able to afford. But Chinamen ignorant or imperfectly educated in their own language will be able to exercise much less influence on their fellow countrymen, either in this colony or the neighbouring empire, than they would otherwise be. On that ground we believe the abolition of the Chinese School in Queen's College and the reversal of the policy of the late Dr. STEWART to be mistake. H.E. WU TING-FANG when a resident of Hongkong favoured the policy which has now been adopted under the Governor's directions in Queen's College, but we think Mr. WU TING-FANG himself, as well as the Hon. Ho KAI, who holds similar views, may be taken as a striking example of the advantage of possessing an education in both languages. Neither of those eminent men would have been able to exercise a tithe of the influence they do. had they received an exclusively English education.
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PHILIPPINES.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[January 28,
might otherwise lead to reform or expend | interior of Kwangtung itself in harmless talk is liable at any time to make itself acquain to break out into open rebellion. Something previons despatch from of the same mutinous spirit would no doubt with regard to inward pa
provinces, and to issue a proc be engendered in India were an attempting the sense thereof for the in? made to suppress the Congress or the native public. Mr. Fraser further ask press, both of which, under existing circum-District Magistrate be directed to act in stances, serve a useful purpose as effective formity therewith. safety valves.
SUPREME COURT.
19th January,
CRIMINAL SESSIONS.
BEFORE SIR JOHN CARRINGTON (CHIEF JUSTICE.)
THE TRAFFIC IN GIRLS. Chan Wun was indicted upon two counts under the Woman's and Girls Protection Or dinance for purchasing and taking in pledge a girl named Young Chun Yan for the purpose of prostitution on the 12th May; 1895.
The Attorney-General, Hon. W. M. Good man, instructed by the Crown Solicitor, Mr. Dennys, appeared to conduct the case for the prosecution, and Mr. Francis, Q.C., instructed by Mr. Master, appeared for the defence.
The jurors were-Messrs. A. Rodger, E. F. Mackay, Smith Alliston, S. 8. Benjamin, J. T. Aquino, B. K. Mehta, and L. M. H. Ozorio.
His Excellency, in forwarding thi com munication, observes that the despatch from the Taungli Yamen referred to quoted the 7th Tariff Rule annexed to the Treaty of Tientsin, which runs sa follows *-*-*-*-*-
Duty free goods, with the exception o the three classes gold and silver bullion,
coins and baggage, which need not be
will, if taken into the interior, be liable to an ad valorem dúty of 24 per cent. over when merchandise is taken interior the merchant concerned notice to the Customs of the natur quantity of the goods, the ship from have been landed and their inland The Collector of Customs will then, on due in- spection made and on receipt of the inland duty payable, issue an inland duty certificate. The merchant must produce this certificate at every barrier en route that it may be viséd the goods allowed to pass. No matter at point no further duty will be leviable upon goods so certificated."
It then went on to point out that the inland half duty was in fact a commutation of the likin liable in transit, that the exhibition of The complainant in the case stated that she the transit certificate to be viséd at the destina- was fourteen years old according to Chinese tion mentioned therein of course freed the pro- computation and that the defendant purchased dace it covered from all other charges; but her for $280 in May, 1895, and afterwards pom-that, after such produce had been separated from the pass, the likin regulation applied to pelled her to act as a prostitute.
the former equally with uncertificated goods.
The Chief Justice in charging the jury pointed out that the mere fact that the deed of sale purported to show that the girl was to be come an adopted daughter was not enough to prove that the sale was a lawful one, as if this were to be accepted the Ordinance. would be- come a dead letter.
The jury unanimously found the prisoner guilty on the first count of purchasing for the purpose of prostitution and she was sentenced to eighteen months' hard labour.
The Attorney-General entered a nolla prosequi with reference to a second information against the same prisoner in which she was charged with procuring the same girl while under the age of sixteen to have carnal connexion.
When the prisoner was removed from the Court House considerable excitement took place amongst a crowd of sympathisers who had collected in the Queen's Road.
