April 22, 1897.1
THE SHANGHAI VOLUNTEER CORPS AND THE DIAMOND -
JUBILEE
The following letter from the Commandant was read at the last meeting of the Shanghai Municipal Council and ordered to be published: Shanghai Volunteer Corps,
Head-Quarters, Shanghai, 3rd April, 1897. Sir, I have honour to inform you that Lieut. Porter and three members of the Light Horse will be in England at the time of the Jubilee, and it has been suggested that they should take part in the processions on that occasion and re- present the Shanghai Volunteer Corps. This Corps, though not directly under the British Government, is largely composed of British sub- jects, and is annually inspected by an officer of the Hongkong garrison. The British Consul General has expressed bis willingness to for- ward an application that the Corps may be re- presented should this proposal meet with the ap- proval of the Council.-I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
DONALD MACKENZIE,
Commanding S.V.C. E. A. Probst, Esq., Chairman of Council.
Permission to this effect was granted and it was decided to write to H.B.M.'s Consul-General and request that an official application for such permission be forwarded to the proper military authorities.
THE SHANGHAI VOLUNTEER
CORPS..
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
during the inspection of the Shanghai Volun- teer Corps, he having appeared in "undress", uniform, the China Gazette mentions that Major Mackenzie was duly informed by Col. Gordon, prior to the inspection, that he was unable to be present in full dress, as his outfit was damaged together with his cocked hat on the voyage from Hongkong.
MACAO.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Macao, 16th April.
I am sorry to say that during the past week a few cases of bubonic plague have occurred in different districts of this city. The disease is believed to have originated in the Italian Con- vent, where most of the cases have occurred. Yesterday the: Convent was closed and all the nuns and children were removed to Green Island.
Though the state of the public health is becoming serious the authorities are allowing the corpse of a man who died on the 30th ultimo to be kept in a Chinesel house. It is said the coffin is well sealed, but there is always the possibility of contamination of the air, and in the public welfare I hope the authorities will direct that the funeral should take place as soon as possible. It should be known that in a lane about a hundred feet from the house where this body is lying some cases of plague have occurred and it is at least as likely that the disease should have originated there as in the Convent.
:
The Government should make it a rule, applicable to Chinese, as well as others, that when a death occurs the body must be buried within twenty-four hours. To allow dead bodies to be retained in houses for indefinite periods extending over many days, and this at a time when a serious epidemic is threatening the colony, can only be described as stupid: These remarks apply to the keeping of bodies in the Chinese hospital as well as in private houses.
►
The American steam riding gallery opens here to-morrow.
HONGKONG,
The Hongkong Rifle Association held its annual meeting on Good Friday, Saturday, and Monday and the shooting was on the whole very good. On Tuesday the Hongkong Branch of the China Association presented Sin Clande Mac Donald, British Minister to Peking, with an address of congratulation. Sir Clande is making a tour of the various ports and it is generally hoped that the tour will be an annual one. A general meeting of shareholders in the Punjom Mining Company, Limited, was held on Tuesday for the purpose of discussing the best means to raise additional capital
;
315
Telegraphic communication with Macao is again interrupted.
The Right Rev. L. M. Piazzoli begs to acknowledge with thanks the following dona- tions for the Home of the Aged and Infirm
Dorabjee Nowrojee
$20 From Friends
18 I. P. Madar V. G.
A. Soares R. M.-M.
$55
A servant boy employed at the Officers' mess of the West Yorkshire Regiment was charged at the Police Court on the 15th April with stealing a piece of cake of the value of ten dents. During tiffin on the previous day the defendant cut off a slice of cake and hid it under a table napkin, so that he could quietly munch it when disengaged, but unfortunately for him the theft was discovered and he was handed over to the police. He was sent to goal for seven days with hard labour.
Andrew Clark, a cook on the British ship Brunal, was fined $5 on Monday for being drunk and incapable. But this was not his only punishment. While in the drunken condition he fell into the harbour and if it had been for the plucky behaviour of a petty officer named Albert George Harn, who is attached to the Kowloon torpedo depot, the man would have been drowned. Harn jumped into the water and succeeded in buoying up the drunken man until the police arrived.
At six o'clock on the morning of the 14th April a lukong saw the body, of a man float ing in the water about 200 yards east of No. 2 Police Station. He called Inspector Maun, who succeeded in getting the body to the shore and he identified it as that of George Hubbard, whose age is 46. The deceased had been in the army and for ten years was employed as storekeeper at the Naval Dockyard, but for the last twelve months he had been out of employ ment and it is supposed that this misfortune unhinged the poor man's mind.
Two youngsters broke open show case in Wanchai a few days ago and stole two gold watches and two gold rings. One of the watches was valued at $20 and the thieves sold it for $2.10, while a ring, which was worth $6,7 was sold to a woman for 25 cents and the other for, 15 cents. The police arrested the boys and also charged the woman with unlawfully. receiving the ring. On the 15th April the boys. were ordered to receive six strokes with the birch- rod and the woman was ordered to find security for her future good behaviour.
