October 24, 1895.]
THE FRANCO-CHINESE TREATY AND EXCLUSIVE TRADING
PRIVILEGES.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. which is reinforced by the seventeenth ar- | ticle of the, Burmah Convention of the 1st March, 1894, which reads:-"It is agreed that subjects of the two Powers shall "each within the territories of the other enjoy all the privileges, immunities, and "advantages that may have been, or may "hereafter be, accorded to the subjects of any other nation." Consequently, if the right to work mines in Yunnan is accorded to French citizens it must equally be accorded to the subjects of Great Britain, and, equally, if China decides to invite foreign engineers to assist in the construction of her railways, British subjects will have as good a right to submit their tenders as those of France. There are, however, strong objectious to any agreement giving even a nominal advantage to any one nation and if there is really anything of the kind in the new Franco-Chinese treaty it will be the duty of Great Britain to intimate to China that she cannot be allowed to accord
such advantage. British merchants and manufacturers do not ask for any wet- nursing from their Government, but they do ask and have a right to expect that it will secure for them a fair field and not allow other nations to step in and close either the China or any other market against them. Some confidence may be entertained that Lord SALISBURY will not fail to protect British interests in matters of that kind.
THE HONGKONG PUBLIC LIBRARY,
been
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between them and the public that has dur ing the last twelve months been so often re- marked. Now that the Hon. T. H. WHITE- HEAD has returned to the colony the bonds between the unofficial members and those whom they are supposed to represent may be again drawn closer, for Mr. WHITEHEAD. seems to have a better appreciation of public requirements and public feeling than some of his fellow members of Council, and we noted with pleasure that he attended the Public Library meeting on Monday and gave the scheme his support. If he is able to carry. his colleagues with him so much the better; if not, it is to be hoped that the Government will not hesitate to use the official phalanx in order to give to the Public Library what- ever support may be required. It is of course a painful position when the public have to turn from their nominal representa- tives and look to the official hierarchy for the protection of their interests, but if the unofficial members choose to throw the public over the public must accept with. gratitude what it can get from the Govern ment without the assistance or in spite of the opposition of the unofficial members. For the support he is giving to the Library › Sir WILLIAM ROBINSON merits the thanks.. of the public and we trust. His Excellency will have the satisfaction of seeing it established on a sound and permanent basis before he leaves the colony.
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THE JAPANESE ATTACK ́ON SOUTH FORMOSA.
BOMBARDMENT OF TAKOW.
FLIGHT OF LIU.
AMOY, 18th October, 9.56 a... Takow was bombarded on the 15th. The Japanese are in complete, possession. The native town was sacked.
It is now stated that the recent Franco- Chinese treaty is not likely to he ratified. The statement comes by way of India and is, we believe, semi-official, but presumably it applies only to that portion of the treaty referring to the Chinese cession of territory., The other, clauses, providing for increased trading facilities on the Tonkin border, the appointment of consuls to new stations, and the junction of the projected French and Chinese railways will not be affected by the territorial dispute which has arisen, though there may be some reason why those clauses should be very narrowly scanned by the British Government. There can be no objection to France gaining the widest possible trading privileges, but there is an insuperable objection to her obtain ing any monopoly and ruling out all com- petitors. England has had abundant oppor- tunities for obtaining exclusive privileges | in China and if any one has a claim to such privileges it is she. Her policy, however, has been to claim nothing for herself that was not equally obtainable by other nations, and, having adopted that policy herself, it is imperative that she should see that no other nation obtains commercial concessions in which she does not fully participate accord- ing to the spirit and the letter of the most favoured nation clause. There has been an extraordinary reticence shown with regard to the new Franco-Chinese treaty. Brief summaries of some of its provisions The announcement made by H.E. the have appeared, but the full text has not Governor at the meeting held in con- yet been made known and it is open to
nection with the Hongkong Public Library doubt whether the summaries that have on Monday, that the Government will be been published cover all the principal prepared to assist that young and useful [SPECIAL TELEGRAMS TO THE “DAILY PRESS.”] points. Some weeks ago the China Grazette, institution financially, will have which appears to be made use of as a channel received with widespread satisfaction. Pro- for French. official communiqués, announced ably financial assistance will not long be that it was about to publish the text of the required, for when the Library has once treaty, but in a subsequent issue stated been fairly set on its feet it will prove self- it was compelled to defer doing so, a cir-supporting, especially if it be provided with cumstance from which the inference may be a home rent free, as it might be if it were drawn that the treaty contains provisions amalgamated with the City Hall Library. which it was deemed undesirable from the In the meantime it must be regarded as a French point of view to have brought into very fiting object for financial assistance prominence before the ratification for fear from the Government. When it has passed of exciting the opposition of other powers. its infancy and become a well-established These provisions could hardly refer to the and flourishing institution of proved utility cession of territory, because so far as that the Government might perhaps with ad- was concerned the contents of the, agree-vantage go a step further and by legislation ment were already known.
