July 16, 1898.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
A preliminary objection by Mr. Pollock having been overruled,
Mr. Francis applied for an adjournment and for leave to file notice of motion to dismiss the
suit.
The application was granted, the case being adjourned sine die.
THE NAVY LEAGUE AND THE JURISDICTION ‹ VER KOWLOON
CITY.
to indicate they are to be insisted on. It will be readily conceded that with negotiations still pending it is advisable to maintain a certain reserve, but when we say that for the term Treaty Port Provinces" is to be substituted "The Empire of China"; that the word "small having reference to steamers is to be erased, and that the definition of “inland ” is to be as given in the Chefoo Convention; that under the head of Revenue cargo shipped at a treaty port shall pay duty in accordance with treaty stipulations instead of " the "Customs decide to be leviable"; and, re- ferring to cargo landed and shipped inland paying the duties the local regulations call for, the words "which local regulations "shall be issued through the Customs are to be added-with these alterations and additions we think our readers will be SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. convinced that Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD is determined to put up with no evasions or attempted evasions of the concessions graut- ed to Great Britain.
are
course
As
on
We
of
unable to say how many of the Minister's amendments will be accepted; that depends the amount of pressure brought to bear; but it is at least satisfactory to know that the large interests concerned are not being lightly passed over; nor can we think
Mr. H. E. Pollock, the Hon. Secretary of the Hongkong branch of the Navy League, writes as as follows:-I beg leave to inform you that the Committee of the Hongkong branch of the Navy League despatched yesterday (Monday) a telegram to the Head Office of the Navy League to the effect that Kowloon City must be included
in the lease from China to Great Britain.
RIO GRANDE ISLAND CAPTURED.
EXTRAORDINARY CONDUCT OF A GERMAN CRUISER.
THE HEALTH OF THE AMERICAN TROOPS.
Hongkong, 14th June. Despatches brought from Manila by .M.S.
63
of the relief vessels, the Austrian flag being somewhat similar to that of Spain,
No one seems to know when the final move on Manila will be made, Admiral Dewey keep ing his own counsel on the matter. Aguinald wished to make the final assault on Sunday, but was dissuaded from doing so. The Spaniards in Manila are destroying all the buildings along the sea front so as to give them a better opportunity of resisting landing parties. There are between 5,000 and 8,000 regulars in the city, in addition to volunteers. In the mean-` - time provisions continue to get scarcer, and în order to prevent exorbitant prices being charged the Government have published a list of all goods sold with their prices attached, so that one can demand anything at the price fixed by the Government and the shopkeeper is obliged to sell Of course this is a great boon to the purchaser, as prices are practically the same as before the troubles began. The conduct: of the Government has naturally given great offence to the shopkeepers, many of whom have closed their business premises rather than sell at the prices fixed, Hitherto the blockade has not been very strictly enforced, or the condition of those in the city would have been much worse than it is. Admiral Dewey has been most in- dulgent. Communication with the Bay is kept up all day by the launches, and ip this way provisions are taken ashore. In consequence of it getting to his ears that the German fleet bad been landing large quantities of rice and flour for the use of the Spaniards in the city the Admiral decided to be rather more strict, and hani all launches going backwards and for wards.
that the most vital point in the whole Plover, which arrived in the harbour yesterday has put a pinnace at the end of the jetty to over-
ance
question namely, the imposing of an equal tariff only all goods, to the import- of which in its relation to the laying down cost of British goods we drew attention in our leader of the 30th April will be so treated when the local regula- tions, to be issued through the Customs, are drawn up. Lekin is by no means so large in amount or so variable in quantity as is commonly supposed; published tariffs can be obtained and these should be made the basis of the "local regulations" referred to above. The error into which we have hitherto fallen is in lumping all taxation together and classing it under the head of lekin, then when a protest was made by the foreign merchant that his goods had been subjected to an illegal levy of lekin the reply invariably came that it was not lekin, it was #
tsoli," and so on ad infinitum. To avoid this the Chinese Government must be called upon to furnish a list of the tax stations and a tariff of the amount of tax leviable on all goods at such stations throughout China, commencing with the great waterways; these must be compared with the tariffs already published and any attempt at increasing either the number of stations or the amount of the taxes vigor ously opposed. These are the first steps to be taken in a scheme of internal reform, which great task, as it seems, but needs firm ness on the part of the authorities and for- bearance and vigilance on the part of the merchants to bring to a successful issue,
SUPREME COURT.
