March 5, 1898.] Britain cannot allow unless she is going to renounce all intention of preserving the Yang tsze Valley intact to China.
Probably coal will be found in the neighbour. hood of Kwongchan Bay, as the geological for- mation in the locality is of carboniferous age.
28th February.
THE CAUSE OF BRIGANDAGE IN SOUTH CHINA AND WHY IT 18 NOT SUPPRESSED.
(CONTRIBUTED.)
That brigandage has always been more or less prevalent in South China is well known to all old residents in the Far East and it is a well recognized fact that it has of late years become of more general occurrence till, since the last war with Japan, the traveller is not safe on the most frequented highways, either on land or water, and there is not a village or town whore inhabitants are entirely free from the dread of being aroused in the dead of night to pay toll to these freebooters. It has been said that the peaceable inhabitants know that any night they may be aroused to pay toll to the armed gang of robbers who have surrounded the house or village and whose only right to demand all the valuables at hand is the power to enforce that demand; but so free are these piratical bands to levy blackmail that they often disdain to await till night hides their preparations to attack their victims and conceals their retreat, prefer- ring the broad daylight for executing their raid. One would bave thought that in the southern capital, Canton, the peaceful citizen would have felt secure from such attacks, knowing that there were located the chief forces of the Gor- ernment of the southern provinces, bicked up by Tartar garrison of ten thousand men, not to mention other troops stationed within easy call. Yet what are the facts? Why, ignoring these powers and the impotent controllers of them the pirate bands fearlessly, from time to time, not only levy black-mail on the wealthy merchants and rob the pawn-shops, where lies the accumulated wealth of the populace, but they do not hesitate, also, to even demand, and obtain, large sums from some of the officials themselves and rob the houses adjoining the yamens. What greater proof could there be that the control of these portions of the empire is slipping out of the grasp of the present feeble and expiring Manchu dynasty.
Surely it is time for the European Powers to step in and agree amongst themselves as to the respective spheres in the outlying provinces of China which they will undertake to administer, before it is too late and another greater Taiping Rebellion throws the country into a state of chaos and paralyzes all trade, both natio and foreign. Britain least of all can afford to allow the present state of disorder to grow and develop into civil war on an extentive scale, and she can hardly be foolhardy enough to again undertake to set the thankless, corrupt, effete, and failing Tsing dynasty on its legs once more for another course of thirty years of duplicity in making and keeping of treatiesi
Although brigandage is rife even in Canton, the southern capital, itself, it is on the outlying fringes of the empire, viz., Hainan, Southern and Western Kwangtung, Kwangsi, and Yun- nan, that the pirate hordes are waxing boldest, and it is this unchecked brigandage which is causing restiveness on the part of France which will shortly culminate in her invading and annexing those territories.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
by the officials in the last war with France, and since that war also, and failure to call in the arms again; the large importation of arms by secret societies during the past two or three years with intent to raise a rebellion; and the further import of arms by more peaceful persons for use in self-defence. These reasons, and possibly other reasons not known to the writer, are those which have resulted in the growth and exten- sion of brigandage until it has become univer- sal over an extent of country half the size of Europe and only needs the appearance of a strong, desperate, and able man to weld all the scattered bands into one and raise the standard of rebellion in earnest and carry it over the bills into the Yangtsze Valley. The foregoing is an outline of the state of things in South China. In the North a similar state of affairs exists; even in Manchuria, the home of the Tsing dynasty.
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The causes of this brigandage are, the failing grasp of the alien officials (alien in that they are natives of provinces other than that over which they rule) on the country; failure to pay the troops and the disbanding of them without pay and provision of passage to their homes, so that they have only one way of exist ing, ie., to help themselves to what they need, or what they desire; the impoverishment of the country by the extortions of the officials and the barriers they raise to the free course of trade, further aggravated by the withdrawal of capital from circulation and hoarding of same under the sense of the impending state of anarchy; the incitation of piracy by the border officials to avert demands from disbanded soldiery for pay due and to, as they hope, prevent the establishment of European rule over the adjoining frontiers; the arming of pirate bands
THE DIAMOND JUBILEE COM- MEMORATION SCHEMES.
IMPORTANT MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE.
A meeting of the Hongkong Jubilee Com- mittee was held at the Council Chamber on Mon-
day afternoon, 28th Feb., at 4.30. The Hon. C. Chater (Chairman of the Committee) presided, and there were also present- Messrs. T. Jack- son, A. P. McEwen, W. Chatham, J. J. Francis, Q.C., W. Danby, D. R. Crawford, Hous. F. H. May, E. R. Belilios, J. J. Bell Irving, Wei A. Yuk, Ho Kai, and J. H. Stewart Lockhart (Hon. Secretary).
After the minutes of the previons meeting held on the 26th April had been read, the CHAIR- MAN said that before proceeding with the busi- ness to be brought before the Committee he would like to have an expression of opinion from the Committee as to whether it was the original intention of the Committee that the Hospital for Women and Children and the Nurs. ing Institute should consist of two buildings, or whether it was the intention of the Committee that there should be only one building to meet both purposes, as the resolution proposed by Mr. Whitehead at the last meeting seemed somewhat vague on the point.
