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the railway board to agree to the formation of a company to collect shares and work the Hupei sections of the railways west and south. "Now our trust in the delegates' patient persistence and the fiery spirit of our people has been vindicated, and we have attained a purely mercantile management and prevented our rights being drained abroad.". Such was the tone of exhortations to the people to subscribe and to the directors to eradicate abuses in management. From Ichang it was reported that subscriptions had been invited for the Hankow-Icbang Railway, and that some 60,000 taels had been promised at that port. Considerable activity was displayed on the Ichang-Wanlisien section, where work under Chinese engineers was begun in December last. His Majesty's consul at Ichang reported that 3,000 workmen were One mile of being employed, and the number was soon to be raised to 20,000.
The line was to embankment was almost completed, with two large stone culverts. run inland from Ichang some 30 miles, and come out at the River Hsiang Chi, following the river for 7 or 8 miles to Kueichow. Thence the route was not yet determined on. At a point some 30 miles from Ichang two tunnels of 6,000 and 10,000 feet respectively were to be bored by hand.
Reforms.
The quarterly reports from several provinces state that the new so-called reforms, especially the new police, schools, and courts, are proving expensive luxuries beyond the means of the provincial Governments. His Majesty's consul at Kiukiang reported that some interest had been shown locally in the Government college and primary school at Jaochow-fu, where the old method of teaching had been entirely changed in favour of western methods. Schools were being established throughout that district, but in general the results obtained were not in proportion to the money spent. At Newchwang, His Majesty's consul stated that the revenue available for police purposes alone was still 3,000 dollars a-month short of expenditure, in spite of The scale of fees in the recent reduction of the pay of the police by 20 per cent. the new courts had been raised to meet the increased expenditure on their account, and an unsuccessful attempt had been made to provide money for schools by the creation of a sampan monopoly, which had to be abandoned on a riot being threatened by the boatmen thrown out of employment.
Tien-tsin Native Piece-goods Debtors,
The clearing of old stocks has considerably relieved the creditors of the native firms, and His Majesty's consul-general has induced the new Viceroy Ch'en to agree to follow the same principle as his predecessor, and treat British cases separately on their merits. Two of these cases have been settled during the quarter, leaving only three supposed solvent firms against whom British claims are being pressed.
Japanese bid for Trade vid Dalny (Dairen).
His Majesty's consul at Newchwang reports that a feature of the trade during the winter months was the comparatively large quantity of foreign goods which arrived at Newchwang from Shanghai and elsewhere via Dalny. A British merchant who made an experimental importation by that route was delighted with the result. He found that in no case was there any examination of goods by the Dairen Customs, and not only did the railway company go out of their way to give him every possible assistance, but he was verbally informed that if he continued to ship his goods by that route he would be given a special rebate on application. The same merchant also shipped several consignments of goods from Shanghai to Mukden and Tiehling via Dalny, leaving it to the railway to pass them through the Customs and forward them to their destination. No exemption certificate was taken out to cover them, and the consignees experienced no difficulty in consequence. This would appear to indicate that the Imperial Maritime Customs are defrauding the Chinese Government in the interests of Japanese railway enterprise.
Lolos.
The Chinese authorities of Szechuan report that, as the result of last autumn's campaign, 70 miles of territory have been subjugated at Erh-pan Fang, and that over eighteen tribes have submitted; eighty-one Chinese captured and enslaved by the
Lolos were rescued, and an indemnity was exacted for three who had died in captivity; the Chief Tsuta was captured and many strongholds were destroyed. Among the tribes dealt with in the course of the campaign are included the Chi-ti, Ma-chia, A-hou, and Suga, the last two being those concerned in the murder of Mr. Brooke in December 1908. In a memorial to the Throne, the Governor-General, while showing great ignorance of the region and the relative positions of such important centres as Ning-yuan and Mapien, gave some interesting figures. In the space of three years the aborigines of the Liang Shan country are stated to have slain 1,660 odd Chinese and kidnapped over 4,300. Of these some 630 have been recovered, leaving a balance of over 3,650 in favour of the Lolos, who have also carried off 20,000 head of cattle. The report said the work of reorganising the subjugated country was being taken in hand. The former military post of P'u-k'o was to become the centre of govern- ment in the reclaimed country south-east of Ning-yuan, and an earthen wall had already been built round the town and a yamên erected. With regard to the central region, reports seem to indicate that troops operating from the east and west of the Lolo country have effected a junction at Niu-niu-pa, north-east of Ning-yuan, thus opening up the Liang Shan country. It is, however, impossible to say how far the results of the operations in question correspond to the statements made in the memorial of the Governor-General, and it must be remembered that the information comes from purely Chinese sources.
French Politics in South China and Tonquin.
His Majesty's consul at Pakhoi reports that the French colonial government have decided to withdraw the subsidised ships connecting Pakhoi and Hoihow with Haiphong and Hongkong The Messageries Fluviales, owned by Messrs. Marty and Co., were subsidised to run this fortnightly service some ten years ago, when Kuangchouwan was acquired, and hospitals, schools, and post offices were established by the French Government at Pakhoi and Hoihow in the hope of extending French influence in Kuangtung, to prepare for the then apparently impending partition of China. This withdrawal, which was to date from the 1st June, would seem to indicate that any hopes which may have been entertained in the past of absorbing the province of Kuangtung must now be considered as abandoned or relegated to the unknown future. It will prove most inconvenient from the postal and residential point of view in Pakhoi, which will now be left without any assured means of communication with Hongkong and the outside world. Deprived of its regular fortnightly boat, the port will now have to be content with occasional visits from a German or British ship when freight offers sufficient inducement for a call.
His Majesty's consul at Pakhoi has also forwarded such information as he has been able to gather regarding events on the French side of the frontier, which may be of interest, though it reflects scant credit on the methods of French colonial administration. In his report for the last quarter of 1909, His Majesty's consul stated that after a campaign of more than a year's duration, conducted against the brigand chief Ti-tsan, the French military authorities had to confess their inability to effect either his capture or submission. The colonial government of Indo-China then had recourse to the doubtful expedient of invoking the aid of the native King of Annam. The latter appointed a Count Le-Hoan as his Envoy Extraordinary to accompany the French forces and conduct operations against the brigands. The action of the Governor-General in thus appealing to the Annamite Court provoked much adverse criticism in the colony, where it was pointed out that even were the expedition successful, the natives would attribute the result not to the prowess of the French arms, but to the natural submission of the rebels to the authority of their ancient ruler. After prolonged and futile negotiations which permitted Ti-ts'an to revictual his band, the pursuit was resumed, and on the 5th October the French troops met with a severe repulse in an attempt to storm the rebel stockades at Nuilang. The wily chief evacuated his position before the French reinforcements came up to restore the day. In the absence of full details, the serious nature of the reverse is shown by the fact that the French newspapers confessed to a casualty list of some sixty killed and wounded, The while the Chinese authorities gave the loss at over 200 of the rank and file. expedition, however, clung to the heels of Ti-ts'an, till at the end of resources he disbanded his men and disappeared. In the meantime, the envoy contrived to bring about the surrender upon favourable terms of his principal lieutenant, who was brought M. Picquié, the new with his following in triumph to the French authorities. Governor-General of Indo-China, has since adopted energetic measures for the complete
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