISHED A wealthy Ching Yuen gentleman named Chu Kwan Yu bas started a piece goods and dying factory called the Yuen Hing Shat Yip Co on a very large scale in the Ching Yuen City with foreign machines of the latest type.
It appears that a few years ago Mr. Chu Bent a batch of students abroad to study the piece goods and dying industries. These students returned to China last year bringing with them a large quantity of machinery, and a factory was erected in Ching Yuen.
The establishment commenced operations about two months ago. It is reported that they have turned out very fine specimens of woollen and ootton Mata cord, printed chintz, Oxford shirtings, cotton singlets and various other cloths, altogether over ten kinds. Samples of their piece goods have been sent to many of the large piece goods dealers for examination in order to obtain orders and the dealers state
that the weaving and the colour of the dying are both far superior to those manufactured in Japan. It is reported that a large number of orders has been placed with the new factory by many of the leading merchants, to such an extent in fact that more machinery has to be ordered at once as the output is not equal to the demand. FLOATATION OF A BIG MINING CONCERN.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. railway materials to enter the Kwangtung Province free of duty for three years.
Viceroy Chang has received a copy of an Imperial Ediot recently issued by the Throne reque.ting all Viceroys and Governors to find out, and report, the number of shops that sell prepared opium and all the districts where Poppy is grown, in their respective provinces. The Ediet orders all Vicross and Governors to gradually close down the number of these shops and restriot the cultivation of the Poppy annually.
UNSATISFACTORY TALEPHONE SERVICE.
The Chinese are again complaining of the bad management of the Telephone Company hare. They are very angry with the Company and many letters have been written to the Press voutilating their grievances. The operators are too inquisitive and want to know who you want to speak with. They are not satisfied with hearing the number asked for, but they want to know who you are and what you want of the other man. Nine limes out of ten when a person wishes to make use of the telephone it is interrupted.
The whole institution needs reform and the present state of affairs is a disgrace to the Company and its managers.
September 10th.
A W BNING TO OFFICIALS.
The Waiwapu bas instructed the local authorities to notify all Taotais, Prefects and Magistrates to be more prompt and careful in dealing with international affairs, Owing to the dila oriness of the officials and the frequent mistakes made by them through ignorance of Government has been involved in trouble and International Law and Treaty regulations the has had to pay heavy indemnities. The Waiwapu requests that in future copies of all dispatches and correspondence regarding international matters be sent to them for perusal, no matter how trivial the affair may be.
mistake made by the officials in the
This order may be the outcome of the serious
Maru case.
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Tatsu
have requested Totai Wen Tsang Yao to settle It is also reported that the Foreign Consals
certain matters which have been pending.
A CCBTLY RAILWAY.
The Chinese merchants here have received
cable news from Peking stating that Deputy Leong Yang W, who was recently delegated by the Board of Posts and Communications to the Canton Hankow Railway, has arrived in proceed to Canton to investigate the affairs of
Paking and has sent in his report to the Board. Tang Leong Shing has spent $6,000,000 of the The report states that ex-Minister Sir Chan company's money to construct 60 4 of railroad. This statement has greatly suprised the Minister and all the bigh officials of the Board.
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187
In the case ander notice the foreign mer- chant reported the illegal seizure to his Consul who communicated with the Viceroy on the subject and demanded the return of the tobacco leaf. His Excellency, through the ignorance of his Chief Foreign Secretary or Deputy, replied that, according to Treaty regulations, no foreigners are allowed to par obase native produce and sell it in any Treaty Ports () The goods were confiscated on the ground that the operation was against Treaty regulations and that the labels on the goods indicated their Chinese origin. His Excellenoy suggests that the foreign merchant should sue the purchaser of the good.
On the other hand, if the purchaser to whom the goods have not been delivered, is sued, the Chinese threaten to boycott the foreign (British) merchant.
SUPREME COURT.
Friday, 4th September.
IN SUMMARY JURISDICTION.
BEFORE ME. H. H. J GOMPHRTZ (ÁCKING
PUISNE JUDGB).
CLAIMS AGAINST THE IMPERIAL BREWING
COMPANY.
Judgment was enter.d in three sotions against the Imperial Brewing Company of Hongkong, but on the application of Mr. Davidson of Messrs. Hastings and Hastings a stay of execution was granted. The first action was brough. by A. F. Weis, the brewer, for $400 due for wages, the secoad was by Messrs. Lane Crawford and Company to $265.53, and the third was by Messrs. Mayasaki and Company for $145 for goods sold and
delivered.
