1889-06-06 — Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

We do not accessarily sadors the opinions expressed by Correspondence in their column,

THE "ZAFIRO,"

TO THE EDITOR or run “liowakowi TWLEGRAPE," SIR,-In your issue.of June 1st you refer to the steamship Zafiro and certain beavy damage she is alleged to have' sustained eleven months

#go.

Now, in the Company's report dated the 7th March, 1889, only three months old, it is expressly declared that both the Company' Steamers are now in first class order."

The statement in your paragraph indicates extensive damage:"the leeward side, was buckled in for several yards, breaking every- thing away inside the forward part and then bending back again." If this extraordinary statement is true it will be a striking example of the value to be placed on the reports. of the Managers of Hongkong public companies.

The repairs will amount possibly to several thousand of dollars and occupy much time. which, when added to the ship's expenses and the loss of her earnings, must amount to a large sum of money. Some explanation of this dis- crepancy is called for from the General Managers And is due to shareholders, or they will be left to put their own Interpretation upon it; and only one conclusion can be arrived at.

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 1889.

It is reported that the Russian Ministers have advised the Czar to have himself or wned King f Poland in order to ensure the active nit of the Poles in the event of wat The Ezir intends to act upon this advice.

Sir Charles Dilke has made a brilliant speech at the Forest of Dean (Gloucester) election. He advised that England should follow the example of the colonies in many Parhamentary matters, especially with regard to passing franchise upon the voter's account, instead of demanding a property qualification, Re highly prais d the colonies on their religious education, and said that he believed the concession of Responsible Government to New South Wales had converted The colony from a state of dangerous disaffection into one of the most loyal countries of the Empire.

..

May 8th

An anonymous art patron has offered to build a National Portrait Gallery if the Government will provide the site. The ufer has been accepted, The Times states that the proprietors of the principal American copper mines have agree to restrict the output in accordance with the proposal of the new combination which is replacing the French Syndicate.

The official estimates of the attendance at the Paris Exhibition onthe opening day was a quarter

of a million.

The trial of the Socialists in Belgium is causing much excitement, The defendants state If it is true that this steamer has been in this that they were specially employed by the Gvern unsenworthy state for so long, it is a strangement to provoke a strike and raise dissatisfaction commentary on the proceedings initiated against between labor and capital for political purposes. the Pasig sometime since.

Mr. Kasson, the American delegate, at the What have the local Surveyors to lay for Samoan Conference, demands on behalf of the themselves f

States the neutrality of the islands, and that pro- Your's truly,

vision be made for a native administration. He also demands that Germany shall concede Part Pango as an American coaling station. Hongkong, 4th June, 1889,

•

SHAREHOLDER.

FIFTY DOLLARS ON THE BRIDGE,

· Tater Lintor of the "Hongkong TalorAIR"

SIR-You have lately expressed in your valuable paper that you would only be too happy to grant space for the discussion of the subject of officers' wages in the steamers trading on the Coast of China. A great deal of your valuable space has already been taken up with letters an this 'maiter. As a result of these letters, an approach has been made to the managing owners of the different companies sailing out of Shanghai, but only one company, so far, has replied to the very temperate and earnest appeal, which was submitted to them by their officers and engineers for an increase of pay.

To the various arguments in support of their request no answer has been vouchsafed, but only a simple refusal to entertain the application. It is unfortunate that thus decision was arrived at so abruptly, without permitting farther discussion to have taken place on the subject No doub! those most interested, as well as the general public, would have been glad to have had the owners' views as regards the requested increase of salary, and would like to have heard on what ground and by what arguments they justified their refusal.

Any one who has travelled on the coast of China must have observed the great responsibility thrown upon the officer in charge of the steamer. There are numerous dangers to be guarded Against. Fogs are serious dangers on this coast. Typhoons are frequent in their season and the risk of collision cannot be lightly estimated. The numerous fishing crafts which are constantly crossing and recrossing a vessel's track require the utmost alertness and good judgment on the part of the officer in charge to prevent serious loss of life, and to avoid heavy claims against steamers and owners for damage to property.

Steam tonnage bas also increased enormously within the last decade, a fact, which entails greater vigilance from those entrusted with, the Safe navigation of the valuable lives of those on

board.