The American troops at Cavite are engaged in regular ronine drills and target practice awaiting the second detachment of troops, who
are in
morning, state that the action of the Germans in Manila Bay is causing much anxiety there. They have not been careful as to the observance of naval courtesies required by the situation. Hence a feeling of irritation They cause much has been engendered.
are expected to arrive on the 17th inst. The boats round the Bay after dark in direct con- annoyance by insisting upon sending their
men are beginning to show the effects of a change of climate and condition of living. travention of the regulations. But the most
General Andersen issued a general order call- extraordinary story of all is that which is told in connection with the capture of the island of Kio ing attention to the necessity for exercising great care in eating and driuking. He had it rande, at the entrance of Subig Bay. It seems
read daily for a week, but in consequence of that on the mainland the rebels had succeeded their not attending to the warning and drink- in capturing village after village until at lasting unboiled water and indulging too much in the Spaniards were obliged to take refuge on
the native liquor some of the men the island. The rebels, having previously cap- hospital. There are about 150 down with tured the Spanish steamer Philippinas, on Wednesday last made preparations for attack-
The insurgent leaders appear to bare settled ing the island. The German orniser Irene,
some of their differences. Bandico is among which Was in the Bay, interfered, how.
them again, and took part in a kind of social ever, threatening to protect the Spaniards if the insurgents opened fire. Upon this the hi-gathering at Cavite the other day, delivering a lippinas proceeded to Manila Bay and the in- oident was reported to Aguinaldo, who at once informed Admiral Dewey. Early on Thursday morning Captain Coghlan was ordered to Subig Bay with the Raleigh and the Concord, his instructions being to capture the island and hand it and the prisoners taken over to the rebels. As soon as the American ships made
their
appearance the Irene got under weigh and
left for Manila. During a parley the Spaniards expressed their willingness to surrender if the Americans would take charge of them and not hand them over to the insurgents, and Captain Coghlan sent the Concord to Manila Bay for further instructions. Admiral Dewey's reply was
34
Obey your orders," whereupon the Spaniards were informed that their request could not be complied with and they were summoned to surrender. At first they refused, but a few shells, one of which struck the Spanish Com mander's house, brought up the white flag. The prisoners-40 soldiers with arms, 100 sick, and 100 women-were handed over to the insurgents. Four hundred thousand rounds of ammunition which was captured was taken on board one of the American vessels.
Aguinaldo states that both the Spaniards BEFORE SIR JOHN CARRINGTON (CHIEF and the Germans have made overtures
14th July.
IN ORIGINAL JURISDICTION,
JUSTICE.)
OLAIM BY A ship's creW.
!
Eugenio Operrano and others sought to recover from the owners of the Isidoro Pons the sum of $5,000—wages, maintenance, and passage to Manila.
Mr. Pollock, barrister (instructed by Mr. D'Almado) appeared for plaintiffs and Mr. Francis, Q.C., (instructed by Mr. Looker) for defendants.
to
to him.
as He is, however, silent their import. Alluding to the Spanish fest which was said to be on its way to the Philip- pines Aguinaldo, in a letter to Consul-General Wildman, says:—“ The Spanish relief fleet on their way here does not in the least disturb me. I doubt if they will be able to enter Manila Harbour. Admiral Dewey is not asleep." While on this point we may add that an Austrian gunboat is now in Manila Bay. When she made her appearance there was great excitement among the Spaniards, who mistook her for one
dysentery.
speech which he concluded by calling for three obeyed with great enthusiasm. Songs and re- citations were given by men from the American vessels, and altogether a most pleasant evening appears to have been spent.
cheers for the United States, a call which was
Two thousand Spanish prisoners held by the Insurgents at Cavite have been removed to Imus and Bulucan.
The steamer Culga, from Australia, arrived
in Manila Bay the other day with a cargo of frozen meat for the American troops.
the military band which had deserted from the During a review of the troops Aguinaldo sent Spaniards to take part.
Port St. Louis in the Ladrones is likely to prove of considerable strategic value. It can be easily made into a very strong position. while it is conveniently situated, being about 3,300 miles from Honolulu, 1,800 miles from Hong- kong, 1,300 miles from Manila, and 1,200 from
Yokohama.
The second division of the Philippines expe- dition consists of five ships-the Centennial, 6,000 men, with Major-General Elwell S. Otis Zealandia, Ohio, Colon, and China-carrying
in command.
THE INSURGENTS AND THEIR
PRISONERS.
WHAT AN ENGLISHMAN SAW. An Englishman in Manila, writing on Sunday last says
“I have just returned from an interesting visit to Cavite. I left Manila at eight this morning in the Norwegian Consul's launch accompanied by the Consul, who is an Eng- lishman (Mr. Coney, head of W. F. Stevenson and Co., merchants here) six other Englishmen
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