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TILE
Hongkong Telegraph.
HONGKONG, 23RD July, 1881.
THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH-SATURDAY, JULY 23RD, 1881.
trivial character, we cannot but think and not the property of the gentle that Sir John Hennessy was impolitic men who act as members of Com- and ill advised ever to raise such mittee, it was the bonndon duty of a storm in a teacup, over a matter the Committee to call a public meet- which had elicited no complaintsing of the ratepayers, before sacrifi- from the Chinese, and where no cing the Government donation of important principles of right $1200 per annum. This is no paltry and wrong were actually involved, dispute between the City Hall Coni- From the raucourous manner in mittec and the local Government; which the dispute Was argued by but between the first named body the Governor and Mr. Keswick, and and Her Majesty's Government in the bitterness of feeling imported London. No change of Governors into a difference of opinion which can ever affect the dictum of the was of no practical consequence to Secretary of State for the Colonics, anyone, it was not difficult to see and it it simply childish to imagine that the public interests were being that. Sir John Hennessy's successor, made a convenient excuse for the whoever he may be, will make the two belligerents to settle their per- slightest difference to the rigid rule sonal differences. It will be re- so plainly laid down by Lord Kimber- membered that His Excellency was loy. Unfortunately the expenditure of unwise enough to retain a certain the City Hall has always exceeded the sum of money due by the Govern- income, even including the $1,200 per ment to the City Hall, on what wore annum received from the Colonial apparently insufficient grounds, and Treasury, therefore it cannot fairly be on the pros and cons of the case said that the Committee have acted being submitted to the Right Honor-wisely in sacrificing this large portion able the Secretary of State for the of the annual income, for the sake of a Colonies, an order was immediately mere sentimental idea, which practic- sent out instructing the sum to be ally neither affects the independence paid to the Treasurer of the City of the institution, nor the interests or recollect the triumphant tone adopt! Hall without delay. We vividly comforts of the general community. ed by the local press over this vict- ory, and the Colonial Secretary was praised and patted on the back in that
The Danish barque Flensborg was fulsome style, so peculiar to the or- hauled up on the latent Slip this morn- acles of Wyndham Street. The ques-ing, to undergo the usual inspection. tion affecting the rules of admission to the Museum was submitted to Lord Kimberley's judgment by Mr. Kes- wick, and it is no secret that the honorable gentleman and his sup- porters were quite confident of the result. They were mistaken, how over, as his lordship declined to sanction the continued expenditure of public money on any institution of the kind, in which a distinction was made amongst the different rate- payers
LOCAL AND GENERAL.
The case in which II. E. the Govern- or of Macao is plaintiff, and Mr. John Pitwan, defondant, will be called on Monday, when the Counsel for the- plaintiff, Me. T. C. Hayllar, Q. C., will have to show causo why the action should not be dismissed.
Tho stormer Pulcan, which has for some time past been moored outside
Kowloon Docks undergoing repairs, will resume her usual duties on the Canton line on Monday, and the Kiu.. King will be placed in the hands of the Dock Company for a fow necessary repairs. Until these are completed thore will be no night boat to the City of Rama,
The British steamer Rojanaitianukar was released from quarantineon Thurs day evening and her passengers were
fort and satisfaction of Captain Hop- kis and his officers. A considerable number of them were bound for Swatow, and immediately on their release were transhipped to the Namoa and proceed
in the rules of admis- sion, but suggested that the said rules should be modified in order to meet the requirements of Her Majesty's Government. On this occasion getting the worst of the appeal to the Home Government, the City Hall Committee seem to have lost faith in Lord Kimberley's judg ment, and the press oracles instead The determination of the City Hall of jubilant and sycophantic cock-discharged, much no doubt to the com- Committee, conveyed in Mr. F. crowing, have maintained an ominous Bulkeley Johnson's letter of the 14th silence as to his lordship's wisdom, inst. to the Acting Colonial Secretary, That the Committee have not accepted to sacrifice the Government contribu- their discomfiture with a good grace, tion of $1200 per annum to the Mu- is plainly evident from the Chaired on their journey this morning, not scum rather than acquiesce in the man's letter to Dr. Stewart, declining yesterday as stated elsewhere. desire of Lord Kimberley to make to modify the rules as requested, some slight alterations in the rules regulating admission to the institu- tion, can only be defended if the Com- mittee are prepared to pay out of their own pockets the sum they areuselessly sacrificing in defence of a sentimental whim, which does not in any way practically affect the interests of the Community at large.
and appealing to the public to make up by liberal subscriptions, the amount lost by the discontinuance of the Government Grant. Our local contemporaries applaud this decision in the usual strain, (although the Ching Mall had previously recom- mended the Committee to accept Lord Kimberley's proposal) and as the Daily Press especially, strongly recommends a subscription list to be started at once, we venture to suggest to the Committee, if our contempo- rary's advice is adopted, to send the list first to the Daily Press and then to the China Mail, just to see how far our contemporaries are prepared to practice the liberality, they preach with so much effusive eloquence.
