174
The
the back of the dress circle were Knight Templar shields and more festoons of bunting. The decorations everywhere were most effective and tasteful and the committee that had charge of this important part of the work is to be congratulated on the result of its labours. A picturesque ceremonial had been arranged for the reception of the principal guests and it was most effectively carried out, except that unfortunately no public intimation had been given of the time at which the Governor would arrive, and as His Excellency was punctual to the minute, and came before the Masons had quite completed their forming up, there was a little delay, which caused a block at the door and compelled a number of the arriving guests to wait outside in their chairs, thereby disappointing many who had looked forward to seeing the arch of steel and the Masons arranged under their respective banners. members of the District Grand Lodge were formed in two lines from the main entrance to the foot of the stairway, while the right and left of the stairway were lined by the Worshipful Master (Wor. Bro. D. Macdonald) and officers of the Zetland Lodge, and, higher up, by the Knights Templar, who formed an arch of steel with their swords. From the top of the west brauch of the staircase a passage was formed through St. Andrew's Hall and to the head of St. George's Hall by two lines of Masons-members of Blue Lodges from the top of the staircase to the entrance of St. George's Hall, and from the entrance of St. George's Hall to the pedestal at the head. Royal Arch Masons and St. John's Lodge (Scottish). The distinguished guests were H.E. the Governor, H.E. Admiral Buller, C.B., and Mrs. Buller, H.E. General Wilsone Black. C.B, Past Deputy Dis trict Grand Master of Gibraltar, and Mrs. Black. and the Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart and Mrs. Lockhart. They were received at the entrance by the District Grand Master, Right Worship- ful Brother the Hon. C. P. Chater, who escorted them upstairs, preceded by the Wor: Master and Officers of Zetland Lodge and the members of the District Grand Lodge. In St. George's Hall lines were again formed by these in the same order as before and the District Grand Master and guests advanced between the lines and the ball was declared open.
Dancing commenced shortly afterwards to the excellent strains of the Rifle Brigade Band, the first set of Lancers being formed as follows: -The Right Wor. District Grand Master and Mrs. Black, H.E. the Governor and Mrs. Buller, General Black and Mrs. Stewart Lockhart, Admiral Buller and Mrs. Milward, Commo- dore Boyes and Lady Maud Warrender, Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart and Mrs. Danby, Wor, Bro. R. Cooke, D.G.S.W.. and Mrs. Boyes, and Hon. E. R. Belilios, C.M.G.. and Mrs. Cooke. The dance programme was as follows:-
Lancers... Valse
Valso
Polka
Valse
Valse
Lancers
Polka
Valse
Barn Dance
Carmen. Toreador.
Ever and Ever Mine.
Bric-a-Brac.
Dorothy. El Dorado. Round the Town.
Black and Tun. Visions d'Amour. Happy Darkies.
BUPPER DANCES.
Valse
Valse
Valse
Valse
Caledonians
Valse
Polka
Valse
Lancers
Barn Dance
Valse
Valse Galop
Suspinell.
My Sweetheart. Les Sirenues.
River of Years. Highland Home. Love's Dreamland. Return of Spring. Blue Danube. King of the Revels. The Boston Belle.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Go Baug. Cupid. ...John Peel. The call to supper was sounded by a bugle and a procession was formed, headed by the principal guests, who were seated at the table on the stage in the following order-The District Grand Master and Mrs. Buller, the Governor and Mrs. Black, Admiral Buller and Mrs. Cooke, General Black and Mrs. Boyes, Commodore Boyes and Mrs. Wise, Captain
Sterling, A.D.C., and Miss Boyes. After supper the toasts of "The Queen and Craft." H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, Most Wor- shipful Grand Master," and the Tyler's toast were duly honoured.
Dancing was then resumed and continued until well into the morning. All present appeared to thoroughly enjoy themselves and too much praise cannot be given to the members of the various committees who worked so hard to make the Masonic Jubilee Ball worthy of the
occasion.