Now, Mr. Editor, to put an incompetent man in charge of the navigating or engineering departments in these days of high speed and high pressure is simply courting destruction, and it is absurd to think that the best men will elther join or remain longer than they are compelled to by the circumstances of the moment for the mere pittance which they receive for their valuable services.

meeting on the gh inst, and on many other occasions, that the Trustees refuse to the public all information concerning the Seamen's Club. Mr. Wright's previous invitations having been respectfully declined, in order still to induce the Missionaries to attend said meeting, be wile (May gib) to the 'Secretary of the Trustees," am directed by the Committee to specially invite yourself & Co. Trustees' to attend the meeting at the Amoy Club at 6.30 p.m. ES The committee fiel sure that they are only equing the sentiment of the community in wising that you may soon be able to open the Seamen's Club' under the conditions of the Trust, failing other modus operandi,””‚i, e. on, strictly temperance basis, undess some "othe modus operandi" could be found. To under- stand the full furce of the above invitation with its friendly assurance, and therefore the reasor why some of the Missionaries were led to change their purpose, and be present at the said meeting. it will be necessary to review some more of thi previous correspondence which had passed between Mr. Wright in behalf of his Committee. antel Mr. Pilcher in behalf of the Commitice of Trustees. For it will then be clear that other modus operandi" had failed, and Mr. Wright | (nd his Committee) seem to have acknowledged this.

(To save space will hereafter designate the two parties respectively by the simple abbrevia tions Mr. W. & Mr. P.) Mr. W. had been driver from every charge that he had made, or that the Trustees supposed he had made against them. The first tumored charged, they thought it worth the while to notice, was that Mr. W. had repre- sented that the Trustees of the Seamen's Club rendered no statement of their financial transac tions," Mr. P. in lester May 3rd, called Mr. W to account for this charge, reminding him "of a detailed statement in writing of all finan eisi transactions

of the Seamen's Club for the list two or three years which he had Mr. Parnell, in the course of further cross-

personally furnished to Mr. W. last winter. To examination, admitted the making of private is hit. W.. May 4th, made answer, ilenying advances to the Land League, but said he was having made the charge, but acknowledged 1 unable to produce documents, showing the transactions. The Court imminediately ordered have expressed an opinion on the Committee not the production of the cheques, and emphaticallasing carri ei oul, as far as I know, the resola stated that Mr. Parnell was bound to produce in of 1880, fe, that the Committee shal #post progress, and bender acounts yearly to n them.

grderal inceting of Subscribers and friends to be hell for that purpose.” ****

1J

Dr. Cronin, a friend of Major Le Caron, has mysteriously disappeared, and it is believed that he is murdered and is a victim to Irish ve ance. An empty case was found marked with blood and hair. The latter was identified as

Cronin's,

May 21st.

The passenger steamer German Emperor, from Bilbo, has sunk in the English Channel after a collision with the steamer Beresford outward bound to Hambay. Twenty of those on board the German Emperor were drowned. The Beresford is` protecding to Gravesend for repairs,

BERLIN, May 21st.

Three thousand mass of this city have struck work. They demond nine hours' working day and increased wages.

His Majesty Kine Humbert, accompanied by the Prince Royal Victor Emmanuel, and Signa Crispi, arrived here this morning The necting between the Emperor Willi un and King fluin bert was of a most cordial nature. The streets along which the royal cartege passed were splendidly decorated and lined with troups throughout.

Strikes in Westphalia and Silesia are virtually over. A geatral strike has taken pince among the miners working in cullieries al Zwickan in Saxony.

LONDON, May 22nd.

The steamer Beresford has reached Grave send with most of those who were on board the teamer German Emperor Only six lives were lost in the collision, and not twenty as was at Grst reported.

THE AMOY SEAMEN'S CLUB DISPUTE.

THE MISSIONARY SIDE OF THE QUESTION.

|

孰

In answer to his charge thus shifted Mr. P. in behalf of the Trustees wrote (same date)" The resolution to which you refer has been fashfully observed so long as the Club was in running order." To prove this hentes from the minutes of each yearly meeting from 1880, until until the Club was closed for want of funds, April 15th 1887. He closes his letter with these words should you wish to verify them [these quota tione] or desire to lean more concerning the Seamen's Club, I should take great pleasure in showing so the Secretary's Book." Let this last sentence also be remembered in connection with the statement so af en tepe ted that the Trustees

refuse the public all information, &c.

