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Viceroy of Nanking hopes to place it out of the power of the Japanese to undertake a highly advantageous work, and rob them ef another of the fruits of their victories. These railway concessions given by China are never of much practical use. The French, after the imbroglio of 188485, got a stipulation inserted into their new Treaty giving French engineers the prefer ence over others in the making of Chi- nese railways; but the article, which was vague, did not lay it down that the Chinese were bound to engage French assist- ance in the construction of railways, but merely stated that they might do so, and as a matter of fact the French were carefully left out in the cold. Inlike manner the Chinese Government will studiously endeavour, in interpreting the provisions of the new Treaty with Japan to "keep the word of promise to the ear and break it to the hope." Only, perhaps, the Japanese will not allow them- selves to be outwitted and bamboozled; they understand, better than the Western Powers, the wiles and devices of the enemy, and will not readily submit to the same treatment.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE REVOLTIN TIMOR.
The steamer Menmuir, which arrived on Monday morning from Australia and Timor, brought news of the revolt of natives in Timor. The trouble arose on account of the Governor having tried to compel the people to pay taxes and furnish men for forced labour. The natives obstinately refused to obey the regulations, and the Governor then ordered that all their villages should be destroyed. Upon this the natives rose in rebellion, killing Captain Camara, the Government Secretary, Lieutenants Lagos, Mendes da Silva, Bettencourt, Ensign Flores, four sergeants, twelve soldiers, and one hospital
warder.
The native soldiers who were in the Portuguese Government service joined the rebels and took part in the sedition.
Lieut. Mendes da Silva was murdered, but the others were killed in the fighting.
Captain Claudio da Silva and wife, two the Menmuir and went on yesterday to Macao. sergeants' widows, and a few soldiers arrived by
All the officers above referred to were married in Macao.
THE TYPHOON AT SWATOW.
1
THREE VESSELS DAMAGED.
A telegram was received in Hongkong on Fri- THE KUCHENG COMMISSION.day stating that the Woosung, Chefoo, and Hangchow, all of which belong to the China MORE CHINESE DUPLICITY.
Navigation Company, had sustained damage at Swatow in Thursday's typhoon. It is believed THE BRITISH CONSUL INSULTED. [SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE "DAILY PRESS."] that two of the vessels collided, but no parti FOOCHOW, 28th September, 8.20 A.M./culars have yet been received. Messrs. Butter A member of the Kucheng Commission writes field and Swire, the agents for the China that there has been renewed official duplicity, Navigation Company, had not received any in- making the Commissioners feel that they had. formation on the subject on Friday afternoon. better return to Foochow unless they have more power,
Hunan soldier insulted Consul Mansfield. The soldier was afterwards punished.
Foochow, 21st September. There was a sitting of the Court of Enquiry on Saturday, the 7th inst., and several prisoners were examined and re-examined. Wang Uong tie repeated the former evidence he had given as to his having killed Mr. Stewart, and gave evidence against Ming-chiang-cik and others. To Nong-se was also brought in again. He confessed to have struck a little one on the leg, which was thought to be Mildred Stewart, and he, too, gave evidence against others. A clever lad of 17 years of age, against whom was a strong suspicion of having been very active in delivering summonses to the Vegetarians to meet at the fastness, was next brought into Court, but he denied all knowledge of the business, and no information could be got from him. During the sitting "Long-finger-nails was brought in and shown a seditious piece of poetry which had been found up at the fastness and thought to be his composition, but he vowed he had never seen it before, assuming a look of bland astonishment, as if surprised that he should be suspected of writing anything of the kind.
ON
From this time matters have not gone well with the Commission through Chinese obstruc- tiveness. It suddenly became most difficult to get any evidence from the prisoners, and the Chinese engaged in the enquiry at once assumed an air of utter indifference. Here it was suggested that this change came about on the officials learning that the Linnet had left the port, and this is not improbable. At Kucheug the prevailing idea was that an attempt was being made to weary out the Consuls.
At this juncture, it is understood, the Consuls telegraphed to Peking to beg that a mandarin with full powers might be appointed to act with them, and on the 10th instant. H'su-h'sing-I, Taotai, appeared on the scene. He seemed in no hurry to disclose his plan of action, but after a day or two informed the Consuls that he was quite ready to order the execution of those. convicted of murder if the Consuls would sign an agreement to close the case and ask nothing further. H'su little knew the temper of the men he was making these overtures to.
We have news this week of the execution of seven criminals and hoped to be in possession of particulars this morning, but none have reached us.-Echo.
1st October.
[October 2, 1895.*
THE POLICE PLAGUE MEDALS.
PRESENTATION YESTERDAY.
On Friday *afternoon Hon. Commander. W. C. H. Hastings (Acting Captain Superin- tendent of Police) presented the medals which had been awarded to those members of the police force who rendered such signal services during the plague last year. The ceremony took place in the billiard room of the Central Police Station, and all the medallists were in attendance.