The following is a list of the Stewards :- H.E. Bro. Sir William Robinson, K.C.M.G.; H.E. Bro. Vice-Admiral Alexander Buller, C.B.; H.E. Wor. Bro. Major-General Wilsone Black, C.B., Past D. Dist. G.M., Gibraltar; Right Wor. Bro. the Hon. C. P. Chater, Dist. G. M., Wor. Bro. E. C. Ray, D. Dist. G. M., Chairman. Wor. Brothers:
G. C. Anderson. W. M. B. Arthur. G. Caldwell. J. Christie. R. Cooke. W. Danby. S. L. Darby. A. D. Death.
E. C. Ellis. W. L. Ford. W. C. H. Hastings F. Howell.
G. P. Jordan. P. Jordan.
G. J. W. King. J. W. Kinghorn. R. K. Leigh. J. Lowrie. D. Macdonald. L. Mallory.
H. W. Robertson.
P. R. Simmonds, R.A. T. Spafford.
G. A. Watkins.
F. W. Watts. A. Woolley.
Brothers:
J. L. de S. Alves.. St. A. Baylee, R.N. H. B. Bradshaw, R.N. D. E. Brown. J. Crook.
W. A. Cruickshank.
F. W. Edwards.
A. Ewing.
C. H. Grace.
V. A. C. Hawkins.
J. Kirkwood.
H. Lee-Dillon, R.B. C. S. McKinley.
H. N. Mody.
G. Moffat.
G. K. Moore, A.P.D. G. Sayer.
[February 27, 1896.
Mr. Andrew, i.e., 3rd January, under charge of a petty mandarin of the name of Cheong. This mandarin brought with him a despatch from the Viceroy to the Prefect instructing the latter to watch Mr. Andrew's cargo and get the buyers punished, as soon as the goods were lauded, for having business dealings with him. All the piece goods merchants were warned the same evening by other passengers by the Pochi, who were apparently sent up on purpose, what the con- tents of the despatch were, with the result that all the buyers (Mr. Andrew had sold most of his cargo at a good profit) came and begged of - Mr Andrew not to disclose their names and. not to insist upon their taking delivery, as otherwise they would get into serious trouble. Mr Andrew had, fortunately for them, not given delivery of anything, nor had he been paid. Payment against delivery was to have taken place next morning, 4th January. Mr. Andrew at once called on the Prefect about the matter, but that official declined to see him. Mr: Andrew then sent a message through the Prefect's servant asking him to issue a procla- mation informing merchants that his cargo had paid all duties and that there would be no danger to them by buying the goods. The servant returned to the courtyard, where Mr. Andrew had been left, with the answer
"chielo " (go away), which he shouted out as loud as he could. Since then Mr. Andrew has seen or heard nothing of the Prefect; his case is still in the hands of Mr. Fraser and Mr. Andrew is still watching his cargo at Wuchowfu.
The other passengers by the Pochi above re- ferred to were Chow, another small mandarin, and Tung Chak Tin and Liu Kwai Seak, both W. M. Thompson, R.E. spies belonging to a hong or company calling A. Tillett.
W. J. Tutcher.
P. R. Wilson.
Bro. A. Shelton Hooper, Hon. Treasurer, Bro. E. W. Mitchell, Hon. Secretary, Genera! Committee.
The Committees were constituted as follows:- Wor. Bro. E. C. Ray, Chairman of General Committee, and Bro. E. W. Mitchell, Hon. Secretary, ex officio members of all sub-com. mittees.
Dance-Wor. Bro. H. WRobertson, Bro. Lee-Dillon, R.B., Bro. W. A. Cruickshank, and Bro. W. M. Thompson, R.E.