W

trust," to be present at the meeting, simple politeness should have led him to protect them from the least appearance of insult. Instead of this by his charges above referred to, he chiefly seems to be responsible for the inquisitorial browbeating, begun by the Chairman almost at the beginning of the meeting, and continued by others nearly to lis close. Some have thought that the Missionaries ought not have gone to the meeting at all. Certainly if they had fore seen the treatment they were to meet with they would not have gone. Yet probably under the circumstances they did well to go. Perhaps it would have been well also if they had left, as soon as they learned the spirit of the mecting, and found they had been entrapped.

an uncle, or some kind of a grandfather,' Sometimes eleven generations are jepresented in the same small bamlet. This does tot imply, as might be supposed, extreme old age on the part ofany representative of the older generations, The Chinese marry young, marry repeatedly, often late in life, and constantly adopt children. The result is such a tangle among relatives, that without special enquiry and minute attention to the particular characters which are employed in writing the names of all who belong to the same generation," it is impossible to determine who constitute "the rising generation," and whe form the generation which mose long ago. Ar old man nearly seventy years of age affirms that a young man of thirty is his "grandfather." All the numer us" cousins" of the same generation are termed "brothers, and if the perplexed foreigner insists upon accuracy, and inquires whether they are own brothers," he will ant infrequently be enlightened with the reply that they are "own brother-cousins." The writer once proposed a question of this sort, and after some little hesitation the person addressed replied. “Why, yes, you might call them aren brothers."

These items are but particulars, under the general head of the 'socia solidarity' of the Chinese.. to which very inadequate chapter has been already devoted. It is this solidarity. which forms the substratum upon which resis Chinese responsibility. The father is responsible for his son, not merely until the latter attains to years of discretion, but as long as life lasts, and son is responsible for his father's debts, The elder brother has a definite responsibility head for the younger brother, and the of the family"-usually the oldest repre sentative of the oldest generation-has his respon- sibility for the whole family or clan. What these responsibilities actually are, will depend however, upon circumstances.

Just a few words in reference to the meeting held in the Amoy Club rooms on the 14th inst. If the gentlemen had confined themselves to the business of organizing a- New Seamen's Club" I do not suppose any one would have found fault. But the Chairman must commence the proceed. ings of this meeting also with a gratuitous and unworthy fling at the management of the old Club," saying that it was notorious that spirits were sold at the institution." I will only say that this is not a correct statement, and the Chairman knew very well that the "instance" he gave as proof, was not the least evidence of the truth of His statement, but rather to the contrary; and that il spirits were eversold in the institution, so soon as the fact became known, before i could become notorious, the Missionaries would have stopped the sale of it. It is a fact *owever that we were often annoyed by drunken seamen bringing bottles of liquor, bought else. where, into the building. The Chairman will remember if his memory be as retentive on our side as against us) that one of the Trustees once applied to him for assistance to close a shop, where seamen frequently obtained liquor, not far from the Club. But he could not see his way clear to help us. The

Customs vary widely, and the "personal sneer of "so called Trustees." so frequently equation is a most important factor, of which repeated in both the second and third meetings. mere theory takes no account. Thus in a large originated with the Chairman. He probably was and influential family, embracing many literary not aware that the Trustees have in their possesmen, some of whom are local magnates, aud sion official acknowledgement, from himself, as perhaps graduates, the "head of the clan " well as from others, of their being Trustees. be an addie-headed old man, who can neither In closing I will say it is not what we would read not write, and who has never in his life- have expected that a man of so high a civil been ten miles from home... peition should not only have been willing to preside at meetings of such character as these three meetings have proved to be, but should also by his remarks have done so much towards giving them such character.

To write the foregoing has been to me exceed ingly painful, but to have let pass altogether unchallenged the tirade against Missionaries which has been imposed upon this community during the month past would seem to be a neglect of duty.

Yours very truly.

J. V. N. TALMAGE. P.S.-It was with great difficulty and only after repeated effort and much delay, that I succeeded in getting the Editor of the Aay Gazelle to publish, my letter of May 17th. So with this letter. When I took it to him last werk, he at first refused to publish it, but after much reasoning he promised to do so in a few days. Finally he again, refused, unless he were allowed greatly to modify it.

