202
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
merchandise and passengers. The Commis- sioner of Chinkiang declined to receive Cap. tain Paton of the steamer Sunfokien, and on the captain writing to demand from the Commissioner the reason of his detention he was completely ignored. Mr. Bennertz at once went to Chinkiaug, and saw the British | Consul, who gave Mr. Bennertz to understand that, considering the matter was political, it would be the best and wisest course to let the British Consul in Shanghai deal with it, as it might have to be referred to the British Minis- ter at Peking.
to Changsha, Hsiangyin, Linghsiang, and Yoohou, and those inhabiting the borders of the Imperial courier route, for you must be aware that the telegraph line is now univers sally used in every province of this Empire, and the unanimous opinion is that it gives advantage to the users thereof, but possesses no harmful propensities. Indeed, there is no necessity to ask this question, for the proof is clear enough. Moreover, the line in Hunan will pass over only Imperial highways and courier routes, the care of which will be deputed to the chief representatives of the gentry of each district and hence will interfere in no way with the fields, ancestral graves, and houses of the common people nor will it harm them in Furthermore, the poles, material, any way. and labour are to be supplied by the natives of each district through the agency of each chief representative of the gentry of the said districts, and lastly, after the work is done, the care of the line will still be in the hands of the gentry and local watchmen engaged on the spot. As it will not be productive of harm to the people, but on the contrary benefit them, the advantage of the line will be greater to Hu. nan that it has been to other provinces. It will be of great use to government business and will benefit business men in their pursuit after again. As I, the Governor, love and try to protect my people, no day passes by but I am thinking of some way to benefit them.
The scheme bas been carefully deliberated over by the authorities and the gentry, and every possible event provided for, hence I certain it will be productive of no hurt to my people. I, therefore, exhort the inhabitants of Huuan, far and near, to pay no attention to any malicious rumours that may be circulated against the telegraph. If, however, there be restless and rowdyish persons found circulating harmful rumours for their own interested mo- tives with the object of obstructing the work, they will be making themselves amenable to the law, and I shall instruct the magistrates of each district to search for and arrest the law- breakers, who will be most severely punished without mercy.-N. C. Daily News.
MESSRS. BENNERTZ AND CO.'S STEAMERS.
am
Messrs. Bennertz & Co. have supplied the Shanghai Mercury with the following informa-
tion:-
Messrs Bennertz & Co. chartered the four steamers, Ningchow, Woning, Sunfokien, and Kiangning and found that on taking them over they wanted a lot of repairing and shipping gear. The repairs and shipping gear supplied by them amounted to fully Tls. 25,000, and having paid charter money, in advance, Messrs. Bennertz & Co. asked the representative of the Nanking Government here to pay the various items, which he delayed to do from week to week. Messrs. H. Bennertz & Co. repeatedly wired to Viceroy Lin at Nanking of the bad condition of the steamers Woning and Ningchow, for they required extensive repairs, to which he paid no attention, and the representative here conld not do anything.
As matters stand, the claim is daily increas- ing, not only by reason of loss of business, but on account of the pay of the crew of four steamers, which amounts to over $1,000 per day.
FOOCHOW.
[September 10, 1896.
ition.
no doubt to the prompt and decisive Dr. Rigg in getting his Consul to rouserup officials to the gravity of the sit if not nipped in the bud, will lead t important complications Governments. Thanks should be accorded Dr. Rigg for his promptitude and foresig] seeking to quench the spark before it developed. into full flame.
with the
THE PLACARD.
The following is the placard referred to :- "All foreign devils' (yang-que-tse) in this place are cruel. Their breasts are filled with evil towards us. We are, therefore, compelled to meet together on the 16th inst., and every house must send out a man with instruments ready to pull down foreigners' houŝes. --
A correspondent writes, under date the 19th China Gazette. August
On Saturday last a telegram was received here stating that the city of Kienningfu had been placarded, fixing the date Monday, the 24th inst., to burn down missionary properties and massacre all foreigners found there. At present Dr. Rigg is the only foreigner there.
On receipt of this telegram Archdeacon Wolfe at once took steps to secure a telegram
the sent by
Chinese being
officials to the Futai and other Chinese officials there to protect the Christians and properties, adding at the same time that they will be held respon- sible if any injury was done.
We are informed that troops have been sent from here and we hope that by this prompt action all uprisings will be frustrated.
There is another trouble in Longong, where the preacher of the English mission has been arrested and beaten by the official runners there. The Revs. Mr. Banister, L. H. Star, J. Martin, and Light left for the scene of the trouble in Messrs. Paul Pettick & Co.'s houseboat on Wednesday last.---N. C. Daily News.
28th August.
Since writing you per last mail, a messenger, sent by Dr. J. Rigg to Kien-ning-fa, arrived here that was on Sunday last-with letters to Archdeacon Wolfe, and as the latter venerable gentleman is up at Kuliang (the summer sani- tarium) the messenger at once started for that place.