The Acting Captain Superintendent of Police, in presenting the medals, said-Officers and men of the Hongkong Police Force, we all
regret that H. E. the Governor is unable to be here to-day to present these medals. That pleasing duty has therefore devolved on me. These medals presented by the Hongkong community as a mark of their appreciation for the services rendered by you last year-the year of the Black Plague--you may justly any war medal; albeit in the campaign in and wear with as much pride as look on
which they were earned there was no roar of cannon or rattle of musketry, yet men dropped as fast. In the campaign in which you earned these medals, though in the common peril, you were denied the pleasure of striking back at your enemy, that grim reaper Death, portrayed hovering over all on the reverse_of your medals. The enemy death came under the name of the Black Plague, an enemy not fought by Englishmen under that name for more than three hundred years; his allies were prejudice bred of ignorance and foul disease born of filth.
Your only weapons were fire and whitewash, and though for weeks it seemed about as efficacious as carrying water in a sieve, with the help of the civilian volunteers and brave Shropshire lads and other soldiers, the enemy was routed, and routed so utterly that this year he has barely made a reconnaissance. The community of Hongkong were liberal and generous to us at that time, and now by the gift of these medals they further mark their appreciation of the men who who did men's work in the time of trial, nor will such men be ever found wanting in the Hongkong Police.
The damage sustained by the steamers Hangchow, Chefoo, and Woosung in the gale at Swatow on Thursday was not so serious as was at first feared. It appears the Hangchow, on leaving Messrs. Butterfield and Swire's wharf to anchor in the stream, was carried down on to the Chefoo, and both were then carried down on to the Woosung, causing her to break adrift also, but all three vessels were soon got under control without having sustained ANOTHER OUTRAGE IN BRITISH any vital injury.
ATTEMPTED MURDER IN STANLEY STREET.
At two o'clock on Friday morning a deter- mined attempt was made to murder a prostitute at 46, Stanley Street. Her name is Wong Tsai, 26 years of age, and on Wednesday night she was visited by a man named Cheung Hoi Mun, who was formerly an interpreter on the Empress of Japan, and who was discharged from the vessel that morning. He remained with her all night, went away in the morning, and returned on Thursday night. At two o'clock in the morning the woman was asleep in her bed, when the man woke her up by cutting her face with a razor. Her right cheek had been very severely cut, and her jawbone was laid bare. The man made a desperate effort to kill her and hacked her with the razor about her neck and breast. She struggled to get free of him, and her cries for help were heard by the district watchman and an Indian constable, who entered the house and conveyed the couple to the police station. The woman sustained several ugly wounds in the region of her neck, and lost a large quantity of blood. She was, however, able to give in the charge room a clear account of the attack and added that before the arrival of the police the man attempted suicide by swallowing opium. He vomited in the station, and the pair were afterwards sent to the Government Civil Hospital, where they now lie. At pre- sent no cause can be given for the crime, as, as far as can be ascertained, they had not quar- relled. The woman is in a serious condition, but it is thought that she will recover, and it is expected that the man will soon get over the effects of the opium be swallowed.
WATERS..
The police have been informed of another audacious outrage by Chinese Customs officials in British waters. On Wednesday afternoon the boat trading between Victoria and Stanley was stopped by a Chinese Customs cruiser and overhauled just off Aplichau, in the Lamma Channel. The boat was proceeding to Stanley at the time, and was carrying goods for shops in that village. The officers on the cruiser boarded the boat, captured, the master's son, took him away, and peremptorily ordered the boat to follow the cruiser. The master refused, and hoisting his sails continued his journey. Several shots were fired from the cruiser, but none took effect. On arriving at Stanley the master reported the matter to the police, and the Acting Captain Superintendent of Police is now making investigation. This is certainly a most serious case and it is to be hoped that decisive measures will be taken to effectually suppress these disgraceful outrages, which are just now too prevalent.
teachers
The Foochow Echo of the 21st September saysThe anti-Christian rioting lately re ported at Hok-chiang has spread to the Hing- wha district. The mob has attacked two churches at a place called Sieng-In, doing them some damage, and the houses of the native pastors and
A were plundered. catechist was severely beaten. In these cases, as at Hok-chiang, the magistrate took no notice, but allowed the rioters to have their way.
It would appear that the mandarins are acting on some general plan of allowing the Chistians to be persecuted. We hear from Kien-ning-foo that the hospital there has been threatened and that anti-foreign placards have been extensively posted about all over the city and country. The authorities at Kien-ning-foo have sent some
It is notified that the Hoihow harbour light soldiers to protect the hospital, which it is to be may now again be relied upon,
hoped may result in its remaining untouched.
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