Mr. FRANCIS said he was of opinion that the original intention of the Committee was that there should be two buildings.
The Hon. SECRETARY (Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart) concurred in this view, as did all the other members with the exception of Mr. Belilios.
The CHAIRMAN then explained that the meeting had been originally summoned for the purpose of selecting plans for the Hospital for Women and Children and the Nursing Institute. Competition had been invited and three plans were received, one from Messrs. Palmer and Turuer, one from Messrs. Denison and Ran, and one from Mr. B. Brotherton Harker; but since the notice was sent out summoning the meeting the follo wing letter had been received from Dr. Atkinson :-
Government Civil Hospital, Hongkong, 26th February, 1898. Sir, I have the honour to suggest to the Government the advisability of its securing the residence known as “Cragieburn as an annexe to the Government Civil Hospital.
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As the result of over ten years' experience in the Medical Department of this colony, I am convinced of the great beat derived, especially with convalescents, more particularly during the hot season, by a short stay at the Peak.
Undoubtedly an institution of this sort, at the higher levels, under the administration of the Medical Department, would prove a great boon not only to the Government officials temporarily incapacitated by illness, but also to the meu.bers of the community who avail them- selves of the opportunities afforded at present at the Government Civil Hospital.
It is not necessary fer me to dilate upon the advantages to be derived, especially by the sick; from a change to the climate of the Peak; this is known to all who have resided for any length of time in the colony.
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Enclosed is a list showing the sickness amongst the members of the nursing and medical staff during the years 1892 to 1895 From this it is evident how trying hospital work is on the lower levels.
A transference of their sphere of action to the Peak, whilst benefiting those who are nursed by the sisters, would undoubtedly assist in in- creasing their efficiency by a better maintenance
of health.
This applies similarly to the medical staff of the Department.
There is at present a private hospital at the Peak, but its sphere of usefulness is necessarily limited, and as in the main it is a commercial undertaking the benefits to be derived from an annexe such as this to the Medical Department of the colony must be evident to all who seriously consider the matter.
1 would point out that the suggestion I have made is approved of it will not in my opinion be necessary to proceed with the new Women's Hospital. In this way the original idea of the promoters of a Women's Hospital will be more literally carried out. With a few altera- tions "Cragieburn" could be made available for women and children in addition to being an annexe to the Government Civil Hospital. Another important advantage would accrue in the fact that the present hospital premises will not be further crowded upon.
I request that the whole question be referred to the Jubilee Committee.
With regard to the financial aspect of the question, I am given to understand that it may be possible to purchase "Cragieburn" alone; by that I mean the building without the whole of the grounds.
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Another most important advantage would accrue to the colony by this procedure, viz., the fact that the nursing and medical staff, of the Hospital would be able to recuperate in health when living and working at such an institution.'
I understand that there is the fear that. Chinese patients may object to being treated in hospital at the Peak. This prejudice in my opinion would soon disappear, and it must be remembered that it is principally for European women and children that greater accommodation is required.-I have the honour to be sir, your obedient servant,
J. M. ATKINSON. Principal Civil Medical Officer. The Honourable J. H. Stewart Lockhart,
Colonial Secretary.
The CHAIRMAN stated that in view of this
letter he would be glad to know what course the Committee advised should now be adopted.
Hon. F. H. MAY moved that the question of the selection of the plans. be postponed with a view to a further consideration of Dr. Atkinson's letter.
Mr. DANBY seconded the motion, which was carried,
It was then resolved, in view of Craigieburn being offered for sale on the 1st March, to authorize the Chairman to try and arrange with the owners to postpone the sale until such time as the Jubilee Committee had given some definite decision on the proposal made by Dr. Atkinson.
The CHAIRMAN then read the following report on the progress of surveys, &c., in connection with the Victoria Jubilee Road. The report was prepared by Hon. R. D. Ormsby, Director of Public Works, who was
present at the meeting by request :----
Mr. T. G. Hughes, of the Royal Engineer Staff, was engaged by Government and attached to the Public Works Department in November for special work, namely, the tracing and sur. veying of the proposed carriage road round the Island.
Mr. Hughes commenced work on the 18th November, and has been continuously employed at it ever since.
His work consists in surveying and levelling over the existing road and (where the gradients are found to be too steep for the new road) seek ing a suitable line, with no steeper gradient than 1 in 18.
I had hoped to make 1 in 20 the maximum grade, but found the configuration of the country made this very difficult except by un daly increasing the length of the road and the expense of construction. I have therefore allowed short lengths of 1 in 18, which is a fairly good gradient for a carriage road.
The first mile of the present road was found to be much too steep, and considerable difficulty was experienced, and the running of several trial lines necessary, before getting a satisfactory trace to the first gap.
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