850
30th April.
In Summary JuriSDICTION.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
A
on the highest authority, that the Chinese Government, have never once broached the question to any of the Foreign Ministers at Peking, and that no instructions have come
BEFORE ME. A. G. Wise (PUISNE JUDGE.) out to the latter from their Governments in
DAKIN. V. MERCIER.
R. L. Dakin, master mariner, sued A. Mercier for $150 for breach of contract. Mr. Thomp son (of Messrs. Deacon and Hastings' office) represented the plaintiff.
Judgment was entered for the defendant. HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER
OF COMMERUE. ›
ANNUAL MEETING.
The annual general meeting of the members of the Hongkong General Chamber of Com- merce was held in their Room, City Hall, on Wednesday afternoon, the 28th April. Mr. Herbert Smith (Vice-Chairman) presided, and there were also present:-Messrs. N. J. Ede, R. M, Gray, T. Jackson, St. C. Michaelsen, N. A. Siebs, Hon. T. H. Whitehead (members of the Committee), R. C. Wilcox (Secretary), Hon. E. R. Belilios, Hon. C. P. Chater, Messrs. A. P. MacEwen, E. Osborne, G. T. Veitch, G. H. Wheeler, Liao Tze San, B. L. Batliwara, R. M. Moses, P. Jordan, F. D, Setna, E. Mitchell, Ho Tung, Ho Fak, C. S, Sharp, H. A. Ritchie, J. McKie, G. H. Potts, D. Gillies, G. Stewart, A. Coxon, F. Maitland, G. D. Böning, F. D. Setna, S. F. David, G. Slade, M.S. Northcote, T. F. Hough, H. S. Cooke, G. de Champeaux, J. Thurburn, A. J. Ray- mond, E. H, Joseph, J, Y. V. Vernon, W. R. Loxley, G. H. Dann.
success.
May 6, 1897.
of the two Kwang. His Excellency the British Minister, who kindly favoured your committee with an interview when passing through the colony the other day, gave us much interesting information and very satisfactory assurances of connection therewith. Li Hung-chang, no the prospects for trade and the favourable dis- doubt hoping to obtain kudos at Peking, if position of the provincial, officials at Canton. successful in the attempt to secure a revision The wisdom of Sir Claude's appointment to of the tariff, played this off his own bat, with, Peking has long since been apparent to all however, very indifferent
It may Britons in China; at Peking he is undoubtedly be worth while remembering, too, that the the right man in the right place, and his efforts The defendant had a water boat built by Japanese Treaty signed at Shimonoseki in have already conferred benefits upon traders of Messrs. A. G. Gordon and Co., Hongkong, and he 1895 has eight years yet to run, and that all nations. (Applause.) Before quitting this arranged with plaintiff to take the boat to Sai- instrument virtually assures the present tariff subject, I think some recognition of the great gon for $150. Last Tuesday morning plaintiff for that term for all countries by virtue of the and unwearied efforts of Mr. E. H. Fraser, went on board, but found that she was not sea-most-favoured nation clause, As you are well Acting British Consul at Canton (Applause worthy as there was a quantity of water in the aware, the trade of this port again suffered and hear, hear) to obtain satisfaction for tanks and he told the defendant about this considerably last year owing to quarantine claims put forward by his countrymen, and to fault. The water was afterwards pumped out restrictions. The Chamber lost no opportunity secure for them and for us all the privilege of and defendant then asked plaintiff to take of protesting against the unnecessary pro- trading under transit pass, is due from this charge of her, but he said he would not longation of these precautions, but, in some Chamber. (Applause.) We have sometimes take the boat to Saigon unless he received directions, with very qualified success. More suffered in the past from the apathy $200. The defendant then replied that he particularly is this the case in the Philippines, of certain of our Consular representatives, bat Mr. Fraser has shown himself a true would get someone else. The plaintiff said where on the 9th ult. quarantine was re- it was not until night time that the boat imposed against vessels from Hongkong and disciple of the late Sir Harry Parkep, was ready and be refused to make a start then, ports of China, absolutely without reason, having spared no pains to protect and promote but the defendant said it was in the afternoon Protests from this Chamber through the our commercial interests. Let us hope that, and that the plaintiff had broken his contract Spanish Consul seem to have been uniformly witha vigorous and watchful Minister at Peking, by refusing to go..
