ill fitted to win the approval of ev
ing the question, and filled with sere sibility?
22. His Excellency has not a whighest
ment is really more respected now, experie
have been permitted to enter the Beersed a
long ago that the Government was unable sup.
jew
ning
haunts. They know now that the overment is confess it. They also know that write in the colony is aced more ough to than a third, whilst larceny amongst survante, a crime gently able to gaming losses, is sever five per cent. Tess than had been before the licences were issued.
tracë-
23. The Governor further der the existence of that great sean-dal and discontent" at the Gourmt policy, which the commiuse assert to prevail "here and on the of China." That policy was inaugurated with the unanimous approval of the Executive and Legis lative Councils. It has been for a series of years a measure favoured by the local experience of each governor and his advisers. It has now been removed from the region of mere speculation and experiment, and proves that it is possible by its agency to suppress the gross evils inseparable from illegal gambling dens of iniquity. Moreover, the "scandal and discontent" are each comparatively limited, as well in duration as extent, for here they are chiefly but recently generated by the reaction of an agitation maintained in England by well meaning persons, ignorant of the circumstances which have produced and which justify that policy. Such ignorance is perhaps natural, but the com-parisons of Hong Kong with Heligoland and Baden most forcibly and aptly illustrate the unfounded inferences to which it leads.
24. Therefore unless by direct command of Her Majesty's Govern-ment, with which the responsibility of the change would then rest, his Excellency is not prepared to abandon the important results already obtained for any mere sentimental objection, or because irrepressibly arises from the policy, by which on the whole the greatest revenue still good can be effected. He would personally be delighted to get rid of that revenue if the committee would only make some practicable sug-gestion enabling him to do so without stcrifieing the power which he now has over the licensees, and which as yet he sees no safe means of dispensing with.
25. In conclusion, I have to state that his Excelleney is well aware he had no actual claim on the committee's attention, except to request their correction of a misstatement of a fact. Nevertheless, as a mem-ber of their association, he craves indulgence for the additional remarks which he has instructed me to make on a subject of some interest to a body established to discuss the most important social questions.-I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient humble servant,
J. GARDINER AUSTIN, Colonial Secretary.
Continental
Intelliger
NORTH GERMANY.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT).
HAMBURG, December 1.
the captain was enabled to make his scape. What adds to the o
of the story is the domestic complication of affairs that ensque from wife having mourned his loss and the married again; and the now finds her surrounded by a numerous progeny in addition left behind.
Rear-Asimiral Petz, with the ships forming the Austrian expedition the Far Ea has arrived safely braliar, and left that port on the time by it to Morocco is not stated, 21 of Bovimber for Tangiers. What his object is in wasting precion
and Norway has appointed Mr. William Robertson, of Ningo, to be Vice- By Royal Decree dated Stockholm, November 11, the King of Sweden Consul a at part, under the Consulte-General at Sunghai.
COMMERCIAL.
s is no altera-
in great request and stocks again nearly exhausted. A cargo (2,540 chests) has just arrived from China, but is not yet in the market. Flores agais Rice callandi no sales reported except for consumption. Cassia Ligne rising. Pepper and Cardamoms also higher. Iu teas: tion. A sudden demand has sprung up for refined camphor, which ha created a rise, and none is now to be had under 20 sch. beo. per lb. Nothing 18.7 for spring delivery. has been done in Spelter; the nominal quotations are 18.10 loco, and
SHIPPING.
ARRIVED.-Falcke, from Macao (Cassia Lignea).
SALLEL-Papa, to Shanghai; ward, to Hong Kong; Tellus, ta Akyab; Alice, to Macassar and Heng Kong; Wilhelm, to Bangkok: Honolulu, to Bangkok; J. H. Jessen to Singapore and Penang; Maria
Miles, to Hong Kong,
N.B. The Maria Miles came into collision with the Swedish brig Ve-randa, off the mouth of the Elbe, lest bowsprit and cutwater, and has returned to liamburg to repair damages.
SHIPPING AT REMERHAVEN, lieu, for Kangoou (4,016 bags rice, 500 chests catch); Devonshire, for ARRIVED.-Tordenskiold, for Rangoon (6.590 bags rice); E. Von Beau-
rice); Senator Iken, for Rangoon (18,000 bags rice); Moonbeam, for Bassein (11,425 bags rice); Sarah Newman, for Bassein (13,300 bags Rangoon (10,000 bags rice).
HOLLAND.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
of the departments of Foreign Affairs and Justice baving already been The discussions upon the Budget Have progressed must rapidly; those
ROTTERDAM, December 1.
