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immense trade in the hands of Indian mer- chants and enriching only them, viz., the opium trade? Let India contribute her share to the cost of maintaining the garrisons of Singapore and Hongkong and the China squadron, or, better still, hand over the ad- ministration and defence of these places and of Chusan to the Indian Government entirely; it would be only justice to the British taxpayer and the administration of them would be better managed.
OLD NAVAL RESERVE MAN. Hongkong 23rd April, 1896.
CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES AND POLITICAL INFLUENCE.
*S
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS."
Sir-Considering the active part the Catholic missionaries are taking in politics all over the world, but particularly in the Far East, where, as elsewhere, their influence is used for the spread and strengthening of the power of France to the detriment of Great Britian and her colonies, don't you think it high time the Pope was informed that he had better put a check on the political activity of his agents. It is an established maxim in law that the principal is responsible for the acts of his agents and the gentleman at Rome might well be reminded that if he does not wish to be shorn of what little temporal power he has left he had better bestir himself to stop the Catholic missionaries from meddling in politics.-Yours truly,
Hongkong, 23rd April, 1896.
THE APPOINTMENT TO THE PEKING LEGATION.
AGNOSTIC.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS.'
$1
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
gratitude than they do for the privileges they enjoy, here and elsewhere, to the nation without which they would be in-Germany; but it is our boast that we give everybody a fair field and no favour and if “Humbug" was as fond of reading the newspapers as of writing to them he would have seen that in type not so very long ago.-Yours faithfully,
ANTI-HUMBUG.
Hongkong, 23rd April, 1896.
TIENTSIN.
We still, of
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Tientsin, 13th April Tientsin has, since the exit of Li Hung-chang from the metropolitan vice-regality, become much less of a political centre. We are no longer the spot in the stream from which the current and back eddies of high Chinese policy or no policy can be viewed, but have fallen into the minor prominence of a first class outport and a booming trade centre. course, get the echoes of the diplomatic world in Peking and are as quick as ever in inter- cepting the eavesdroppings of the Yamen, but we are no longer the fons et origo of novelty in the world of politics, syndicates, merchant adventures, and fads. Peking is now the happy hunting ground of all who come North to re- generate China and pick up a living for them selves in the process.
Our new Viceroy keeps strictly to the duties of his office, is difficult of access to cranks and to the curious, and eschews as far as he can those greater questions of foreign policy which were the chief business of his predecessor. I may mention, though, that he is alive to the essential needs of his satrapy, and that he re- cently memorialized the throne for the modest sum of thirty millions of taels (Tls. 30,000,000) Sir, Having read with interest Mr. Henry wherewith to purchase a new navy and reor- Norman's remarks as to "How British Diplo-ganize northern defence. I need not add that matists are Appointed "it has occurred to me, His Excellency has not got the money and though agreeing with most of his ideas, but is not likely to. He is, however, keeping disagreeing with him about the appointment at all his predecessor's educational experiments Peking, that perhaps he may be retained on in full swing, and is especially interested behalf of some unknown celebrity whose claims in the naval and military academies. That have been overlooked in the filling of this post. the Chinese really contemplate another If so, who is it?
The British mercantile community in China do not seem to hold the same views in the matter 88 Mr. Henry Norman, for we hear of Mr. Campbell, their spokesman in Shanghai, declar- ing how delighted they were to find that the man appointed had no previous connection with Peking and that he could neither speak Chinese nor was likely to feel a great desire to study that language.
Hongkong, 23rd April, 1896.
ALTRUISM.
QUERY.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS. SIB, Pray allow me a small space in your valuable paper to make the following sugges- tions: That every Britisher landing in the colony of Hongkong be charged a capitation tax of $100, the proceeds to go towards the formation of a pension fund for Portuguese and others in British Government employ, and to provide Germans and other aliens with a free house, a cook, boy, and perhaps an amah or two, upon landing on our glorious British soil. For where the British flag flies is freedom for all except Britishers-and everybody is at liberty to help himself to anything he pleases and to do as he likes. In time of war I would suggest an extra regiment to guard the interests of our German friends, so that each might be furnished with a warrior or two to guard his property and his sacred person. Good old British Lion! What a home of refuge is his lair for all the beasts of the forest, yet how little they thank him for his magnanimity. Yours truly,
Canton, 23rd April, 1896.
EGOIST.
$1
TO THE EDITOR OF THE ** DAILY PRESS Sir, Referring to the letter which appeared in your issue of yesterday's date, it is all humbug to give either the Germans or others privileges and then carp at them for taking full advantage of such privileges. It is very true that they might easily show a little more
navy is seen by the fact that two training ships are now being fitted up for cadets, and that new officers are being engaged in England for their instruction.
