Page
the Finance Committee on Thursday, but in order to make the matter quite clear it would be well that Lord RIPON's despatch should be published, so that the public may know what the yearly reconsideration that in apoken of really means.
THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN AND THE ATTACK ON LI HUNG-ORANG.
After the attack on Li Hung-chang the Em. peror of Japan, deeply grieved, issued the follow- ing rescript:
*
China is now in a state of war with our soustry, but as she sent us in due observance of rms and etiquette an Ambassador for the con- Tusion of peace, we also named our Plenipoten aries and instructed them to meet and nego tale with him at Shimonoseki. It being thus Incumbent upon us, in pursuance of interna tional usage, to extend to the Chinese Ambas
ador treatment consistent with the national
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
| April 3, 1895.
which fact causes no little comment, siuce nearly | HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. all foreigners reside there and the bulk of the trade is carried on there.
able sugar is being shipped away, in anticipation Business is completely suspended, and all avail- of an early descent upon Formosa. All is quiet so far, but it is an auxious time for the foreign community, and several ladies are leaving the port for the mainland,
THE CLOSING OF THE PORT OF TAMSUI
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
TORPEDOES HILLED WITH PEAS.
A meeting of the Legislative Council was held on the 28th March. Present:-
ROBINSON, K.C.M.G.
His Excellency the Governor, Sir WILLIAM
Hon. J. H. Stewart LockHART, Colonial
Secretary.
Họn. A. G. LEACH, Acting Attorney-General. Hon. F. A. COOPER, Director of Public Works Hon. A. M. THOMPSON, Acting Colonial Treasurer.
Hon. R. M. RUMSEY, Harbour Master. Hon. C. P. CHATER.
Hon. Ho KAL
Hon. J. J. KESWICK,
Hon. E. R. BELILIOS, C.M.G. Hon. A. MCCONACHIE.
Mr. A. Seth. Clerk of Councils.
FINANCIAL MINUTES. On the motion of the COLONIAL SecretARY. Financial minutes 7, 8, and 9 were referred to the Finance Committee.
that the closing of the port of Tamsui is now com
From information gleaned on Friday we learn pleted and vessels have to discharge outside the bar. When the news reached Tamsui that the Japanese had captured the Pescadores and that an assault upon Formosa was probable, the Chinese mour and accord him sufficient escort and pro- great alarm. They are said to have run wildly
.residents at Tamsui were thrown into a state of THE REGULATION OF SHEEP AND SWINE
DEPOTS. etion, we issued particular orders to our
The COLONIAL Secretary÷I have the als to do their utmost in these respects. It about in all directions, frantically shouting
honour to move that certain by-laws made under le therefore matter for our most profound grief and otherwise showing their deep and regret that there should have been a raffan fear. Even the horses are spoken of as hav-section 13 of Ordinance 14 of 1887, for the
● ́enough to indict any personal injury upon ing caught the infection and rushing aimlessly regulation of public depôts for sheep and swin
be approved by this Council. These by-laws have been made by the Sanitary Board.
the Chinese Ambassader. As to the culprit he shall be sentenced to the severest pucishment provided by law. We hereby order our officials and subjects to pay respect to our wishes and preserve the glory of the country from degradar tion by strictly providing against the recurrence of such deeds of violence and lawlessness.”
AN ARMISTICE GRANTED.
In order to atone for the outrage on Li Hung- shang, the Mikado has decreed that an uncon- ditional armistice shall be grant d until peace negotiations now in progress are concluded.
LIMITATIONS of the ArmMISTICE.
The armistice decreed by the Mikado is limited to operations in the Shantang province and the Gulf of Pechili and will expire on the 20th instant if the peace negotiations are carried en to that date. If, however, they are broken off in the meantime the armistice will terminate
simultaneously.
THE JAPANËSE AT THE PESCADORES.
ÍSPÉCIAL TELEGRAM TO THE
DAILY PRESS. ANPING, 28th March.
11.M.S. Leander, which has just returned to Takow from a visit to the Pescadores, confirms the news that the Japanese are in complete ousersion. Four thousand troops have been Ended there.
THE POSITION IN SOUTH FORMOSA. The following are extracts from a letter re- ceived from Anping :—
For some day previous' to the 23rd March reports were current that two French men-of- War were at the Pescadores and then that severalships were anchored outside, showing no colours.
rooted
The ACTING COLONIAL TREASURER suggested that several of the by-laws went beyond what was provided for in the Ordinance, and that those referring to financial matters seemed to en- oroach upon the Governor's prerogative.
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL thought it was a pity that the hon. member had not made his objection before the by-laws were brought before the Council.
