September 26, 1895.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
the Club, and had always maintained a most ceeding with development work when they have active interest in its welfare. The Chair-enough payable ore in sight to keep the man having suitably responded, the meeting battery constantly at work for two years is then proceeded to vote $50 towards the cost of somewhat of a mystery to me? There is no the Hongkong Challenge Cup. This was
doubt that the mine is a sound concern, the agreed to after some discussion. The ad quantity of gold per ton being a fairly steady visability of roping in the ground for im- amount-none of your ten ounce to the ton portant fixtures was raised, and ultimately wild cat concerns and the lodes proved to be referred to the Committee. After some permanent over a wide area. They could very questions had been asked regarding the Chal- well put up another twenty head of stamps and lenge Cup and the Club's colours, Mr. C. M. crush 3,000 tons of ore per month for 1,500 Firth said he wished to bring before the mem- ounces gold if they would go on with that and bers the necessity for regular attendance at the leave development till required. practice games, for without such attention pro- gress and success could not be expected in the ensuing season. A vote of thanks to the Chairman brought the meeting to a close. The officers and Committee for 1895-6 are" ;- Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart, President; Mr. G. H. Potts, Captain Rugby; Mr. C. M. Firth, Captain Association; Mr. J. C. Cameron, Hon. Treasurer; Mr. F. Browne, Hon. Secre- tary; Dr. J. M. Atkinson, Mr. A. Sharp, Cobbold, Mr. E. D. Sanders, Rev. R. F. Mr. P. G. Davies, R.A., Committee.
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A SHAREHOLDER FROM THE START OF THE CONCERN. Hongkong, 17th September, 1895.
SIR ROBERT HART.
6.-
289
Chinese Government's expense, on the spot of the murders, of a fitting memorial to the murdered, and the annual saluting of the British flag there on the anniversaries of the murders in the presence of suitable officers for a prescribed term of years.
(b) The saluting of the British flag at the capital of the province in the presence of the Viceroy.
A formal promise to settle promptly all out- standing claims and matters of grievance on the part of British subject against the Chinese authorities.
For point (2), which appears to command general assent, a precedent exists in the first of the separate and secret articles of the Treaty between France and China, 1858, whereby a certain Chinese official was declared thence- forward incapable of holding office; a punish ment which to make it effectual should be supplemented by a term of banishment to British possession.
'TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.
SIR,-The public owe you a debt for throw- ing a search light on one of the dark corners of Peking politics and calling their notice to the true position of the foreign confidential adviser in Japan, 1862-3, seems to afford an analogy. For points (3) and (4) Mr. Richardson's case to the Chinese Government. As you very neatly Mr. Richardson was murdered, on a road open put it, “When a litigant desires advice he is not
to Englishmen by Treaty, by retainers in the likely to go to his opponent's attorney or coun- suite of the powerful Prince of Satsuma, over HONGKONG RIFLE ASSOCIATION. sel;" further, We have high authority for say.
whom the Shogun's Government had infinitely ing that no man can serve two masters.' Onless authority than the Government of Peking There was a large attendance of members at referring to this high authority find that he has over its Viceroys, yet the Shogun's Govern- the ranges on the 14th inst. to compete for the goes on to say "For either he will hate the one ment for that and other then recent outrages and love the other; or else he will hold to the paid a mulct of £100,000 sterling, and also newly started Short Range Cup, which was Won by H. McPhail, the Spoons being taken by of course gay that the quotation is exactly ap- be liable to a special penalty of £25,000, one, and despise the other." Now we cannot agreed that the Prince of Satsuma should R. Rutter, Private Melhuish, Captain Bethune, plicable, in fact we must try to suppose that it is and should in addition bring the murderers to Private Gigg, and Sapper Hare. The follow-not, but there remains the fact that the person justice. In consequence of the delay and subse. ing were the best scores :--
in question declined the honour of filling the quent resistance of Satsuma, his capital, Kago honourable post of acting as his Queen's and sima, was bombarded, the greater part of it laid country's representative at the Court of Peking, in ashes, and redress obtained. Thus the plea where he was believed to have very great in- fluence, for the more lucrative post of represent-
of impotency put in by the Central Government was met by the affirmation of the principle of ing the interests of his Celestial masters. How any British government could be so infatuated the Provincial authorities.
the joint and several liability of the Central and --it is to be presumed that they were ill in- formed as to Chinese ideas and methods as to offer to a servant of the Chinese the posi- tion of representative of British interests and the dignity of his Queen and country is all but incomprehensible, for he could only retain his influence with the Chinese by remaining their humble servant, which of course would be in- compatible with British interests, and he could never be accepted as treating with them on an equal footing as representative of Great Britain. Fortunately for British dignity and interests. he preferred, to retain the position of servant to the Chinese.
