Page
in the absence of any expressed, fixed, or doter- minable future time) is as follows :-
£100
London, 1st January, 1895. Pay to Mr. A. B. or order the sum of one han. dred pounds to value received.
To E. F., Esq.
8. not
C. D.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
REVIEW.
The Peoples and Politics of the Far East. By HENRY NORMAN. London: T. Fisher Unwin. Mr NORMAN is equally at home in writing picturesque descriptions of interesting scenes and events and in discussing grave political problems. He spent nearly four years in the Far East as a special correspondent of the Pall Mall Gazette and other papers, and bis articles published at that time (some of which by ar- rangement with the author appeared in the columns of the Daily Press) attracted much atten- tion, both at home and out here, for the vigour of their writing, the conciseness of their informa- tion, and the originality and incisiveness with which the views of the writer were expressed. The articles written during his travels in the East form the foundation of the present book, but have been greatly amplified and brought up to date. and some of the more important chapters are en tirely new and have been written in view of re- cent developments. The result is a mass of useful information and most interesting reading. Mr. Norman, however, sometimes uses the language of hyperbole, for which due allowance must be made, as, for instance, in his description of the summer climate of Hongkong, which does not kill people off at anything like the rate he repre. sents, nor is it necessary to go to the Peak for the suminor in order to have a reasonable pro- bability of being alive at the end of it." We will let that pass, however. Like everyone else who visits Hongkong, Mr. Norman was much impressed with the signs of material progress he saw around him. But his observation did not stop there. In spite of all its commercial progress," he says, and its vital position in the Empire, Hongkong is in many respects curiously behind the civilization of the times." Things have altered somewhat since Mr. Norman was here, and his remark that "You cannot even get a copy of the Hongkong Ordinances " does not now apply, but as a general observation the quotation must still command assent. The cause of our backwardness is of course to be found in our system of government. The dead weight of officialdom the colony has to carry and the repression of independent opinion
"
·
| May 29, 1895.
sure
not be permitteds These things are enough. But they bring us no nearer to a con- clusion. My own view-which 1 present with dne diffidence is that the fate of China-I use. the name for convenience, although, as I have said before, there is really no such thing as China' at all this country of rag-tag and pig- tail, will be partition among other nations. China has hitherto salted all the seas that run into her.' aud obstruction, the only force in China upon which it is safe to rely,' has served her well. But she has never had to face s prospect like that which lies before her to-day. I think she will ultimately go to pieces under the pressure of the conflicting interests that focus upon her. As Wingrove Cooke well said, the whole present system of China is a hollow thing, with a hard brittle surface: we try in vain to scratch it; but some day a happy blow will shiver it. It will all go together. A China. man has no idea of surrendering a part to save the rest. The only question with him is, how long can it be resisted? how long can it be evaded:P
The idea of an Anglo-Chinese alliance Mr. Norman utterly scouts, but is impressed with the value to England of Japan's friendship. Of the part England should play in the Far East he has formed a high estimate, The expansion of the Empire be holds to be not only a matter of self-interest but a sacred duty.
*
says,
"When," he
a native race comes under British control it receives immediately a birth-gift-Freedom, heaven-sent, red-tape-bound, straight from Downing Street. It has been my fortune to see at close quarters almost all the civilised nations of the world, and most of the great colonies, and the result is that I believe in Englishmen above all other men, and in British rule above all other rule. Therefore the British Empire is to me the most important impersonal consideration on earth, and the transmission to our heirs of the legacy of our fathers the greatest responsibility"
One of the most interesting sections of the book, at all events to residents in Hongkong who are concerned with problems of colonial govern- ment, is that relating to France in the Fast," which comprises four-chapters. We grumble about the ineptitude of our own Govern.
'The compradore's order under consideration is unconditional and in writing; it is addressed by one person, W. Shewan, to another, viz., the compradore of Shewan and Co.; it is signed by the person, W. Shewan, who gives it and it re quires the person, viz, Shewan and Cols com- pradore, to whom it is addressed, to pay on de- mand a certain sum in money, viz., $250, to or to the order of a specified person, to wit, S. I. Danby, All the elements that. go to make up a bill of exchange appear in the compradore's order in question; and no elements appear in the compradore's order which are not essential tó a bill of exchange. As regards the forms of the two instruments, the one form is a facsimile of the other, except that the super fluous words for value received" found in the form of a bill of exchange are omitted from the form of this compradore's order. Though the drawee, viz., Shewan and Co.'s compradore, named in the instrument under examination, it is sufficient if he be in dicated, as is done here, with
reasonable certainty. No evidence was adduced to show the relation between the drawer and drawer, whether they were separate or practically identical persons. If the drawee were a fellow employee of the drawer, the drawee would be "another" person within the definition of a bill of exchange; if the drawee were a servant of the drawer, the two would practically constitute the same person and the holder might then treat the instrument at his option as either a bill of exchange or a promissory note. On its face, however, the document before the Court reveals the presence of three persons. For these rea. sons I conclude that this compradore's order is a bill of exchange under Ordinance No. 9 of 1885; it is therefore an instrument which, by -section 10 (2) of Ordinance No. 16 of 1886, may not be stamped after execution, and there- fore, by section 9 of the same Ordinance, it is an instrument which cannot be received as creat-keeps it back in everything not directly affect-mont, but we have cause to congratulate our- ing, transferring, or extinguishing any right ing the making of money. It is well understood. selves that we are free from the jobbery and cor or obligation, or as evidence in any civil pro that no hindrances are to be placed in the wayruption and petty annoyances of French rule, ceeding in any Court of Justice in the colony of trade, but with that proviso fulfilled the the main object of which appears to be Having come to this decision, the alternative object of officialdom is to jog along in a comfort question of whether this compradore's order is able routine and avoid trouble of all kinds. The an instrument sui generis depending for negoti- community, however, is not quite content to lag ability on the lex mercatoria must be answered behind the civilisation of the time, and Mr. in the negative. Judgment must therefore be
Norman, making due note of its aspirations to for defendant, with costs.
