CO129-301 - Governor Sir Blake - 1900 [9-12] — Page 60

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Enel: 2.

9th June,

1900, with

old iron guns for their: protection against pirates. The

crews proceeded to fire off everything within reach as

a. warning against, any attempt upon them, and were I have

no doubt genuinely alarmed. The plucky and prudent con-

duct of Police Sergeant Langley put an end to the inci-

dent. So far as can be shown there was nothing but pow-

der used, and no attack upon any person was intended.

The whole demonstration was one in self defence, and con-

fedence was completely restored in a day or two. It must

be remembered that this incident took place not in the

New Territory, but ina Village that has been under our

· Jurisdiction for sixty years, and where the population

are peaceable and law-abiding. However, I consider the

augmented garrison sufficient to secure the Colony a-

.gainst attack from without or internal disorder.

-I-enclose a copy of the police reports upon the Aberdeen

incident.

sub-enclosure. dated 1st June,

1900.

7. The state of the Southern

provinces affords. cause for great anxiety in the near fu-

ture. While no serious outbreak has occurred as in the

North, the feeling of. unrest has penetrated to every pro-

vince, trade is checked, and foreigners are unsafe out-

side the Treaty parts. The province of Kwang-tung with the four surrounding provinces, of Kwangsi, llunan, Kiang-

61. and Fokien contain a population or one hundred and two millions. In these provinces there is a strong re- form party: numbering hundreds of thousands on whose ac- tion the immediate future depends. At present so far as

which includes a large num-

I can ascertain, the party, ber of adherents in the United States and Japan, await the action of the Powers in the arrangement for the fu-

ture

i

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