Now for another guration on the part of Mr. He noticed that Mr. P had only quoted from the minutes of meeting down as far as Antil reth 1887, when the Club was closed. Here appears in be at least a "draw" which may be grasped. Sa in his next letter. May 5th, Mr. W. writes "the grievance of the Coin

The above paragraph, since there is no other munity, and my own, does not refer to any date prior to 1987. [Why then did he write his paper published in Amoy in the English language, letter of May 4th quoted above ?] but that since.acenants for the delay (alrealy so long; and which may still be some days longer) in getting the 15th of April of that year there has been no meeting, and that during that interval the the foregoing letter printed. The Editor of the Trustees should not have considered it advisable Gazete had published very freely the grave to make some endeavor i resuscitate the Club, charges against the Missionaries, and owned also that the building should have been used for that they ought to be heard in answer; but feared other than the purpose, of the frust without, it to offend the community by allowing the answer would appear from the acco nts rendered and in his paper, lest his business should suffer.

Is this a libel on the community? or is it n circalated, placing any, sum to the credit of the

truthful comment on some of its members? Seamen's Club for rent.".

Hanly this washis grievance and the grievance of," the community " he represents, then all his other charges are mere shams. If he had nothing more important wherewith to occupy his time than stam grievances, he should remember that other people in this community have. But let us look a moment at the Trustees' Answer to Mr. W's real grievance.

ΑΜΟΥ.

J. V. N. T.

may

The

r secretaries and other subordinates. s much to do, even with the best intentions, these officials cannot fall to make numerous mistakes, and, many things must go wrong, for which they will be held responsible. The district magistrate is called the chih Asien, or the one who "knows the district," and like all Chinese officials he

supposed to have an exhaustive acquistance with everything within his jurisdiction which is an object of knowledge, and an. unlimited capacity to prevent what ought to be prevented. To facilitate this know. ledge, and that of the local constables, each city and village is divided into compound atoms, composed of ten families each. At every door hangs a placard or table upon which is inscribed the name of the bend v of the family, and the number of individuals which it comprises. This system of registration, analogous to the old Saxon'tithing and hundreds, makes it easy to fix incal responsibility, The moment a suspicious stranger appears in the district comprised in a tithing, he is promptly reported to the head of the tithing by whoever sees him first. By the head of the tithing he is immediately reported to the local constable, and by the Incal constable to the district magistrate, who at once takes steps "rigorously to seize and severely to punish. By the same simple pro- cess all local crimes, not due to "auspicious looking strangers" but to permanent residents, are instantly detected before they have hatched into overt acts, and thus the pure morals of the people are preserved from age to age. It is evident that such regulations as these can be efficient only in a state of society where fixity of residence is the rule. It is also evident that even in China, where the most extreme form of perimanence of abode is found, the system of mere legal fiction. tithing is to a large extent Sometimes a city, where no one remembers to have seen them before, suddenly blossoms out with ten-family tablets an every door- post, which indicate the arrival of a district magistrate who intends to enforce the regulations, insome places these tablets are observable in the winter season only, for this is the time when bad characters are most numerous, and most dange rous. But so far as our knowledge extends, the system as such is little more than a theoretical reminiscence, and even when observed, it is pro bably merely a form Practically, it is not generally observed, and in some provinces at least, one may travel for a thousand miles, and for months together, and not find, ten-family tablets posted in more than one per cent. of the cities and villages along the route. It may be mentioned in passing, that the Chinese tithing system is intimately connected with the so-called

census.

If each doorway exhibits an accurate tist, constantly corrected, of the number of persons in each family; if each local constadio has accurate copies of the lists of all the tithings within his territory; if each district magistrale has at his disposal accurate summaries of all these items, it is as easy to secure a'complete and accurate census of the empire, as to do a long sun; in addition, for the whole is equal to the aggregate of all its parts. But these are larges, and as a matter of fact, none of the coalitions are realised. The tablets are non- existent, and when the local magistrate is occasionally called upon for the totals which should represent them, neither he nor the numerous constables upon whom he is entirely dependent, has the least interest in securing accuracy, which indeed from the nature of the case is difficult. There is no squeeze to be got` from a census, and for this reason alone, a real Chinese census is a mere figment of the imagina- tion. Even in the most enlightened western lands, the notion that a consus means taxation appears to be incradicable, but in China the suspicion which it excites is so strong, that for this reason alone, unless the tithing system were carried out with uniform faithfulness in all places and at all times, an accurate, enumeration · would be impossible.