The differences which have existed for some considerable time between His Excellency the Governor, and a section of our leading merchants, on questions, more of a social than of a political nature, have unwisely, and unfortunately, we think, been allowed to influence certain matters in which the general public can fairly claim an inherent interest. This City Hall question is one instance of what we Personally we are unable to see have above referred to. For reasons any reasonable grounds to justify which are hardly worth while going the Committee in rejecting the Gov into, as they are perfectly well crnment subscription and in send known throughout the colony, the ing round the hat to make good personal relations which existed be the same out of the liberality of tween the Governor on the one hand, the community. If the Committee and the Hon. William Keswick, are so anxious to show this altogether Chairman of the City Hall Comunnecessary independence, let them mittee, on the other, were not pay for it themselves. The interests of that friendly and harmonious of the general body of rate-payers character which, in a small colony are not imperilled in any way, and like this, ought to have been the case if they are to be called upon for between two gentlemen of such high subscriptions, it might be as well, position. To this unfortunate per- and it would only be reasonable, sonal difference the community of that they should be consulted on the Hongkong owe the troubles created matter. The autocratic executive of over the City Hall disputes, and the City Hall, apparently desire to several other matters which we do carry out their own sweet wills ir not propose to deal with in this respective of what may be the gen- article. As the questions in dispute eral opinion of the community at ever the rules of admission to the large. We are of opinion that, as City Hall Museum are of such a the City Hall is a public-institution,
The three gunboats Tota, Kappa, and Lambla, recently built on the Tyne for the Chinese Government, arrived here this inorning, in charge of the crews that proceeded to England in the China Merchants Steam Naviga tion Company's Steamer Hac-slun Some months ago. They are of similar construction to the foar alphabotical gunboats already form ing part of the Chinese navy, and are each armed with one 35 ton gun, two 13 pounder B.L. Armstrong gnus, one Nordenfoldt, and two Gatlings, craft heavy armament for small of only 129 tons. They are smart. looking and handy boats and well suited for river sovice, for which they
are intended.
The "Road to the Downs" has over
of the most amusing characteristics, been prolific of scones and incidents teeming with events of rare original lity, and displaying carly every in- aginable phase of life, but this year a novel method of reaching the Course on Derby Day has been adopted, which opens up a new source of pleasure to those who can attain to it...
We take the following from The Times of June 3.--
Mr. Josceline Bagot and Me. Drum. mond, of the Grenadier Guards, accom panied by Mr. T. Wright, the winner of the International Balloon Contest, Palace at 1 p.in. on Wednesday. When went up in a balloon from the Crystal the ropes were loosed they ascended to the height of 5,000 ft., and travelled slowly in a south-westerly direction for the distance of about eight miles. The balloon then suddenly sank, but ballast being thrown out, it rost again to 8,000 ft, and traversed lu the direction
T
of Epsom. The aeronants then dos- conded in a field about a quarter of mile from the Grand Stand, which they reached in time to witness the raco for the Derby.
We regret to hear renewed complaints anont the state of the steps at Peddar's Wharf, Several falls took place yoster- day, but without serious consequenços; of course the state of the weather has been such as to prevent any but those of the most robust habits making use at that, and they least of all should be of the steps, aud chiefly son-faring men
given to find fault with wet planking of any description. It would be possi- ble, and should be even compulsory, in wot weather as well as in dry, to keep these steps free from the green slimy matter deposited by the receding tide, but it is to be feared that all the care the
Surveyor General's Department could Javish on thom, would not proveut a considerable amount of slipperiness to bo manifested in rainy weather such as
We are
now experiencing. A little sand thrown on them would have a boneficial effect while it remained, but
this could not be expected to be for long, with heavy downpours taking place at short intervals throughout the entire day. A new pier is in contemp lation wo baliove, and until that is erected we trust the public may bo enabled to make use of the present construction with such modicum of safety as it affords, and with a min. imum record of accidents or minor mishaps.
A robbery is reported to have been committed at No. 2 Praya-east, the Blue Buildings, but on investigating the circumstances of the case, and
divesting it of the sensational surround- ings with which it has been garnished, it becomes reduced to a matter of com- paratively small moment. The house in question is occupied by Mrs. Rose, and it
appears that about 3 o'clock in the morning she called her boy to remove some flower pots from the verandah balustrade where she feared they would bo blown over. The servants' quarters of these bouses" are situated at the back of the buildings, and with the most ordinary and simple precaution, merely shutting an iron gato, they are porfectly safe from midnight mar- adors. The boys, however, are care- less in this matter and in this instance not only was the entrance gate left open, but also the door of the boy's room itself, On returning to his quarters Mrs. Rose's boy found a couple of men leaving the place with four jackets in their possession, and on his attempting to arrest them, one of them bit his finger and effected his release. The two men quietly walked off and once getting round the corner leading to the Queen's-road were no more heard of. The European con- stable's beat in this district, which is described as a very short one, extends from the bridge over the nullah at the Murray Barracks oustward atong the Queen's-road, through Wanchai to the bridge at Bowrington, along the canal
L
₺ó
CORRESPONDENCE.