disregarded at Manila, and I fear it is hopeless a new spirit will permeate the service through. to look for reasonable treatment in this respect out, and that the Consuls generally will display. in the neighbouring Spanish colony. Never the energy and zeal for our interests shown to |theless we must not relax our efforts to obtain such purpose by Mr. Fraser. (Applause.) The more considerate treatment. The inadequate case in which the master of the steamer Chingtu sccommodation at the Post Office and the, as was proceeded against in the Police Court on a we then believed, consequent late delivery of charge of detaining some Japanese stowaways the mails induced the Chamber to make after arrival of the vessel in port and fined representations to the Government on the $600, having attracted the attention of the subject last summer. Since then, increased Committee to the hardships entailed on ship- accommodation has been obtained by the owners and masters by the working of the annexation to the Post Office of a portion Vagrancy Ordinance, representations have been of the ground floor of the adjoining Court made to the Government on the subject, asking house, but I regret to say that I can- that its provisions may be amended. Under the not record any improvement in the administra-Ordinance as it stands, the liabilities of both tion of this Department. (Applause.) Delays owners and captains are most onerous. I trust in the delivery of mails are indeed more frequent the Government contemplate & revision of the Ordinance, but so far no answer has been than ever, to the great inconvenience of the en. tire commercial community. Concerning the received on the subject. Now that the At- action of the Telegraph Companies in raising torney-General has returned to the colony, let their rates to Europe, America, and Shanghai us hope he will give the matter his early atten- immediately following the ratification of the tion. The policy of making the Crown Telegraph Convention on the 31st July last, Colonies contribute as largely as possible to the obtains there is little further to be said. This Chamber Imperial expenditure evidently
the present time. made a prompt and energetic protest against strongly at home at
After twice augmenting our military con- that action and although, thanks to the in- fluence of the Foreign Office, there has tribution, they now seek to obtain from us an been a concession in rates on certain of the increased contribution to the Postal subsidy. Eastern Extension Co.'s lines, and a reduction At present, as no doubt you are aware, this in rates from home to China, we may be sure colony pays £6,000, which sum, after much that the monopoly created by the Convention correspondence between the Treasury and was suggested cannot fail to be prejudicial to the chances of Colonial Office in 1883,
as a compromise. our obtaining cheaper means of communication by Lord Kimberley
calculated on a -a matter of great importance in these days The present demand, of keen competition and narrow margins of pro- mileage basis, would fix the contribution at fit. The agitation against the continued in- something between £11,000 and £12,000 per annum, and the local Government have re- position of the special light tax levied to secure payment of the cost of the Gap Rock Light-quested the opinion of this Chamber on the house will be fresh in all memories. It was question. Needless to say, the Committee commenced by this Chamber and strongly sup- regard the proposal as inequitable as regards ported by the shipping companies and firms, the basis, and excessive as regards the amount, who have specially petitioned against the pro- but, in the absence of certain returns which are posal to convert the voluntary temporary im- necessary to the proper statement of the case, post into a permanent tax, to be merged in the they have been compelled to delay giving an general revenue. The appeal was sent home to official reply to the communication. Coming the Secretary of State and a satisfactory reply to more personal matters, we have to record the from Downing Street has just been made public. unanimous re-nomination of Mr. Whitehead the Chamber's representative on the It recognises the importance of preserving as
was our Legislative Council for another term. I the freedom of this port, which main contention, and we and the shipping am sure that we are all satisfied that the Chamber's interests could not be confided to interests are to be congratulated upon this suc- cess, carried, not only without assistance from, more zealous or more capable hands. (Ap- but notwithstanding the advice of, the local plause.) I congratulate the member for the authorities. That long expected and much- Chamber upon the position he alone of the agitated-for concession, the opening of the unofficials took up in regard to the Govern West River to foreign trade and steam navi-ment's action concerning the Light Dues gation has, at last, been secured. That is to say, a convention has been signed under which two treaty ports and four calling stations on that river are to be opened on the 4th June next. We are greatly indebted to Sir Claude MacDonald, Her Britannic Majesty's energetic Minister at Peking, for his exertions in press- ing for and eventually obtaining this. conces sion. It is not perhaps all we had hoped for we should have liked to have seen the river opened up to Nanning-fu-but no doubt that will come in time, and it is a great step to have obtained an entrance to the inland waterways
The SECRETARY read the notice calling the meeting,
The minutes of the last annual meeting and of the special meeting held on the 19th Decem. ber last were confirmed..
The CHAIRMAN-Gentlemen, the report has been in your hands some days, and with your permission I propose that it be taken as read. The various questions which have during the past year engaged the attention of the Cham- ber are pretty fully dealt with therein and I need only allude to those of special interest, or to those that are still exciting discussion. The announcement by Reuter in May last that Li Hung-chang would, while on his mission to different European Courts, endeavour to get their sanotion to an increase in the Chinese tariff on importa, at once excited the attention of the Committee. We took measures to secure something like concerted action by the repre- sentative commercial bodies, and, as the event proved, the step was timely, as it led to expres- sions of opinion on the subject, in advance of the Chinese envoy's visit to England, where in due course it is reported that he broached the matter to Lord Salisbury. The Premier, in reply, in effect said that he would wish to con- sult the Chambers of Commerce in China before taking any decisive action, and we can only hope that, in any case, negotiations will be deferred until time has been given for properly, testing the value of Chinese official pledges in relation to the Transit Pass Trade in the two Kwang provinces. Proclamations have recently been issued there by the Likin offices which, if rigidly enforced, may render such a trade pos- sible, where for more than thirty years it has, in defiance of the stipulations of the Tientsin Treaty, been impracticable, owing to the obstructive tactics of the provincial officials. I may add that, as a matter of fact, we have since been assured,
question.
The subject has been very fully discussed, even unto bitterness, so I will not further refer to it here. A few changes have occurred in the Committee during the year, the principal being the election of Mr. A. McConachie to the chair, on the resignation of Mr. Bell-Irving at the first meeting of the present Committee. Mr. McConachie proved a most painstaking and energetic Chairman, and I know that he regretted that his arrange- ments would not allow him to remain to preside at this meeting. It is certainly an honour I never expected, for I had no ides until very
t.
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