CO129-408 - Public Offices & Others - 1913 — Page 267

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type. Ever since the establishment of the so-

called Republic the civil law in Kwangtung had been suspended. During the first 6 months of the Republican régime in Kwangtung a court of executions recorded in the local newspapers shewed that 2000

Chinese had been shot without proper trial.

Some

no doubt for robbery and pracy, but many for minor

offences such as the refusal to accept the

unsecured note issue of the Provincial Government.

Taxes were not collected. Remittances to Peking

were not made. The finances of the Province were hopelessly compromised by the reckless issue of

un secured notes. The Government was notoriously

and palpably corrupt for poor men who had held office for a few months only came to Hong Kong and

invested large sums of money there. This Government

had now been established for nearly two years

and had accomplished nothing towards re-organization

and reform. Finally it had ignored the Treaty rights!

of a friendly nation. Er.Tag admitted that the Kwangtung Province had shown a very bad example.

I asked how could the Cantonese blame Yuan for

not re-organizing the administration of the country seeing that they not only did not co-operate in re-organizing that of their own Province but threw difficulties in the President's path by re-

fusing him financial assistance.

2. Mr. Tang alleged that the recent

rebellion had been forced on the Provinces. He

said that if Northern troops had not been sent to

the