Supper-Wor. Bro. P. R. Simmonds, R.A., Bro. C. H. Grace.
themselves Tong Yick Tong. The Pochi re- mained at Wuchow for over a month and when she left the four passengers transferred them- selves into an old guard boat and only took their departure about a week ago. All their time at Wuchow was spent in going about from house to house impressing and intimidating merchants not to buy Mr. Andrew's cargo.
The action of the Pochia crew was duly repre- . sented by Mr. Fraser to the Viceroy, who denied it at once and said that the launch was at Wuchow to look after opium smugglers. The Viceroy has doubtless asked the Prefect to also add his denial to the proclamation, thereby inferentially condemning Mr. Andrew of telling lies.
It may
be mentioned in passing that the hong or
company styling themselves · Tong Yick Tong is composed of members of piece goods and cotton yarn hongs in Hongkong. They have a contract with the lekin authorities to collect-lekin on this class of cargo and in addition to the tariff rates they are allowed to collect from importers 10 per cent. on the amount of the lekin for their own trouble. Cargo belonging to any of their
Cloak and Card Room-Bro. the Rev. St. A. Baylee, R.N., Wor. Bro. G. Q. Anderson, Wor. Bro. J. Lowrie, and Wor. Brd. Dr. Jordan.
Invitation-Wor. Bro. W M. B. Arthur, Wor. Bro. E. C. Ellis, Wor. Bro. S. J Hanisch, Wor. Bro. F. W. Watts, Wor. Bro. Capt. W. C. H. Hastings, and Bro. Major Gown members, however, is allowed to go without K. Moore, A.P.D.
Decoration-Bro. H. B. Bradshaw, R.N., Wor. Bro. G. Caldwell, Wor! Bro. R. Cooke, Bro. J. Crook, Wor. Bro. W. Danby, Bro. A. Ewing, Bro. F. W. Edwards, Bro. F. Howell, Bro. J. Kirkwood, Wor. Bro. D. Macdonald, Bro. C. S. McKinley, Bro. G. Sayer, Wor. Bro. T. Spafford, and Bro. W. J. Tutcher.
Ceremonial-Wor. Bro. S. L. Darby, Wor. Bro. L. Mallory, Wor. Bro. Capt. P. R. Sim- mouds, Wor. Bro. S. J. Hanisch, and Wor. Bro. G. Caldwell.
MR. ANDREW'S CASE AT WOCHOWFU.
We are now in receipt of further particulars concerning the illegal stoppage of the sale of a cargo of foreign goods taken to Wuchow by Mr. John Andrew under transit pass. Below will be found a translation of a proclamation issued by the Prefect of Wuchow on the 17th February, although it is dated the day before.. This interesting document first refers to the mat- ter of a steamer coming to Wuchow from Canton and says she did not come up on Mr. Andrew's business but about something else. The facts of the case, which were, at the time represented to Mr. Consul Fraser at Canton, are these. The steamer referred to is the small Chinese gunboat Pochi, which arrived at Wuchow two days after
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the extra squeeze and they are thereby getting a monopoly of the trade. They are immensely disliked throughout the Kwangtung Province and anything that would lead to the destruction of the combination would be bailed with delight. This company has espionage on every Canton steamer and to them Mr. Andrew is indebted for the attention of the Viceroy being called to his cargo.
But to return. The proclamation goes on to say that Chinese merchants are allowed to trade with Mr. Andrew. but as soon as the cargo passes into native bands it will be taxed with lekin and duty again: This of course places Mr. Andrew in a worse position than before, as no merchant would buy cargo from him on those terms. The amount they would have to pay is not stated, and the wording in the original is ambiguous, the characters used being open to a translation which would represent the mer- chants as being liable to punishment in other ways for having cargo sold by Mr. Andrew in their possession. All the merchants decline to buy the goods now on any terms.
What Mr. Andrew has claimed all along is that having paid for and received a transit pass to take his goods to Wuchow he is entitled to get them landed free of all taxes and placed in exactly the same position as similar goods pro- ceeding via the barriers and paying the local taxes. Any inland tax after that which applies
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