Monday, September 7th.
IN APPELLATE JURISDICTION.
BEFORE THE FULL COURT.
recover
MOTION FOR A NEW TEIAL Mr. Pollock's application to set the decision Mr. Slade continued his address in reply to aside in the case in which a Chinese firm sued Messrs. Reuter, Brookelmann and Company for alleged wrongful seizure of property.
or
Dealing with the question of process, Conn. sel said that any party who judicially cansed a trespass. void and irregular process to issue was liable in
Tue law looked to the cause causes, and it did not matter through how many ministerial hands the matter had passed; the person who had originally caused the procJss to issue was liable in trespass. If any man
The Bureau of Agriculture, Labour and Peking on the 9th moon to make an investiga. / asked the Court to do an irregular thing, and a
Mines here recently made a thorough inves- tigation into the mining affairs of the Kwangtung Province. It is reported that they hava discovered that over thirty mining concessione, rich in minerals, have not been worked at all. The Superin
tendent of the Bureau in his report to the Beard of Agriculture and Mines in Peking mentioned that he had already appealed to the public to form a mining company with a large capital. The Government will subscribe half of the amount required and co-operate with the merchants in developing all the mines in the Province. In the Superinten
dent's notification he stated that mining is
one of the most paying businesses, if sufficient ospital is raised to purchase the requisite mining machinery, and, in support of bis statement, he quoted the Government antimony mines in Yu-Yuen and Kook-Kong near Canton as yielding handsome profits to the Government.
OFFICIAL MATT RS
The Provincial Literary Chancellor received cable instructions from the Board of Education at Peking to issue notifications to all the schools and colleges in the Kwangtung Province prohibiting the smoking of cigarettes by all students under 15 years of age. If this re- gulation is strictly enforced it will seriously affect the cigarette trade.
The Board of Revenue has sent telegraphic instructions to Viceroy Chang to permit all
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Prime Minister, hang Chi Tung, will leave
tion into the matter himself.
A LIKIN DISPUTE.
Some time ago a foreign merchant here im. ported a quantity of native tobacco leaf which Wuchow. The goods were shipped to the was consigned to him by a foreign firm in
Canton Merchant by the 8.8. "Naoning and fall duty was paid to the Imperial Maritime Customs. While the tobacco leaf was being landed and stored in a godown on the Sha- kee, the exoise rfficers of the tobacco monopolists seized the goods for not having before landing the goods. The "I so-li" is purely paid certain Likia duty called the "Tso-li
chandise consigned to or imported by foreign firms. There are over 30 kinds of likin taxes ign and Chinese merchandize. Formerly all the under the name of "Tro-li," levied on both fore-
"Tao-li" taxes were collected by officials appoint. ed by the Bureau of Local Affairs.
a native tax and cannot be levied on mer-
are
These taxes were levied by this Bureau under the pretext of obtaining funds to purchase guns and to repair the forts of the Province; bat these taxes are really illegal just as the Fan-tan and other gambling taxes which the Officials designate as taxes lovie! to provide funds for the search and capture of robbers and pirates,
Of late years the Government has turned these taxes into monopolies and they are now farmed out to the different guilds and merchants.
thing which was absolutely improper in law, and if the Court soceded to his request by inadvertence, then the person suing was liable; but, if a person, without reasonable and probable and an irregular process was issued judicially, cause, went and asked the Court for remedy,
then the appliosat for the process was not liable in trespass. If a man accused another of an offence which was a summary offence for which no warrant could issue, and if he in proper form applied for the right remedy and the magistrate by mistake issued a warrant, the applied for the magistrate to do the right man was not liable because he had mersiy
the wrong thing. thing, and the magistrate had, by mistake, done
The Chief Justice-Even if the magistrate acts without jurisdiction ?
Mr. Blade-Even if he sots without jurisdio- tion. Bat if the party goes to the magistrate and requests him to issue a warrant for the apprehension of so and so, and it subsequently turns out that no warrant osa legally issue, then both magistrate and party will be liabla.
The Chief Justion-If it is a ministerial sot! Mr. Blade-Tes
The Paizne Judge-You say a man would be liable in trespass then.
Mr. Slade-I think so, my Lord, because the mistake was his,
The Chief Justice-lt is a mistake suppose that a magistrate issues warrants. It is the magistrate's clerk in most cases.