'The influence of an elder brother overa younger, or indeed of any older member over a younger member of the same tamily, is of the must direct and positive soil, and is entirely irreconcilable with what we mean by personal liberty.. The younger brother is employed as a servant, and wishes to give up his place, but his elder brother will not let him do so. younger brother wishes to buy a winter garinent, bot his elder brother thinks the expense is too great, and will not allow him to incur the ex pense. Even while these remarks are committed in paper, a casei, reported in which a Chinese has a number of rare old coins, which a foreigner de. sires to purchase. List the owner should refusi to sell as is the Chinese way, when one hap peas to have what another wants-the middle man who made the discovery proposes to the foreigner that he should send to the uncle of the owner of the coins a present of foreign candy and other trillus, by which oblique incans such pressure will be brought to hear upon the owner of the coins that he will be obliged to give them up! There is a burlesque tale of an origin to us unknown, which relates that a traveller in a western land once came upon a very old man with a long white beard, who was crying bitterly. Struck with the singu larity of this spectacle, the stranger halfed and asked the old man what he was crying about, and was surprised to be told that it was because his father had just whipped him! "Where is your father?""Over there," was the reply. Riding in the direction named, the traveller found a much older man, with a beard much longer and whiter than the other. "Is that your son 7," asked, the traveller. "Yes, it

For a local Magistrate to be guilty of all kinds is." "Did you whip him?? "Yes I did." of misdemeanours, for which he gets into no Why 7" Because he was saucy to his trouble whatever, or getting into it scrapes scot grandfather, and if he does it again I will whip free by means of influential friends, or by a him some more!" Translated into the condi-juicious expenditure of silver, and yet after all tions of Chinese life, the burlesque disappears,' to lose his post on account of something which Next in order to the responsibility of members had happened within his jurisdiction which he could not have prevented, is a constant occur. of a family for each other, comes the matual responsibility of. neighbours for neighbours.rence. Whether these "neighbours are or are not related, makes nodifference in their responsibility, which depends solely upon proximity. This responsibility is based upon the theory, that virtue and vice are contagious. Good neighbours will make good neighbours, and bad neighbours

The Rev. Mr. Talmage sends us the following communication, dated Amcy, May 25th :- It would redound. ninch to the credit of any In my former letter (published in your paper company which by an increase of remunera of May 25th) concerning a meeting held in the tion would offer to a highly deserving class of Amoy Club Rooms on the 25th April, I said there men some inducement to bind their best energies are a few facts, (connected also with the meeting and made many efforts (with some of which Mr. pondence signed by Mr. I. V. N. Talmage will make athers like them. The mother of soldier of guard had stolen same thirty boxes of in their owners' interest, and thus in many ways held on the 9th inst.) which should be emphasized. Thirdly he shows that granting the use of the circulated yesterday. By the tone of this letter Mencius removed three times, in orderto 'rench a

possibly save them much expense.

In these days of big dividends this should be well within their power and would little hurt the aharcholders.

Thanking you in anticipation,

I am,

Yours faithfully,

Hongkong, 5th June; 1889.

SNATCH BLOCK.

Its animus (Iriendly or otherwise) towards the Missionaries, and its assumption of unwarranted inquisitorial and governmental authority, which are as marked as they were in the previous meeting, are sufficiently emphasized in its own published. Minutes. Whether, such things are honorable or not, let each one decide for himself, I have been informed that the published Minutes, specially in reporting the remarks made by the Missionaries, attributing to one, what was said by another, and failing sometimes to

Mr. P. first shows that several public meetings were held. after April, 15th, 1887. At some of them an effant was made by some gentlemen to introduce malt liquors into the Club but when this was found to be really in violation of the original trust, the effort was given up. He then shows that the Trustees held meeting after meeting, W. is acquainted) to resuscitate the Club house to other parties was to save the expense of repairs, and of hiring some one to take care of the building, and on the condition that the house should be vacated and returned to the Trustees whenever it might be wanted. All of which conditions were faithfully performed... Thus all three counts in Mr. W's real "grisvance" are fully answered.

(Mr. W's letter contains also this language) "I thank you for your kind offer to show me the

(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.)