transfer to it the control of the City In the Patenôtre treaty of 1885 an attempt Hall and Morrison Libraries. Whatever the was made to secure for French industry the technical reading of the terms upon which exclusive privilege of constructing any rail the books composing those libraries are held ways that might in future be decided upon in by the Committee of the City Hall there the Celestial Empire.. The attempt at that
can be no doubt whatever that the manner time failed, but if we are to believe a French in which the books are at present guarded contemporary something of the kind has been from use by the public would be extremely secured in the new treaty. The Indépen repugnant to the wishes of those responsible dance Tonkinoise, after quoting a statement for the original collection were they still from the Temps to the effect that the Com-alive to give expression to them. pagnie Fives-Lille was taking steps to submit to the Chinese Government a pro- ject for the construction of a railway from Namquan to Lungchow, goes on to say- "The Convention recently signed at Peking, "which opens to the civilising action of Europe the rich provinces of the Celestial Empire contains in article V. an important provision giving to French engineers a “right of priority over those of other na- tionalities as regards the working of mines and the construction of railways." If any such agreement has been made it is null and void ab initio, for China cannot con- cede privileges to any power without those privileges being equally applicable to Great Britain. This would follow from the most favoured nation clause of the Tientsin treaty,
"C
46
The
manner in which the City Hall Library is conducted is opposed to all on and com- mon sense and the Government would have the same justification for stepping in and putting matters on a better basis that the Charity Commissioners in England have for dealing with charitable bequests that have ceased to serve a useful purpose under the original terms on which they are held.
According to a letter from Dr. CANTLIE read at Monday's meeting the unofficial members of Council opposed the scheme of the Public Library "on the ground that "there were no readers outside the Hong- "kong Club to justify a library." If that correctly represents the position taken up the unofficial members it is only another instance of that curious want of sympathy
Anping has not been attacked yet. Panic prevails in Tainanfoo.
ANPING via AMOY, 21st October. Liu has escaped.
The troops will surrender. Auping will probably be occupied to-day.
without resistance.
AMOY, 21st October, 9.20 p.m. General Lin escaped by a junk on the 19th
He had a number of followers with him. The rebel soldiers have surrendered. The Japanese fleet is now off Anping.
inst.
AMOY, 22nd October. day. All quiet.
Anping was occupied by the Japanese yester.
LATEST DETAILS.
HONGKONG, 18th October. As already reported, the Japanese men-of-war began to leave Kelung on the 4th inst. and morning of the 10th one division of transports assembled at the Pescadores. Early on the left for Putaitsui, on the coast near Kagee, and the same afternoon the other division left for a point about twenty miles south of Takow. The sea was quite smooth and the troops of the south division effected their landing without difficulty on the 12th. That same afternoon since then this branch of the army has had only severe fighting took place with the rebels, but
skirmishes. One part of the south division landed at Tangkow, and, having forded the big stream there, was marching towards Feungshan and Chigo.
Takow was bombarded by the fleet early on the morning of the 15th. By eight o'clock the ring had ceased, it is believed because the forts unless Liu has made timely surrender before had fallen: Troops will be landed there, and this it was expected he would have a most un- pleasant experience yesterday or to-day.
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