108
Ping-yang-fu and also petroleum wherever found the several concessions granted are now transferred for operation to the Peking Syndi. cate for the period of sixty year
Clause 2 authorises the negotiation of a loan of Tls. 10,000,000, and should this amount be insufficient more may be borrowed, but only from the Syndicate.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[July 30, 1898.
of the profits are contained in clanse 6 and in certain places by murder and rapine, such af- ( told him we must get outy companion, I
The arrangements as to the disposition are as follows:-Wherever mines are worked there shall be paid yearly to the Chinese Government as producer's tax (Lo-ti-shui), 5 per cent. on the cost of extracting the output of the mines. From the profits shown by the yearly accounts there shall first be paid 6 per cent. interest on the capital employed, and next 10 per cent. shall be set aside as a sinking fund for yearly repayment of capital and consequent reduction of interest, payments to sinking fund ceasing when the invested capital is wholly re- paid; and from the remaining net profit 25 cent, shall be paid to the Chinese Government and the remainder shall go to the Syndicate for its own disposition.
per
Provision for the construction of railways is made in clause 17 as follows:-Whenever it be necessary for any mine to make roads, build bridges, open or deepen rivers or construct branch railways to connect with main lines or with water navigation to facilitate transport of Shansi coal, iron and all other mine products from the Province, the Syndicate on reporting to the Governor of Shansi is authorized to proceed with the works, nsing its own capital without asking for Government funds. Re- gulations for the branch railway are to be made in due time. With reference to the Chêng-ting Tai Yuan railway for the construc- tion of which the Bureau has borrowed capital from others, the Peking Syndicate, to avoid disputes, shall not construct any railway within 100 li on each side of it.
ANOTHER ANTI MISSIONARY OUTRAGE.
An unfortunate occurrence took place at Pao-ting-fu on the 6th July, in which a native preacher and a Catholic missionary nearly lost their lives. At about six o'clock on the evening of that day two officers with several soldiers from the camps stationed there, called at the Catholic Mission and requested to be shown the premises. On permission being refused, they attacked the gate-keeper and beat him savagely. The officers were thereupon detained by the missionaries and handed over to the Hsien Yamen. Meanwhile other soldiers arrived from the camp, and on learning what had transpired they collected a body of armed comrades and proceeded to sack the Mission. One native preacher was very seriously wounded, and one of the French missionaries was severely beaten and dragged off to the camp, where worse things might have befallen him had he not fortunately been rescued by the Hsien Diagistrate. The three French priests belonging to the Mission are now residing in the city, and all is quiet, but the matter has been reported to the French Minister, who will probably enforce some com- pensation for the destroyed property.-Peking and Tientsin Times.
A LAST WARNING.
A special Imperial edict of the 12th July blames the high authorities of the provinces for not being strict and stern enough in their orders to the local authorities under them, with regard to the protection given to missionaries and their converts, which is theirs by right of treaty and concerning which the Emperor has repeatedly issued decrees, que after the other. All officials, high and low, bare therefore failed in their duty to the Throne, and the Emperor now for the last time issues the present decree warning all concerned to act more vigorously and energe tically; for his Majesty is determined that there sball be no more riots against missionaries from henceforth. If these do recur in the future through lack of dus measures of protection, the delinquent local officials will be severely punished in accordance with the stern laws passed by the Tsungli Yamên which have already received the Imperial approbation, while the high provincial authorities such as Tartar-Generals, Viceroys and Governors, etc.,
will surely be dealt with according to the ple came in for the festival, and as their numbers measure of their responsibility and in accord increased they became bolder and quite uncon- ance with the laws of the land. Having this trollable. Finding a room in our house belong. day issued this edict, the officials, high and low, ing to the landlord locked, the crowd burst into will not be able to say that due warning has it, and among other things found a bundle of not been given by the Emperor in the matter. children's old clothes. With these some fel- 'Had, for instance, due care and forethought|lows rushed out shouting "Dead children!" -I been exercised in such matters as have this year saw now it was time for us to look after our disturbed the peace of the country, accompanied own safety, and, calling to
it would be too fairs as the riots at Kiangpeh and other cities in late. I was standing on the doorstep of my Szechuan province (not yet settled); the murder room and before leaving I addressed the crowd of many converts in Yungan sub-prefecture, in a few words telling them of our purpose in Kwangsi province; and the disturbances at being there. Having to pass down a long, nar- Shasi, Hupeh province, could not have possibly row alley from our door to the street, it was no been brought about. Let this therefore be a easy thing to get clear, and but for the help of last warning to all concerned as we do not the yamên runners, we might have been injured. intend to hear of any more such disturbances Coming into the street, we found a great crowd against missionaries and their converts; and, around the door who greeted our appearance Kill them !" furthermore, let this edict be propagated far with yells of "Beat them! and wide for the information of all."-N. C. and a shower of stones. We walked quietly at first towards the Prefect's residence, but finding Daily News.
the stones hard to ward off, and that some men were running round to intercept us we had to run for it, ultimately reaching the yamên with the howling mob following. However, they did not attempt to pass the official door, so we were safe. After demolishing our house, the in- furiated mob rushed to the Roman Catholic premises, and razed them to the ground. For- tunately no one was much injured. My old helper Lin was beaten, but his injuries are not serious. Friday morning we were escorted out of the city in the early dawn, and brought round by small roads to Paolin, where we shall remain till things are settled for our return. The end of this unfortunate affair will, we trust, be our secure settlement in the city of Shunching.