200 300 Handi- To- yards. yards. cap.
tal. 12. 71 12. .65 4......63 .62
H. McPhail
30 29
R. Rutter
31
22
Private Melhuish .
32
27
Captain Bethune
32
26
Private Gigg
29
22
Sapper Hare
31
10. ...61 .61
Sgt. Major Moorish 33
27
Tree Dillon
29
W. Stewart...
33
21
60 .60 .60
W. White
22
24
14.
60
វគ
CORRESPONDENCE.
[We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.]
PERJURY IN THE COURTS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS. SIE,Enthusiasts are proverbially inaccurate and inclined to colour their facts to suit their arguments, but when a man undertakes a crusade against misstatement and perjury surely his statements should be absolutely true and correct. Your contemporary in commenting upon the recent case in the Supreme Court in which the plaintiff sought to set aside a deed is not accurate in his facts. No witness who attested the widow's signature was forthcoming and no officer of the Court could swear that he had seen her write her name. The jury very pro- perly drew inferences from the evidence, but an inference is not a logical necessity. Because the widow denied signing a document which it appeared she had signed, it might be inferred, but it did not necessarily follow, that she had signed a totally different document bearing her name. Because she told one lie, it did not necessarily follow that she told two. Her case still remains a logical possibility, and no one who listened to the whole of the evidence could believe that the plaintiff had a monopoly of the lying. Possibly it is considerations of this sort which prevent the more frequent punishment for false witness by our Judges, whose first duty it is.
AUDI ALTERAM PARTEM. Hongkong, 16th September, 1895.
RAUB.
"
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OBSERVER.
Hongkong, 17th September, 1895.
THE KUCHENG AND OTHER
OUTRAGES.
on
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS. SIR,The present check in the proceedings. of the Kucheng Commission accords well with the general forecast that the transfer promotion of Minister O'Conor would be con- strued by the Chinese as an indication of the British Government's disapproval of the Minis- ter's late vigorous attitude. A question arises whether it would not be expedient, by way of set off, as it were, to Taotai Hsu's ultimatum, to call a public meeting to submit to our Government a statement of the conditions which this colony thinks should be imposed on China; and in this connection it is well to remember that the Kucheng tragedy is only the culminating outrage of a series. Shanghai and other ports will doubtless not be backward in helping us to form public opinion at home by giving public expression to their views on this question and, as a start, probably most of us would agree that the following are amongst the points to be recommended to the home Govern ment's consideration :- 1-Execution of proved participators in mur-
der as a matter of course. 2.-Punishment of high officials or personages shown to have been guilty of having in- cited to, or countenanced, or negligently failed to take precautions against the occur. ence of any of the recent outrages in China. 3.-Reparation from the Central Government
as such.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS.' SIE, I observe that the report of last month's crushing at Raub is somewhat less satisfactory than the previous month's. It seems to me that if the management were to pay more attention to breaking out ore and getting it to 4.-Reparation, in the shape of pecuniary the mill much more satisfactory results would. mulets, from each of the guilty provinces. be had. Why they should be perpetually pro- | 5.-(a) The erection and maintenance, at the
be exacted from the Central Government need As to point (3) it is clear that the amends to not be pecuniary; on the contrary public opinion in the colony appears to be unanimous in the sentiment that such reparation had much better, the Kowloon frontier, ar the opening of the as you suggest, take the form of rectification of
West River.
As to point (5) we know he significance attached by the rite-ridden people of China to ceremonies affecting "face;" it would therefore seem well that our Government should act on that knowledge.
Point (6) would serve to show that the period of forbearance with evasions of Treaty had ended, and that a period of insistance on exact per formance of Treaty obligations had begun.
If the suggestion to hold another Public Meeting meets with favour doubtless some of those prominent citizens who took steps before will do so again.
E. R.
Hongkong, 17th September, 1895. OUR FOREIGN OFFICE AND ITS CHINESE ADVISERS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS,] SIB-One may be inclined to think that Observer" has no sufficient reason for resur- recting the dead past by referring at this time of day to the offer of the post of British Minis- ter at Peking made to Sir Robert Hart some years ago; but affairs political in China are at the present moment fast fermenting and the result will be great changes; although what these changes will lead to no one can presume to guess. Absurd as the action of the British Government then seemed to me, and probably to all old China hands, there is unfortunately every indication that the councils of the Foreign Office in London are, in this matter, guided with as little wisdom now as then, and it is quite possible that the same or a similar mistake might be again made. Nay, it is even asserted that the agency at Storey's Gate is able to make its influence felt at Downing Street, and that Downing Street is rather given to asking its advice. Its views are of course those of the great I. G.," and his views, presuming him to be honest, we may assume to be those of the Chinese Government. That "the great I. " has striven to be sole dictator of the relations between foreign powers and China is an accepted. belief, and he almost
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