Amoy, 1st June, 1889. We have had a few hours af fine weather at last, continual rain having been the order for the last ten days. Monday the 27th ultima luckily turned out fine thereby enabling us to hold our Regatta, which was as a whole very successful.

I am enclosing a printed copy of a corres. of the American Mission at this port, which was the reverend gentleman has evidently forgotten the lessons he preaches to his converts, namely, meekness and truth, particularly when he speaks "specially in reporting the remarks made by missionaries, attributing to one what was said by another, and failing sometimes to convey the ideas which were expressed, are (I suppose unintentionally) somewhat inaccurate," Now, an the Rev. Mr. Talmage was not present at any of the meetings, how can he know that the acknowledge that the Hon. Secretary failed sometimes to convey the ideas which were expressed" by some of the speakers, as I was there, and the tone in which the missionaries expressed themselves war distinctly hostile; however, I shall take an early opportunity of replying to the reverend gentleman's letter charge by charge, from my recollection of the correspondence.

[Our views on the subject again brought up by convey the ideas which were expressed, are Secretary's books, but my seeing them alone and Hon. Secretary made these mistakes? I will they knew of a criminal intention, they did not

MR. FRANCIS AND THE OFFICIAL

"CONSCIENCE."

'TO THE ENTOR of tile "Hongkong TELEGRAPH." Sit, The remarks of Mr. Frands at the Sanitary Board meeting yesterday were certainly deserving of grave censure. Mr. Francis should liave retracted them at once ; when a man is so radically wrong as this he should have no hesitation in taking it all back,

our correspondent are well known. We con-

(I suppose unintentionally) somewhat inaccurate. privately would serve no real interest.". Who sider that the deck officers and junior The Hon. Secretary, Mr. D. M. Wright, however, told him he could only see them "privately and engineers on our coasting steamers are de

should have guarded against the impression alone?" He had already been informed that cidedly underpaid and have a legitimate which the Minutes make, that the Missionaries, they were open to the inspection of all. Aye, if grievance; but their remedy is in their own

who were present at this second meeting. were Mr. W. had at the beginning examined the hands. Labour can only successfully cope present as constituents of the meeting. Whether books even privately and alone, with the simple with Capital by combination-unity is all the other gentlemen, whos names are men desire to get at the truth, it might have saved strength, and if the officers and engineers toned as being present, were there as constituents the community from all the unpleasantness will only prove.true to themselves they are in

real interest ?" a position to command terms that are fair and of the meeting I know not. Some may have which he has succeeded in stirring up. Would

not this have been of somó reasonable. More than that, we understand, merely looked in out of curiosity, for it is at

least conceivable that some of those who took Mr. W's letter closes with a request that they they do not seek-Editor, Hongkong Tele- no part in the proceedings may hold views of Trustees attend a general meeting to be held Troph.]

honor different from these held by the active the next week. members of the meeting and some of those Mr. W., May 8th, in behalf of bis Committee who took part, when they became better confesses "From information obtained from acquainted with the facts, may feel sorry that other sources [He might have obtained from they have been led into a false position. At any the Trustees, if he had so wished] the committee are now ware that the Trustees are within rate the Hon. Secretary knew very well that the Missionaries were not there as constituents of their sights in temporarily closing the Club, and the meeting, or as Trustees of the Seamen's Club, depositing the funds for future use." or in any capacity that should have exposed them. According to old fashioned notions of honor, to the ungentlemanly treatment they received when Mr, W. (and his committee) had found that They were there by special and repeated invitation the Trustees in what they had done, and what of the Hon. Secretary. They had declined to be pre they proposed to do, were altogether within sent, specially because they could not acknowledge their rights, he should have hastened to make the authority of the Committee, or of the meeting full apology to the Trustees for the injury he had appointing it. The Hon. Secretary (April 26th) does them, and should have hastened also to lead those whom he represented to do the same. sent them a communication, laying before them the minutes of said meeting, with its dictatorial Instead of this, in the same leiter containing the demands. The Secretary of the Seamen's Club above confession Mr. W writes:

"I am di- (April 30th) replies, "I ans authorized by the rected by the Committee to express surprise and Trustees** to reply that they know not on

regret at the seemingly bostile attitude adopted what ground the gentlemen mentioned in said by you and your committee vir a vir the com- document 1Minutes &c.) assume the authority munity." Simply to defend one's rights. from This is what he should have said, and then to dictate to the "Missionary body," or the invasion until they are acknowledged is "hostile nobody would have been offended and Mr.Trustees of the Seamen's Club" xt Amoy.