Reinforcements for the Spanish troops in the Philippines are now pouring into Manila at a rapid rate, no fewer than ten thousand having passed through: Singapore within a period of a few days. The total Spanish force in the islands must now amount to nearly twenty-five thousand, and with an army of that strength in the field the subjugation of the rebellion in the province of Cavite ought not to take long. That peace may soon be
For the defence it was contended that the restored must be the wish of every intelli-girl had been purchased for the purpose of being gent observer, coupled with the further wish adopted as a daughter, and a presentation note that the causes that led to the rebellion may stating that this was the purpose for which she be removed. Whatever sympathy may have had been sold was relied upon. been felt for the rebels has arisen only from the feeling that they have been sadly misgoverned, but it cannot have amounted to a wish for their success, for any government that the rebels might establish would inevitably, having regard to the condition of the country, be worse than the one it would displace. Mr. O'SHEA, the special correspondent of a New York paper and of the China Gazette, has recently published a number of interesting letters on the progress of the rebellion and the condition of the country, and, though we think we are correct in saying that his leanings are towards the clerical or ruling party, he has nevertheless been constrained to admit the existence of very grave abuses. People in China, he says, complain of the restrictions and annoyances of doing business where the Chinese authorities have to be dealt with; "but they know nothing "of Manila, or they would not complain. The wonder is, not that the "trade of this magnificent country is dis- gracefully small after nearly four hundred years of Spanish administration, but that any exists at all." Further, he tells us that the country for downright lying on every side beats even China; and that the Church dignitaries are a power in the land equal if not superior to the Governor-General and the entire official hierarchy. He also, when speaking of the "patient, fostering,
and not unduly harsh rule ””
of Spain, adds that "it is not to our minds the wisest or best rule and is prolific of the most exasperating annoyances and fruitful of scandalous abuses." These exasperating annoyances and scandalous abuses have pro- duced lamentable consequences and Spain would do well to lay the lesson to heart. One of the most exasperating annoyances is the restriction placed on the liberty of the press, so that the natives are debarred from ven- tilating their grievances in a constitutional way t
€6
"
i
the result being that discontent that
|
The Yamen therefore called attention to the
necessity of preventing further difficulties by notifying the mercantile class and the public generally by proclamation, and requested His Excellency the Governor-General to Instruct his subordinates to issue a fresh proclamation, plainly setting forth the Treaty provisions, for the information and guidance of both Chinese and foreign merchants.
Acting on this despatch His Excellency wrote to His Excellency the Governor and gave this office instructions in the sense indicated.
Being now in receipt of such instructions it is the duty of this office to issue this proclama- tion. It is at the same time transmitting to the various local authorities and every likin station the requisite directions to carry out the orders received.
Be it therefore known to you merchants and the general public, Chinese and foreign, that ao- cording to the clear provisions of the Treaty foreign produce, imported under half duty cer. tificate to no matter what points in the interior, shall, on production and examination of its covering pass in transit, be exempt from all THE TRANSIT PASS QUESTION IN additional charges. When the goods shall have arrived at the point mentioned in the certificate and ceased to be under the protection of the pass, the charge levied thereon shall not differ in the slightest degree from those levied on goods of a similar nature which have paid likin en route. This proclamation is published with a view to further trade by a clear enunciation of Treaty stipulations.
KWANGTUNG..
The following translation of a proclamation of the Kwangtung Likin Office with regard to inward Transit passes has been forwarded to us from the Colonial Secretary's Office :-
Chang, Financial Commissioner for the Pro- vince of Kwangtung; K'uei, decorated with a button of the second class, Judicial Commis. sioner for the Province of Kwangtung; Ying, decorated with a button of the second class, Salt Comptroller of the two Kwangs; Yen, holding brevet rank of the second class, Grain Intendant for the province of Kwang. tung; Chang, holding brevet rank of the third class, an expectant Intendant of Cir- constitute the Central Likin office for the ouit on the Kwangtung establishment, who whole province of Kwangtung, do hereby issue the following proclamation for the public in formation.
His Excellenoy Tan, Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, and Governor-General of the two Kwangs, has transmitted to this office copy of a communication addressed to His Excellenor by Mr. E. H. Fraser, Acting British Consul for the port of Canton.
The Acting Consul therein requests that, as British merchants are at present conveying foreign produce under transit pass i
into the
You merebants and people concerned ought, therefore, each and all of you to act in con- formity therewith.
of
Do not wantonly 'orsate complications, Issued in the 12th moon of the XXII.
Kangsü. Received January the 16th, 1897
Translated by
(Signed) JW. JAMIESON.
said to have
The jinriaksha strike at Singapor has col lapsed. The whole - originated from the vehicles licensed being quence of that
reduced profits to such a owners were unable ments of the law as
expense. In that resp
better in foences issued here being
dred
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