HIS EXCELLENCY-They had better stand over until the next meeting.
about the streets; but this statement is doubt less a playful exaggeration. However, there is no doubt that the Chinese view the situa tion is a very serious light. They have laid down contact torpedoes in the harbour, and in such a manner that if they were effective a vessel could not possibly pass them. But whe. ther these torpedoes are of any service, except perhaps to temporarily allay fear. is a doubtful question. A few days ago the Chinese naval authorities at Tamsai decided to experiment with a few, and an electric shock was given to explode them. The experiments resulted in
-RESTRICTING IMMIGRATION. complete failure, and when this strange be- baviour on the part of the torpedoes was closely The ACTING Attorney-GeneRAL—I beg to inquired into, it was found that they were filled
move the first reading of a Bill entitled "An Ordi- with peas. The question, therefore, is whe-nance to enable the Governor in Council to re- ther the torpedoes which are being used to strict the immigration of Chinese into the colony guard the entrance to the harbour are charged and for other purposes in connection therewith. with nothing more deadly than a dozen pints I will only briefly state to day the object of of peas. Explosives are more expensive than peas the Ordinance. The Sanitary Board has made everyone will admit that and the latest dis- certain suggestions with reference to the Or- covery only emphasises the fact that a Chinaman dinance which I have not had the opportunity of will wreck his country for the sake of a few
considering in detail. I think it would be better cents. It will be remembered that at Weihaiwei before making any further remarks upon the Bill shells discharged from Chinese cannon contained that those suggestions should be considered. only sand.
The object of the Bill shortly is, not to probibit immediately the immigration of Chinese, but to give power to the Governor to prohibit the im- migration of any Chinese in the event of the plague prevailing or existing in any place out- side the colony."
The European ladies have left Tamsui for Amoy, and many of the leading Chinese mer. chants, and also the mandarins. have quitted the place for safety's sake. The European business men remain there to await further developments, although an attack by the Japanese is considered most probable. The fort of Tamsui is said to be strongly guarded by many big guns, and should the enemy make a descent upon the place à heavy battle will be inevitable. The Chinese are now actively engaged in target practice, and they are said to have made some good shooting.
·
The COLONIAL SECRETARY—I beg to second.
· Bill read a first time.
THE WATERWORDS ORDINANCE. The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENEBAL-The second item on the orders of the day is the first reading of a Bill entitled "An Ordinance to far. ther amend the Waterworks Ordinance, 1880." With regard to this Ordinance I will briefly state the object, which is in the first place to provide against the misnse and abuse of water
An important point in the capture of the Pescadores by the Japanese is that on Sunday night they cut the cable between the islands and Taiwanfoo. The Alger, a French war-of-war, At 10.30 a.m. on Saturday, the 23rd. the tele-arrived recently at Amoy from Kalung, but alia the Kowloon district, where, I think, the thoub the Customs officials boarded her, no in-waterworks are approaching completion, and formation could be obtained of the doings of the Japanese.
graph people received a wire stating that the forts were being bombarded. The news spread yery quickly and there was great excitement in Anping. Official messages blocked the line and it was difficult to get any reliable information from the Telegraph office. After several mes- The German steamer Martha, late Smith enges had been got through for Hongkong and cleared at Shanghai on the 23rd March, ostensi the mainland further war telagrams were for-bly for Tamsui and Kelung, but it is said, ac. bidden At 4 p.m. communication with the cording to the N. C. Daily News, that her real Pascadores became interrupt at about 7 destination is a spot on the east coast of Formosa, p.m. telegram was reserved stating that severe where she will be able to safely land her cargo. Bghting was going sa and that the Japanese had landed 2,000 mer. Two of the forts had fallen, After dark se attacking ships used the electric Hight
Sunday, 24th.-At daylight fighting recom- menced, but at 8 a.m. the cable was broken, and further news was not to be obtained, but it is generally supposed that the Japanese were in full possession before dark.
A large Amoy junk arrived on Saturday and reports having been boarded and searched by a Japanese cruiser in the neighbourhood of Rover Channel.
HMS. Leander is at Takow, but up to the present no protection has been afforded Anping,
change o
to provide that where the consumption of water exceeds the domestic quautity, in the case of persons who occupy detached or semi-detached houses on their own ground, they may have the option of having a meter ttached instead of having the water cut off. Af other objects or the Bill are to curated to sect 15 of amend- the Ordinance of armoury, viz.
9 wasbing ing section 29; (2) throtective of clothes salvatiu; (3) the conquel with the waterworkstrit. The proud legentel on Bill I do r Defender of the faith
The Cell be translated “defended Bil read though wall protected her
VALID.
THE BUILDING ORDINANCE, :
of the tail.
seoɔnd.
We (Peking and Tientsin Times) hear that nothing demoralized the sailors of the Chinese feet at Weihaiwei so much as the capsizing of the man-of-war Lai-yuen. This ship turned completely over with her whole crew within about ten minutes after being struck by a torpedo, and The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL-1 beg to nearly all bands were drowned. The sailors of move the first reading of a Bill entitled " Al the fleet got it into their heads that if any o Ordinance to farther amend the Building Or-. the other ships were torpedoed an immediat dinance, 1889." Tho object of the amending. capsize would be the result, and it is said that Bill is to amend the law with regard to giving most of the crews there and then refused duty notices of the commencement of work and also This ship, it will be remembered, was condemned, to repeal sections 84 and 85 of the Ordinance by Admiral Lang as being too crank to be sea, and to substitute a new section in their stead, worthy, and by his orders ceased to carry her n order to do away with the apparent incon
Le dish sutiön tency between the two sections, I boats on the usual davits.
of Distribution.
served.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.