I had an interview with this messenger, who informed me that there was a case of assault on one of the Christians. in which Dr. Rigg pressed the mandarins to exercise justice, but, as this was not forthcoming, the only recourse for Dr. Rigg was to apply to his Consul for help. This he did and we hope that the foreign Consuls will be able to enforce justice to Chris-
tians at least.
It is now undoubtedly made plain that the Kucheng tragedy has been treated by the various foreign Governments with too much leniency, and instead of the native officials con- cerned being degraded, promotion has followed their share in that terrible business. Stimulated by this, the Chinese officials here have shown a marked stubbornness in all matters connected with the foreign Consuls.
The delay or putting off urgent cases of trials and arrests is most conspicuous of late and if the foreign Governments will not put a stop to this sort of thing, foreigners will soon lose their prestige and the mercantile com munity will have to abandon its commercial pursuits.
!
I enclose a copy of the placard posted at Kien-ning-fu, as I wrote you last, and shall be glad if you will have it translated and quoted in your valuable columns, so that the readers of your widely circulated paper will get an insight into the feelings of the locality since that memorable day, 1st August, 1895, when the Whasang massacre was perpetrated.
The Woning in consequence broke down on her trip to Hankow some time in July, and they then wired to the Viceroy that unless repairs were attended to at once nothing could be done. The result. was that the steamer is still lying in the barbour with her machinery broken. The claim for towage, reshipping, etc., amounted to a thousand taels. When Messrs. Bennertz & Co. found that they were unable to get satisfaction they decided to act for the interest of the firm and creditors, and sent the Ningchow to Hongkong, where she is now attached. In consequence of this action, to which, according to their charter agree- ment, Messrs. Bennertz & Co. are fully entitled, the Chinese authorities, thinking that they detected in their action some breach of contract, sent telegraphic instructions to the various Custom's Commissioners, before advis- ing the Consul, to seize the steamers wherever they were; therefore the Commissioner of Cus- toms at Shanghai stopped the clearance of the Kiangnisg on the 21st ultimo, and the Com-the streets. missioner at Chinkiang stopped the steamer Monday last, was the date fixed for the Sunfokica on the 29th ultimo, whilst the latter uprising in Kien-ning-fu, but so far no news was procceding down river with a full cargo of | has arrived to confirm this threat, which is due
Signed by All the People of this place" [no place is really mentioned]
PEKING.
21st August.
The Chinese-American scheme which H.E. Chang Yin-huan and Dr. Yung Wing were supporting has fallen to the ground; it is reported, by reason of the want of funds. The necessary capital was to have been raised in the United States; the parties were confident of success, but it is reported that no success has attended their efforts. There are such advantageous openings we presume for the use- of money within the Union itself that there appears to be no great anxiety to invest in foreign stocks, railways, banks, and such like. China has yet to wait, it would seem, for her National Bank.
It was reported some time ago that Mr. Hsü, of Canton, was dead. It appears that this-in- formation was not well founded. We are now given to believe that he is still alive and that he has proceeded to the West-England, it is said, to raise the necessary capital for the construction of this long talked-of railway. Shortly after the appearance of the edict regarding the said railway in which Mr. Hsu's name appears first on the list of the four petitioners, their number has since become greatly augmented. He wired to the Military Board that he had already raised three-quarters of the amount required, viz., ten millions, and that by the fifth moon he would have collected the remainder and come to Peking. Ho was told to proceed to Hankow to see the Viceroy there, so as to prevent delay. A certain person with whom he had entered into a preliminary agreement at Shanghai- having failed to raise the necessary funds either in California among Hsü's compatriots, and being equally unsuccessful further East, there was apparently nothing for it but for Hsu to We are glad to learn, bow- become defunct. ever, that he is still to the fore and still lives and breathes the vital air. We learned lately that Sheng Taotai had been appointed Director of the Railway by the Hukuang Viceroy. This seemed to follow as a matter of course from his purchase of the Hanyang Iron Works other wise if the railway did not utilise his output, he would have a white elephant on his hands and the Viceroy would have no hope of re- ceiving the second million taels which was con- ditional upon the works proving a success. The appointment was, however, authoritatively denied, but since then we have learned on un- impeachable anthority that it is really so. a good man for the post, so far as his abilities go. As far as offices are concerned he is a great pluralist. The Hankow railway is not settled, as far as its construction is concerned.
Heis
vet
Speaking of railways, it is worth mentioning that the Peking station of the line to Tientsin is not to be at the so-called Marco Polo's Bridge (Lukuoch'iao) nor, as later determined upon, at the The people, stimulated by the overt encour- Kantai, still a few miles distant from agement and acts of the Chinese officials allcapital, but is actually to come up close to one over this province, are showing increasing the south-western gates of the souther hostile feelings towards foreigners, especially For this change we must all feel devoutly in the districts of Kucheng, Lo Ngong, Hook ful. The late rains have carried away Chiang, and Kien-ning-fu-where foreigners newly formed earthworks of the line, bu are now constantly hooted when passing through presentation will be made to the Thi
Judge Hu, so that the deficiency caused e refunded. pairs, say Tls. 20,000, will be works had passed out of the hands of the con- tractors. We are always having rumours of the
by
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