attitude 1" Yes, if an enemy should attack un, Francis would not have got himself disliked.^.! The Committee [of Trustees] very respectfully and we were to defend ourselves, I suppose be

Yours truly,

desire to say that they can in no wise recognize would consider that we adopted a hostile the authority of said meeting, but at the same attitude. A man of honor might judge other time wish to express due respect, for the gentle."

i.wisc. Hongkong, 6th June, 1889.

men constituting it. Of course the books of the Seamen's Club are always open to the inspection of any gentlemen of the Community who take say interest therein, and will call upon the Secretary for that purpose. And the Committee - LONDON, May 7ib. hold itself ready to answer in every particular Six thousand troops, who were sent to Ireland for the management of their Trust to any proper to keep order, are returning to England. Arch. authority, and also to give the fullest information bishop Walsh, writing to the 7 states that on the subject to any individual who may desire no less than fifty Irish estates are experiencing and properly ask for such information. trouble with the tenants. He recommends Please, majice specially the last half of the recourse being had to arbitration is settle the ́abour quotation, it is evidence as to the dispute, Messrs. O'Brien and Harrington, accuracy or inaccuracy of so oft repeated state M. P have been released from prison, cardi

ments of Mr. Wright and others at the said

He should have said, "I am in the wrong gentlemen, and 1 have much pleasure in with drawing my offensive expressions I know you will vote according to your consciences. This has been apparent to the people of the colony many years, and they have seen it done more then a thousand times and when the time comes to vote, the conscience of the official member will be found on the side of the Govern-

ment."app

CONSCIENCE.

LATE TELEGRAMS:

Whether Mr. W. did or did not attempt to disabuse the minds of the community which he represents of their wrong impressions, fully appears by the charge he made again and again in the meeting of the 9th Inst, and allowed (without any effort at correction) to permeate its whole spirit, viz. that the Trusts refsite to give any information concerning the Seamen's Club to the public. When Mr, W. found that so many Missionaries, had been induced by his earnest and repeated invitations, and specially by receiving in good faith his assurance of the possibility, that some proposals would be made to reopen the Club on the conditions of the

4th June.

The weather here is something awful for this time of the year; nothing but rain. Fortunately, however, we have had no heavy downfall as in Hongkong, but a continual small rain with occasional thunder and rain squalls.

Yesterday was the first day of the Dragon. festival, and when the racing was at its height there came a heavy thunder squall, accompanied by vivid lightning, which quickly dispersed the crowds of sight-seers. It is stated that the lightning struck a house in the city killing one man, but I have not had time yet to verify the report.

I hear that the Leanders" are going to give A performance next Thursday in the Club Theatre,

CHINESE CHARACTERISTICS:

MUTUAL RESPONSIBILITY AND RESPECT FOR

LAW.

One of the most distinctive features of Chinese society le that which is epitomised in the word responsibility," a word which carries with it a significance, and embraces a wealth of meaning to which Western lands are total strangers. In those lands, as we well know, the Individual is the unit, and the nation is a large collection of individuals. In China the unit of social life is found in the family, the village or the clan, and these are often convertible terms. Thousands of Chinese villages comprise exclusively persons having the same surname, and the same ancestors. The Inhabitants have lived in the same spot even since they began to live at all, and trace an unbroken descent for many hundred years back to the last great political upheaval, such as the overthrow of the Ming dynasty, or ite establishment, under Hung Wu. In such a villago there can be no relationship literally more distant than cousin and every male member of an older generation is either a father,

How the system of responsibility operates in it is unnecessary to illustrate in detail. Multiplied the domain of all the successive grades of officials, examples may be found in almost every copy of the translations from the Peking Gazette. A cas was mentioned a few months ago, where a

bullets placed in his care, and sold them to a desirable neighbourhood. To an occidental fresh tinner, who supposed them to be condemned and from the republican ideas which dominate the surplus stores. The soldier was beaten ong hundred blows, and banished to the frontiers of consequence who his neighbours are, and if he Anglo-Saxons, it seems a matter of little or no

the empire in penal servitude. A petty officer be a resident of a city he may occupy a dwelling whose, duty it was to Inspect the stores, was for a year, in ignorance even of the name of the condemned to eighty blows, and dismissed from family next door. But in China it is otherwise. the service, though allowed to commute his If a crime takes place, the neighbours are bold punishment for a money payment. The purchasers of the material were considered. Innocent of any blame, but were beaten forty guilty of something analogous to what English

blows of the light bamboo, on general principles. law calls misprision of treason, in that when