THE RIOTS IN SZECHUAN.
The Chungking correspondent of the N. C. Daily News, writing under date of 5th July, says :---
A short time ago I ventured to say that history was being made very rapidly in the province of Szechuan, and the news I have to send to-day will prove the remark to be true. Kiangpeh led off with a dastardly murder, for which no one has as yet been punished. Now, the dis- tricts of Shunchingfu, six stages to the north of us, and the rural parts of Yungchanghsien, which are still nearer to us, have become the theatre for anti-foreign operations. I enclose a copy of a letter written by a gentleman who was in the Shunching disturbance, and its per- usal will doubtless reveal to your readers the fact that the natives of Shunching can, when so disposed, demonstrate against the foreigner with a thoroughness scarcely less complete than the inhabitants of Kiangpeh. It ought to be said here that the story of the outrage could be written in much deeper colours than those em- ployed by the writer of the letter; and from other reliable information in my posession I am able to state that the riot if not actually en- gineered, was at least wilfully winked at by the authorities.
The latter have now to reckon with H.B.M.'s Consul, Mr. Litton, and it is enough to say that they are likely to be handled with just promptitude and severity. With Mr. Littou in charge, the issues of the Shunching riot bid fair to be somewhat more satisfactory to foreigners generally than those which have so far followed the inglorious Kiangpeh incident The following is the text of the letter to which I have just referred :--
Messrs. Evans and Jennings, the missionaries who were in residence at the mission station at the time, have passed through a very trying ordeal, as did Dr. and Mrs. Pruen and family who happened to arrive on the spot just as the disturbance was going on. The latter were travelling to Paolin by boat, and called in at Shunching on the way. Fortunately they es caped without suffering more injury than a servere shock is likely to occasion them.
The second case refers to a riot at the village of Hopaochang in the district of Yungchang. In this instance the Roman Catholics are alone directly concerned, but their trouble is certainly of a very serious nature. Just a week ago their chapel was burnt down, two priests captured, two servants killed, and at least one Christian family robbed of their effects. It is alleged that brave efforts were made by the village authorities to prevent the disturbance, and, later, to effect the release of the captured men, but all in vain. Subsequently Jên Taotai on hearing the news took prompt measures to deal with the rioters, but with what success has not yet transpired. The Chungking Taotai is also acting with apparent vigour to prevent the spread of the trouble, which he himself asserts was caused by the Shungching rioters drifting into the Yuinchang district. A more likely ex- planation is that the trouble is connected with Yu Man-tze, the Prince of the Central Sze- chuan rowdies.
1 must write a few lines just now to let you know how things have been going with us at Shunchingfu. I think most of you know that we succeeded in getting into a house about a month ago. The first few days after entering, we had large numbers of visitors until our strength was exhausted trying to tell them A break came something of the Gospel. through my having to visit Paolin. In the meantime the gentry of Shunching had repre- M. Haas is on the track of the said Mr. Yu, sented to the Taotai that the house we had and is not likely to be satisfied until this famous taken was not conveniently situated, and as some scoundrel has been made to expiate his crime in of the owner's family objected to our possessing the only just way. Altogether, then, there are it would he use his influence to induce us
numerous and unquestionable signs that the to take another which they would assist country is in a grave state of unrest. Just how us to mortgage. We consented to do this, far these riotous outbreaks are likely to spread, it is of course impossible to say. Everything and I went back to Shunching to see the nego tiations carried out. However, I had not been depends now, as it always has done in similar long there before I saw that they had no real circumstances, upon the attitude assumed by the varions officials towards foreigners and in- intention to carry out their own proposal, but
ternational questions. In the case of Shung wanted rather to gain time to perfect their own plans to turn us out completely. Most out-ching, where the authorities are clearly to rageous rumours were circulated in the city and country agriust us, and the people were urged to drive us out. June 23rd was an annual holi. day. Great crowds of country people flocked into the city to enjoy the sights. The natives thought this a good opportunity to carry out their purpose. Two days before, a man was sent out to beat a gong announcing that we were to be driven out on the feast day. Hear ing of this I went to see the magistrates. They said I must be mistaken, as they thought the beating of the going had to do with the feast regulations. Straightway all negotiations about the house ceased. Thursday afternoon the pec-
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blame, it would appear to be absolutely india. pensable to have them punished-not, of course, for the sake of vengeance; but as a warning, and for future security. And it might not be amiss if the high foreign functionaries at Peking were to keep their eyes upon Mr. Lai who was formerly acting Taotai, here, The said Mr. Lai has an evil reputation, and lies under just suspicion in various
man who is quite capable of quarters as a
His departure for an- creating mischief. other sphere would beget no regrets in the hearts of foreigners generally. The present Chungking Taotai is, it is believed, a man who
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