September 12, 1895.]
as well as in Kucheng. The home guards are established in every town and village and at each place there are a few soldiers to stimulate them to proper efforts.
ALARM IN THE VILLAGES.-HOW THE ARRESTS ARE MADE.
In many of the villages there is great alarm because of the way in which arrests have been made. A place known to have Vegetarians among its people is surrounded by the soldiers at night. The circle is then drawn closer and every
man in the village arrested. From the assembled prisoners all those are held for whom the company will not give & guarantee that they are not Vegetarians. The houses are also carefully searched for any who may be hiding away. In the city itself there is no danger, except possibly from the soldiers, who complain that they are under fed.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
now the Viceroy of Canton. If he had moved upon the shoulders of the late Viceroy Tang, energetically to put down the Vegetarian move- ment in the beginning it would never have taken place. But he played with it, or rather took no real notice of it at all, and so it grew before his eyes to formidable proportions. Nor did the sent Viceroy Pieng ever make a strong effort to pre- put it down, The District Magistrate of Kucheng will probably be degraded. But what could he have done? With thousands of Vege. tarians to oppose him, and with a cowardly people upon whom he could not rely for support, what could he do with the handful of soldiers sent him at the last moment? He is not the man to punish. His superiors, the high officials at Foochow, are the men who should be punished, and that severely Direct respon- sibility of the high provincial authorities should therefore be insisted on. Again, what ever settlement is made should promptly.
be made Time should not be given for another outbreak by such methods as have dis- graced the proceedings in the Szechuen case, The effect of even the most just punishment is weakened by delay.
THE ENERGY OF CONSUL MANSFIELD,
It is a pleasure to add the following extracts from a friend's letter of Aug 22nd and 23rd concerning the British Consul. He says:- "Since we came to Kucheng no one could be more in earnest or could more firmly demand careful investigation.".
203
this is true, it is almost a pity, as undoubtedly to all things English has not helped him. If Li stands out amongst his compeers for his ability and energy. But England is, after all, a hard rock to buck-up against.
THE OPENING OF HUNAN.
THREE PORTS TO BE PROBABLY OPENED.
THE EFFECT ON THE PEOPLE. The people are glad that the Commissioners are present and hail them as their saviours. This is doubtless because of the exaggerated fears they entertained before the Commission's arrival. There was the terrible expectation that England would destroy every house and kill every man, woman, and child within a radius of fifty miles from the city. The people are delighted therefore at finding that the foreigners, instead of indulging in in- discriminate slaughter of the innocent and guilty alike, are investigating the matter thoroughly and resolved to punish the guilty only. Some of the very best Chinese, however, feel that an Since our start from Foochow up to the exception ought to be made in the cases of Hwa- present moment Mr. Mansfield has in every. sang. That village, they say, ought to be ex-thing shown the greatest interest, industry, and terminated. There can be no doubt but that firmness in the investigation of the massacre. the presence of the Commission and its methods. He has moreover exercised good judgment and are having an excellent effect, and it is equally discretion certain that the whole district is being made to correspondent.
in handling the cases."-Mercury feel that a crime demanding terrible punish- ment has been committed. There are very few people in Kucheng who have not cause to bitterly regret that awful murder. The presence and THE BRITISH MINISTER AND THE British gunboat Firebrand, which left Hankow the methods of the soldiers most of these will have good cause long to remember, and the longer they remember them the better,
**
the French gunboat Lutin is expected back in We are in receipt of telegraphic advice that Hankow in a day or two, after her successful mission to the Tungting Lake, the waters of which have thus for the first time been ploughed by a foreign man-of-war. She will be at Shanghai in eight or nine days. Her captain and officers went ashore and inspected the facilities for trade at Changteh-fu and Yachow- fu, but there appears to have been insufficient water for the gunboat to go up to Changsha, the provincial capital, just now. The visitors latest advices there was no demonstration such were received with great civility, and up to as would have justified the enforcement of the very emphatic orders which the gallant com. mander of the Lutin had received. said that she would assuredly be attacked by It was the fanatical Hunanese, and her commander had instructions in such an event to open fire upon any assailants without mercy. This fact the Chinese were made aware of, and hence, no doubt, their pleasant demeanour. big French cruisers up the river also pre- Doubtless the recent expedition of three
and convinced the truculent Chang Chih-tang pared the way for the little Lutin and
and his friends further
up that there was a very formidable force behind the French gunboat. It is almost settled that three ports -Changsha, Chengteh, and Yachow shall be opened to foreign trade. It is believed that the some days after we announced the object of the Lutin's mission, has gone into the Tung- We are glad to learn that Sir Nicholasting Lake to have a friendly eye upon the O'Conor has taken a very serious view of the Frenchman's doings, but we fear she will have From a Chinese friend who arrived here from treacherous conduct of the Chinese officials-been too late to see very much. Still we are Kucheng last night I learned some additional in Fuhkien in insulting the English and glad to think that the hint has been taken, and details concerning the arrival of the Commission American Consuls and holding, them up to