A
Hongkong may be interested to know that Sheng Taotai's great educational experiment is proceeding apace. Thanks to Mr. C. D. Tenney, the able chief, and to Sheng's wisdom and courage in giving him full power, the Tien- tsin University is doing well and is passing through a more than vigorous infancy. Mr. Ten ney recruited the best part of his staff and most of the pupils in his Upper School in Hongkong last autumn. It is supposed that this was not quite palatable to Sheng, and that now when the time has come for another big admission the latter wants his co-provincials, the Chekian-
to have a good show. gese,
Shong, I may say en passant, is as firmly in Feline tenacity of life is the saddle as ever. not comparable to his he has been threatened with final extinction at least a dozen times during the past two years, but has triumphantly ridden out the censorial storms. Say what they like about him, he is a long-headed astute fellow. There is a great boom in Tientsin local trade, though just at the moment circumstances do not seem to justify it. New hongs and new comers are the order of the day, so much so that two additional doctors (one French, the other German) have settled among us. The old established firms do not contemplate a great Very little sycee went up to year this season. the plateau during the winter, and this means that little produce will come down. Much of the Tientsin wool comes from those parts of Kansuh and Koko-nor where the Mahommedan rebellion was raging last year, and which is probably again raging now. Political distur- bance and its consequent anarchy have para- lysed trade in those districts.
A curious new trade is being established in Tientsin by an enterprising American firm, viz., the viscera of slaughtered sheep and pigs. The unsavoury entrails are packed and sent off to the States as the raw material for the gut and cognate manufactures.
Sir Robert Hart's suggestions for a National
[April 29, 1896.
Post Office, repeated constantly during the last twelve years, have at last met with a practical issue. The high Chinese authorities have for some time been making pertinent enquiries as to present outlay and prospective profit and have now intimated their wish to establish a Post Office under the I.G.'s auspices. This will be even a more Hereulean task than his (hitherto) life's work. Sir Robert "will of course make indefinite use of his existing staff in such a departure. This alone will make it a welcome innovation, for the shocking state of the tael and the stagnation in promotion, leave taking, &c., have reduced the once landed Customs service to a very second rate affair in the of livelihood.
way
*
Sir Robert is, by the way, expected here shortly en route for a trip among the outports. If I mistake not, this is his first absence. from the capital in ten years.
Tientsin also loses its Commissioner this week, as Mr. Detring leaves for a two years' run home. The local Chamber of Commerce honoured him and his family by a conversazione last week in Gordon Hall; the whole commu- nity was present. During his seventeen years of office the Haikwan revenue has risen from Tls. 317,000 to Tls. 752,000. As Mr. Detring had also occupied a prominent position in our municipal and sporting life, the community rose as one man to express its appreciation.
now also leaves us
He is replaced at the receipt of customs by Mr. F. Aglen, a popular gentleman, whose rise in the service has been phenomenal. Mr. Aglen was here two years ago as a 3▲ Assistant and now reappears as Deputy Commissioner. Mr. Aglen has done yeoman's work as confidential secretary to his chief during the last two years. The German concession is an accomplished fact, thanks to Baron von Seckendorf, who almost right on for a mile from the south end on furlough. It extends of the British concession, and covers an area of 1,034 mow (about 160 acres). The American Consular authorities have withdrawn their sleeping claim on the northern section of the new settlement. Chinese are to be admitted as residents, but will probably be confined to one part of the concession. The Chinese officials were eager in this claim, as they greatly ap- preciated the protection which the French settlement afforded last year in war time. The chief difficulty they create is in the way of sani tation; they are not allowed to reside in the British concession both on this ground and on the more effective one of want of space. We hope to memorialize the incoming Minister on this latter subject this week.
The Pei-ho is exhibiting exceptionally bad · eccentricities this spring: it has silted up and steamers only come as far as Tong-ku.
HONGKONG.
Unfortunately the plague shows no signs of decreasing, but maintains an average of about ten cases a day. Up to yesterday the total number for the year was 621. The stranding of the steamer Exe near Hongkong was the subject of an inquiry at the Marine Court on the 22nd inst., and the Court found that the master had not navigated the vessel with due care, but his certificate was not dealt with. On Thursday the Sanitary Board met, and on Sa- turday His Excellency the Governor destributed the prizes to the successful scholars attending the Victoria English Schools. On Saturday evening a smoking concert was held at the Victoria Recreation Club and during a break in the entertainment Mr. E. D. Sanders, the honorary secretary of the club, was presented with a gold watch by the Colonial Secretary on behalf of the members. On Monday afternoon His Excellency the Governor delivered a most interesting lecture at the Odd Volumes Society's Irish wit and humour and American and other comparisons therewith."
There were 2,023 visitors to the City Hall Museum last week, of whom 181 were Europeans. Rules framed under the recently passed Suitors' Funds Ordinance are published in Saturday's Gazette.
room on
There were seven cases of plague on the 22nd, eleven on the 23rd, sixteen on the 24th, fifteen on the 25th, two on the 26th, and ten on the 27th,
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