On the 13th April ¡the steamship Germana, which has been built by Messrs. Fenwick and Co., Limited, went for a trial trip in the har- bour. The boat is 115 feet by 18 feet by 7 ft. 6 in., the cylinders are of a diameter of 13 in. and 26 in.; the boiler is of steel, working at a pressure of a 1001bs. to the square inch, the.. test being 2001bs.; and the tonnage is 136.76 gross. She is intended for the Philippines and there is accommodation for a few European passengers, with every equipment for a cargo vessel. The trial was most satisfactory, the speed attained being 10 knots an hour.
The annual inspection of the Shanghai Volunteer Corps took place on the 10th April, the inspecting officer being Colonel Gordon. After the Inspection, Colonel, Gordon took up his place near the saluting point, and the Corps being drawn up to form three sides of a square, he gave a brief address. He said it was no doubt a great disappointment to them that. General Black had been unable to come up to inspect them, but their loss was his (Colonel Gordon's) gain, as it had given him the pleasure of that afternoon. He had been a good deal with Volunteers, and had done his five years at home as an Adjustant to a corps, but he had never seen such a unique corps as the one before him, including as it did Cavalry, or Light Horse, Artillery, and Infantry, The riding and marching of the Light Horse struck him as very good indeed, but it was doubtful to him whether a body of some twenty-eight or thirty would not be better as mounted infantry; but perhaps that question had been considered and -settled some time ago. The Artillery march past was very good indeed-excellent. Again he was rather doubtful whether the China pony would stand a long field-day in deep ground with nine-pounder Armstrongs. It struck him that the screw gun would be far more service- able, and the China pony used as a mule litter. The ponies, in fact, at present seemed to be over-weighted; the gun itself was heavy, the shafts were heavy, everything was heavy. However, what the Artillery had had to do was very well done indeed. The Infantry marched past capitally-the German Company parti-
A meeting of the Jubilee Permanent Memo. eularly, and, of course, he knew how that was
The maximum temperature last month was rial Sub-Committee was held in the Board Room accounted for. The weather had no doubt 82.1, on the 31st, and the minimum 54.7, on the of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank on the interfered with the training; but when he 2nd, the mean for the month being 63.3. The 15th April at which the report to be submitted was speaking they did not expect bim rainfall amounted to 0.815 in. The period of to the general committee was adopted. The to do nothing b but eulogise them. He sunshine amounted to 71.7 hours; there were report states that." In accordance with the thought there was a lack of what he ten days when no sunshine was recorded. resolutions passed at a meeting of the Com might call tightness. The fours did not On the 13th April Police Constable Morri-mittee appointed by His Excellency the quite dress when marching; the Captains did son died in the Government Civil Hospital from Governor to make arrangements for the not ensure that every man heard the order and enteric fever. The deceased, who was formerly celebration of the completion of the 60th year worked with it, and little things like that in the Metropolitan Police, joined the Hong-of the reign of Her Majesty the Queen, the spoiled the drill. The manual exercise was not kong force only three years ago and his early Sub-Committee have considered the proposals as good as it might have been, but of course death is much regrestted by all his comrades. for a permanent memorial referred to them for that was a detail, and he knew that during the He was buried at the Happy Valley the follow-consideration and now beg to submit their report. Last week when they would have been perfecting ing afternoon and every available man in the
emselves they had been more usefully em- force attended the funeral."
He had heard of the way in which the Corps had turned out, and it was very creditable. He thought there should be no difficulty in increasing the Corps to double its present numbers, and Shanghai generally was to be congratulated upon the possession of such a force.
Criticisms having been made by several resi- dents regarding the dress worn by Col. Gordon
The death rate last month was, for the British and Foreign community, civil popula- tion, 12, and for the Chinese community 18.5.
The Criminal Sessions were opened on Tues- day. These was only one case-a charge of forgery-for trial, and this was adjourned until Thursday.
Mr. H. E. Wodehouse, C.M.G., Police Magis- trate, returned to the colony on Friday by the P. and O. steamer Coromandel and he resumed his duties at the Magistracy on Saturday morning. Commander Hastings has gone back to the Har bour Master's office. It is a loss to the colony that a
an officer of such capacity and energy should be consigned to a position where there is nothing for him to do,
They held three meetings, at which representa tives of the press were present. Mrs. Bell-Irving and the following gentlemen, Messrs. Leigh, Stewart, Dr. Thomson, Messrs. May, Denison, Danby, Drs. Jordan and Atkinson were good enough to attend and to give the Committes the benefit of their views. Dr. Hartigan was also invited to attend, but stated his inability to do so." A precis of the evidence in connection with each of the schemes is given, but the report embodies no recommendation.
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