we should welcome the joint opening of the at Kucheng. They entered the city by the ridicule and contumely in the eyes of the province by the two Powers who have, either south gate, something no Chinese official had Chinese. When the news of the deadlock together or singly, hitherto opened all the rest ever done, all Chinese officials entering by the reached Peking the British Minister proceeded of China to the world's commerce and inter- east gate. This made a profound impression to the yamen and a scene of storm bordering on
course.-China Gazette. on the people and alarmed them because, accord-violence ensued. The Chinese officials were ing to Chinese geomancy, the south is con- completely taken aback by the unexpected nected with the element of fire. They looked turn of affairs and the threatening attitude of a therefore for some terrible calamity in the Minister upon whose complacency they had near future. Unfortunately that very night, apparently counted. The result of the inter- about 1 o clock, a fire broke out near the East view was the despatch of urgent telegrams to Gate. The people were terrified, for they the Foochow authorities, ordering them to re- thought the work of destruction had begun. move the obstructions to the sitting of the Com- An official went about the city quieting them, mission. It is now reported that the Tsungli saying the foreigners had nothing to do with Yamen are so terrified at the menacing attitude it, but that it was purely an accident. Another of Sir Nicholas O'Conor that they have wired official went up the hill to "comfort," as my into the Chinese Minister in London to use his formant put it, the foreigners who were watch- influence to get the British Minister recalled.-- ing the fire, and as he approached them his at- | China Gazette. tendants cried out, "It's the officer," It's the officer 1" The good man thought that the foreigners would be as badly frightened as the people. Happily it all passed off with no more harm than the fire itself caused,
ADDITIONAL DETAILS..
TSUNGLI YAMEN.
LI HUNG-CHANG.
THE CHENGTU RIOTS.
EXECUTIONS. Telegraphic news from an authoritativa native source at Chengtu is to the effect that H.E. Lu Chuan-lin, the Viceroy of Sze- chuen, has summarily executed four of the alleged ringleaders in the recent riots at Chengtu. The rowdy element, trusting in numbers, two-thirds of them being armed with pistols or guns, tried to get up a public demonstration amongst the Chengtu population against the extreme measures inaugurated by the new Viceroy, and they succeeded in ter rorising some of the shop people into closing their doors and going on strike for three days. Rumours were also disseminated warning the Vi- who had been arrested an attempt would be made by the mob to break open the prisons. The Vice- roy, however, has replied to these threats by order- ing more arrests and posting proclamations advising the mob to disperse within a certain period on pain of wholesale executions. Another despatch from a private source reports that declaring that as they had the official consent some of the mob leaders made no hesitation in of the highest man in the province to do what had been done, it was a shame that they should be made to suffer for an act of obedience.-N. C. Daily News.
When the labours of the Commission will be over it is impossible to say, but probably not ordered to Peking from Tientsin, and an in-ceroy that if he did not release the forty odd men
for three or four weeks.
LESSONS TO BE LEARNED.
It cannot but be a matter of great satis- faction to all foreigners to see how firmly both the American and British Consuls have main- tained their rights, and that they have been supported in doing so by their Ministers. Let us hope that this strength at Peking is the beginning of a new era in which our guardians at the capital will be more alive to our interests. The problem of the future is not an easy one to solve. The punishment of the murderers and promises of amendment, on the part of the Chinese Government, ought not to satisfy England and the United States at this time. Some plan should be adopted by which the high provincial authorities will be held directly responsible for riots and massacres.
ANOTHER EX-VICEROY TO BLAME.
There can be no doubt but that a large part of the blame for the slaughter at Hwasang rests
Shanghai, 30th August. His Excellency Li Hung chang has been perial decree was issued yesterday, relieving him of the Viceroyalty of Chihli and the Imperial Commissionership of the. Peiyang, and ordering him to do duty at Peking as Manager of the Imperial Chancery, or Prime Minister of China. H.E. Wang Wen-shao, acting Viceroy of Chilli, formerly Viceroy of the Yun-Kuei provinces, has been confirmed in Li's former posts at Tientsin. It is stated that H.E. Li, being comfortably off, is anxious to retire, like his elder brother Li Han-chang, into private life, but the Throne cannot dispense with his services.-N. C. Daily News.
Considerable speculation is going on in the Settlement, says the Peking and Tientsin Times, as to the position of the late Viceroy Li Hung chang. A few are sure that he has gained in power; but some, who should be in the know, are equally positive that Li Hung-chang's day is over, and that he has been shelved. There is even a whisper that his late suspected antagonism
It has been decided by the Sapporo Sugar Refining Company, says the Hyogo News, to remove their works to Tokyo, and to enlarge- their scale of operations. The engineer of the company is to visit Hongkong for investiga. tion.
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