You are neighbour, and therefore you to be put upon trial for bis" connivance,” in the report it: It is vain to reply "I did not know." The lieutenant in charge was cashiered, in order. must have known. The proceedings which are theft, but he judiciously disappeared. The taken when the crime of killing a parent has Doard to which the memorial was addressed been committed, furnished a striking illustration was requested to determine the penalty to be of the Chinese theory of responsibility. In such inflicted upon the General in command, for his instances-probably not very frequent the share in the matter. Thus each individual is a one must be who voluntarily subjects himself to end, and no link can escape by pleading criminal is often alleged to be insane, as indeed, link in a chain, which is followed up to the very death by the slicing process,' when he might ignorance or inability to prevent the crime, escape it by suicide. In a memorial pub- Still more characteristic examples of Chiness ished in the Peking Gazette a few years responsibility are furnished by the memorials since the Governor of one of the Central pre- annually appearing in the Peking Gasstis vinces reported in regard to a case of parricide, reporting the outbreak of some irrepressible river. that he had had the houses of all the neighbours In the case of a flood in the Yung-ting Ho pulled down, on the ground of their grass dere-in the province of Chihli during the summer of liction of duty in not exerting a good moral and 18f8, the waters came down from the mountains reformatory influence over the criminal 1 Such with the velocity of a millrace. The officials a proceeding would probably strike an average seem to have been promptly, on hand, and to. have risked their lives in struggling to do what Chinese as eminently reasonable. In some instances, when this crime has occurred in a was utterly beyond the powers of man. They. were helpless as ants under a rain spout during district, in addition to all the punishments of persons, the city wall itself is pulled down in a summer torrent. But this did not prevent Li parts, or modified in shape, a round corner subs Hung-chang from requesting that they should be Immediately stripped of their buttons, or deprived: iituted for a square one, or a gate removed to a new situation, or even closed up altogether. If of their rank without being removed from their ihe crime should be repeated several times in posts (a favourite mode of expressing imperial the

Governor-General same district, it is said that the whole city. dissatisfaction), and the would be razed to the ground, and a new one consistently concludes his memorial with the founded elsewhere, but of this we have met with usual sequest that his own name should be sent to the Board of Punishments for the determina. no certain examples.

tion of a penalty to be inflicted upon him for his complicity in the affair. In like manner the recent failure of the embankments built to bring: back the Yellow River into fis old channel, was the signal for the degradation and banishment of a great number of officers, from the Governor of the province of Honan downward. The theory: of responsibility is carried upwards with un flinching consistency to the son of Heaven him- self. It is no unusual thing for the Emperor In published cdicts to confess to Heaven' his short comings, taking upon himself the blame of floods, famines, and revolutionary butbreaks, for which he begs Heaven's forgiveness. His responsibility: to Heaven is as real, as that of his officers to hims self. If the Emperor loses his throne, it is because he has already lost. Heaven's decree, which presumptively transferred to whoever can hold the Empire.

Next above the neighbours, comes the village constable or bailiff (pano), whose functions are of a most miscellaneous nature, sometimes confined to a single village, and sometiraes extending to many. In either case he is the medium of communication between the local magistrate and the people, and is always able to get into trouble from any one of innumerable causes, and may be beaten to a jelly by a captious official, for not reporting what he could not possibly have known,

Ata vast elevation above the village constables stands the district magistrates who, so far as the people: are concerned, are by far the most Important officers in China. As regards the people below them they are tigers. As regards the official above them, they are mice. A single local magistrate combines functions which ought to be distributed, among at least six different officers. Many of them have no interest what ever in the business which they dispatch, except to extract from it all which it can be made to yield, and from the nature of their miscellaneous and incongruous duties they are largely dependent

That aspect of the Chinese doctrine of res sponsibility which is the most repellent to western standards of thought is found in the oriental practice of extinguishing an entire, family, for the crime of one of its members