be allowed to manage its own local affairs, quotes at length the recent petition to the House of Commons, thereby securing for it a good deal more publicity and durability of record than it was likely to have secured by any other means. Mr. Norman poses, too, in the role of a prophet. After a reference to the Chinese quarter and its insanitary condition, he says:-"I never ceased to prophesy two things about Hongkong, one of which, the epidemic, has come true indeed. The other waits, and as it is rather alarmist it is perhaps better left out of print." We gather, however, from other references, that "the other thing" to which Mr. Norman alludes is the chance that the Chinese may rise some night and murder us all in our beds. We fancy no one will sleep any the less soundly for the suggestion. On the subject of China and Japan, Mr. Nor- man writes as a friend and admirer of the latter, Mr. Wilkinson-I have very little doubt that while for the former, with its official corrup what my friend states is correct. I do not suption, its conceit, its superstition, and its unrea- pose Mr. Shewan would have defended the case soning conservatism, he professes the most pro- if he had not had a moral defence:
found contempt.
"Unless the character of the Chinese Government can be vitally changed," he says,
"all the guns and ships in the world will not save them," an expression which will be endorsed by all who have studied China and the Chinese. Mr. Norman's conclusions on this branch of his subject may he summed up in the following passage from the last
Mr. Ellis My Lord, before closing the case I want to make a statement in regard to my client. The defence which has been taken up, and which your Lordship upheld, is truly a technical one. But there was a moral defence to the suit which I did not bring, because it did not constitute a legal defence. I did not make that statement while the suit was going on because I did not want to hamper the case with unneces sary facts.
The compradore's order was given by Mr. Shewan to Mr. Danby to enable Mr. Danby to obtain back for Mr. Showan shares which Mr. Shewan had lent to Mr. Danby. The shares were not returned, and Mr. Shewan was unaware that his order had been handed over to any other person; and it was because the shares had not been returned that he refused to take up the pro- missory note and was compelled to resort to this legal defence.
According to an official telegram from Peking received by the mandarins at Shanghai on the 19th inst. at the Palace Examinations for the Hanlin degree on the 18th, his Majesty was pleased to confer the much coveted title of Chuang-yuan, or Optimus, upon Luh Ch'eng-chapter of his book: siang a native of Szechuan province. Yu Ch'ang- lin, a native of Chekiang, obtained Peng-yen, or Secundus; and Wang, Wen-lung, a native of Hu nan, the Tan-hua, or Tertius degree, The above three are called the T-chia or First Class. The head of the Haulin or Erh-chia (Second Class) who obtains the title of Chuan-lu, or Quartus, was given to Siao Yung-chio, also a native of Hunan.
What is to be the future of China? Here the chief factor of the problem-the character of the Chinese people-is so obscure that nobody who knows China at all will venture on a confi- dent forecast. China will not over-run the world. China will not raise herself to the rank of a compact, homogenous, powerful nation, observant of the laws which govern civilised intercourse. Japan will desire to reorganise China, and will
to keep out foreigners, to maintain an army of functionaries, and to distribute concessions on corrupt principles. The result is that "from 1883, when the history of Tonkin began, down to the latest accessible official statistics, the cost of Tonkin to France has reached the colossal figure of 5341531,170 francs, or • £21,381,247, tă yearly average of 44,514,261 francs, or £1,781,770, Or, to put the fact in a popular form, the satis faction of including · le Tonkin' among the pos sessions of his country has cost the French tax- payer 122,039 francs-£1,881-a day, Sundays included, for every day that he has bad it. It may safely be foretold that wh n at length he comes to realise this fact he will be surprised, and his surprise will manifest itself in a striking -- manner." As a Frenchman, M. Leroy-Beaulieu, expresses it, We are practising a systematic ex- ploitation of the public funds for the profit of a thousand or so persons." As a matter of sober fact, Mr. Norman says in conclusion “the French colonisation of Tonkin-and Tonkin is only one example of a truth which every other French colony would illustrate to a greater or less degree-has amounted to this: France has taken possession of a country; she has des- patched to it an army of soldiers and a second army of functionaries; a handful of dealers has followed to supply these with the necessaries and luxuries of life; the dealers have purchased these necessaries and luxuries from France (the foreign imports being chiefly for native con- sumption), as the Customs tariff prevents them from buying cheaper elsewhere; these purchases have practically constituted the trade of France with the colony. Castra faciunt; coloniam ap pellant." As an instance of official obstruction Mr. Norman refers to the history of the Société Francaise des Charbonnages du Tonkin. Hay- ing spoken of the value of the concession, of which be entertains a high opinion, he says: “ Now my reason for going thus into the details. of a single enterprise is simple. Here is a com- mercial undertaking of the very best character, the results of which are proved beyond doubt, in the French colony of Tonkin, where are also
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.