[ We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents]. Government Civil Appointments.
and Military Offleers.
To the Bililor of
A01 annonocoment
"THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH." SIR,-In your yesterday's issue I notice
of the temporary appointment of a military ́ ̧ medical officer to the post of Acting Superintendent of the Government. Civil Hospital, vise another military medical officer removed to Singapore. ou account of military duty.
Is there a scarcity of medical men in civil life in the colony that no- cessitates the government to fly for assistance to the military services when an officer of the Government goes où- leave for terio? Or is it that the time of the civil practitionors in the colony is so much taken up with private practice as to render it utterly impos- sible to fill a temporary gap from tho ranks of that body?
I offer ua objection whatever to the appointment of the military gentlemen on the score of professional inability to deal with the cases that would be on- trusted to them in the Hospitals of our colony, but these perpetual fillings up of temporary vacancies by Military Medicos appears to ine to be an in- justice in more ways than one to their fellow civit practitioners.
In the first place when a toilitary officer of any branch of the service ac- cepts a civil appointment, and still ro. mains on the effective list of his Corps or Department, he does so with the distinct understanding that the duties of his civil appointment shall not bo allowed uuder any circum. stances to interfere with the proper performance of his military duties. His first care then must. be for his army services, and in the event of any unusual emergency arising he would. he compelled to give his attention un- reservedly to his military duties, leav- ing those belonging to his civil office to sink or swim as fate might direct. No man can serve two masters and do jus- tip to both, to which side theu might be be expected to loan certainly to the permanent appointment rather than to the temporary one, which is simply looked upon as the source of a nice little increase to his pay. He may be withdrawn at a moment's notice-the exigen ics of the service have an awkward tendoney to step in at inopportune times
and he may not hold the appointment long before he is removed, as in the present case. The new officer is also unlikely to be permitted to retain the post till the return of the Super. intondent, as his tour of service in China, will have expired long before the termination of Dr Wharry's leave of absence.
Then again there are somewhere about half a score of duly qualified medical practitioners in the colony who are eligible for the appointment, and - who are permanent residents bere, aud who would not be nearly so liable to removal at short notice, or at the the barbour, and
caprice of a superior. Many of them along the Praya until it again too are single men who could take up joins the Queen-road at the Bast their residence in the hospital while they Guard bodse, and embraces Morrison hell the appointment, and would thas Hill. This is far from being a short be bettor able to render prompt, and con- one, and certainly beyond the power sequently more efficient service, nt of one man to patrol ouce every quar- least on that score, to the hospital. The ter of an hour. In addition to the four newly appointed man is a married mau, jackets, the boy also reports the loss of living at some distance from the bos- some ten or twelve ton-cont pieces. Apital, and with other ties, cares, and strong military guard is within a coup- lo of hundred yards of the scene of screaming "all along as only Chineso the robbery, and if the boy had been. coolios can scream," the attention of the sentry would no doubt have been at- tracted during the period of two hours from 3 to 5 o'clock. Perhaps the son- try's post, which only extends to the front of the guard-room, was mistaken for the policeman's heat when it was described as a very short one.
Figures are sometimes deceiving. It is this wook announced that the Land Loague Society of Irishmen resident in America had sent a sum of twonly Irish Laud League, at home, and thoro thousand pounds for the benefit of the
was great rejoicing among the sons of Erin in consequence. It has since transpirod, howover, that the word "pounds "should have read "dollars.". This of course makes a vast difference, and the onthusius of the Irishmen has cooled in proportion...
connections, to engage his attention. It may be said that civilians would de- vote their time, or a portion of it to private practice. True, bat that is a privilege conceded to the Colonial Sur- geou now.
So far as the military service is cou- corned no medical assistance seems to be required from civil practitioners when one of them goes away. In fact Dr. Murray's appointment comes at a moment when a vacancy is about to take place in the establishment of medical officers for this Garrison by the approaching departure of Dr. des.. And there was sop to England. even one Surgeon short when the last incumbent held the temporary appoint- ment Dr, Hangorford was on leave and has just roturned to duty.
From all these circumstances it sooms to me that the appointmont would havo boon butter bestowed on u Civil, rather than a Military man.
MEDICUS. Hongkong, 23rd July 1881.