approved of by a very large majority, and the remainder are expected to pass without delay, From tho debates I gather some matters of interest for your readers in the Far East. I a former letter I wrote you that the Finance Minister had rejected the claims put forward by Dutch merchants in Japan for compensation for losses arising out of the late hostilities which the Allied l'owers were engaged with Japan, They, however, wi not content with this decision, and a second endeavour has been made course by their influence, in the Second Chamber of the States General obtain a grant of compensation. The members dealing with the th chapter (Foreign Affairs), Messrs. Heydenryck, Pynappel, and Vird Verbrugge, proposed as an amendment to grant a sum of 8.44.757.84 State Commission appointed to examine the claims. The mercha the applicants. This amount was just half the sum proposed by supported this amendment by an alldress, in which they again ondea-veured to prove the justice of their claims. The motion gave rise to a very lengthened debate. Mr. Heydenryck, in order to elucidate the grounds of the proposal, referred to the large number of documents rela-five to the matter, and said that the State ought not to absorb the entire Casembroot gave his opinion that since the King had approved the rejec profit of the indemnification paid by the Japanese Government. Mr. de tion of these claims, the question was at an end. He was astonished at the proposal being made again, but now that it was doce he also had an' amendment to make, which was to grant a sum of 25,000, en hebulf of expedition, and which is now invalided. Mr. Gratana demonstrated that. the Royal Navy, especially for the division which took part in the said
He opposed the grant, and preferred to support the amendment of Mr. de the traders ought to claim compensation of the Japanese Government
Mr. Heyden yek. He said that there was no lawful ground upon which Casembroot. Mr. Godefroi also declared himself against the motion of the State could be called upon to indemnify these traders. Mr.Van Voort-huyzen disapproved of the proposal on the grounds that our traders not put forward any claim of a similar nature. Mr. V. A. Linden said transporting their merchandise to China, which involved costs, for which that the traders had acted against the advice of the English admiral, by they now sought compensation. Several other members also took part in the discussion, and the result was the rejection of Mr. de Casembrout's motion by 46 against 18 votes, and that of Mr. Pynappel, C.S., by 53 against 11 votes, which I think will bet the affair finally at rest. discussion of the budget. Mr. Van Delden said that Holland vught not Another question with regard to Japan was brought forward during the be represented there by an ambasador but by a consul-general. He finished his speech with a philippid against Mr. Polsbroek, which was replied to by Mr. de Casembroot, who demonstrated the necessity that a diplomatic mission should remalu in Japan, and that the chef" ought to bear the title of minister. After the reply the matter dropped. From again denied the existence of any foundation for the rumours which were the further discussions I only find that the Minister of Foreign Affairs set in circulation, respecting negotiations between Bolland and France to establish a commercial and military convention. Such negotiations the Minister declared bad never taken place, and he stated further that we were on the most friendly terms with all the Powers.
Now that the Prassian Consulates in China have been transformed into German Federal ones, and the salary of the Consul-General in China is transferred to the budget of the Confederation, it has become needful to place on the special Prussian estimates the sums required for the salary of the Envoy at Feking (who has hitherto received the salary of the Con-sul-General), and those of the other officials of the bassy. These will now tigare among the expenses of the Foreign Department, and of course are subject to the approbation and consent of the House of Representa-tives; but when the question is brought forward it will no doubt be a matter for the consideration of the members whether it is expedient to have in future a specifically Prussian Legation at Peking, in addition to the Federal German Consulates already existing in other parts of the Chinese dominions. The subject will probably give rise to an interesting debate, and meet with some opposition, as in the face of the serious deficit in the revenue, great economy is required to make things straight again, and there will be but little inclination to increase the burdens of the tax-payers in Prussia by the creation of new and superfinous appointments, the salaries of which might easily be shifted to the Federal Budget, and be borne by all the twenty-two States composing the North German Confederation in proportion to their population, the more so as the sub-had no more right than the English, French, and Americans, who had jects of all of them are placed under the protection of the Ambassador, be be called Prussian or Federal. Whed the subject was discussed in the last session of the German Parliament, on the occasion of voting the estimates for the Federal budget, it appeared as if the Prussian Govern ment wished to retain the Embassy in China as a Prussian establishment, and of course the members of the Federal Parliament made no opposition, heing only too glad to escape being addled with the payment of the salaries, whilst their fellow-subjects in China enjoyed the same protection as the Prussians. It is now a subject between the Prussian Government and their own Parliament, and simply almoney question; for the appoint-to ment of the Ambassador and the patronage of the inferior offices is placed in both cases in the hands of the King of Prussia, either in bis capacity of sovereign or as President of the North German Confederation. The Germanic Lloyd's," established last year for the classification of German shipping, have just published the first number of their Interna-tional Register, with an explanation in German and English of the abbreviations and signs used, as well as the tables for the measurement of shipping and the tarif of charges. It contains a list of the 273 merchant vessels that have hitherto been classified,
&
A strange story is related in a Bremen leval journal, announcing the return to that city of Captain Oldejan, of the Bremen ship Amulia, who bad not been heard of for several years and was supposed to be dead. It appears, however, that he lost his vessol in the China Seas, but, managed with his crew to reach an island where they were kindly received and well treated; but the inhabitants would not allow them to leave, and it was only by means of a well-planned and leverly executed stratagem that
You will remember that the Finance Minister recently proposed to of the stamp duty now levied on ewspapers Some Amsterdam and augment the import duty on tea, as partial equivalent for the abolition Rotterdam houses have addressed the Second Chamber of the States General, petitioning them to reject this proposal, because an increased daty would greatly prejudice the interests of the ten trade. The Hague
Hongkong.
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National Association
for the promotion
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Copy for. 2o. 16-4 Feb 1869-
4 Feb 186.
22
1869
PRINTED FOR PARLIAMENT
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on the 284444
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The National Association
for the Promotion of Social Secence -
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