224
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE CHINESE A ›D MANILA, Chinese other than labourers who belong to the so-called exempt class under the American Chinese Restriction ast are permitted entry into Manila ou submitting evidence to that effect to the United States Consul-General.
nothing about the latter tariff, but as Manila merchants who hare been resident in the Philippines for a long number of years we would like to ask you why any such modification as that suggested should be made in order to benefit for the moment a few Hongkong specu lators who have interfered in a market of which they are entirely ignorant,and who appear likely to lose heavily by doing so. Any such reduction in the present Custom Honse tariff would be most unfair to the resident Manila merchant, who are the legitimate traders, and who hold large stocks which have been brought in at the present rates of duty. We are sure this would be the view taken by the U.S. anthorities, who have no idea of treating unfairly the re- sident Philippine merchants in order to benefit a few Hongkong speculators who have burned their fingers. The special reference in your correspondent's article to the duties on flour and petroleum displays complete ignorance of the subject, as neither duty, though heavy, is prohibitive to foreign importation, all the flour received here for years past having come from America and the oil being either Russian or American, not a single case of the latter nor a sack of the former having ever been imported from Spain. We are, &c.,
MANILA MERCHANTS
Manila, 31st August, 1898.
MANILA CUSTOM HOUSE DUTIES.
I
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS,'
13
A PREFECT'S YAMEN DESTROYED.
[September 10, 1898.
to set fire to the house, decamped with the booty. The woman, before leaving the house, released the boy, and be at once gave the alarm to the neighbours, who communicated with a married daughter of the murdered woman and began a search for the husband. As soon as the Intter was found he was given into custody and detained until after the inquest held by the city magistrate. The inquest was held on Saturday morning, the principal witness being the victim's son, who affirmed his ability to Serious news has been received from Chang. rocognise the murderers. A man who corres- sha, the provincial capital of Huuan, to the ponded in some degree with the description effect that a mob, instigated by secret society given of one of those concerned was brought men, has burned down the yamea ef the pre-in, but the lad failed to identify him and he was fect of Puochingfu, in the above-named province. released. The chihsien's verdict was that death It appears that a foreign missionary was vist had been caused by the joint effects of strang. ing the city at the time and was invited by the ling with a rope and asphyxiation with the prefect, Lin Tze-cheng, to call at the yamen, a
quilt which had been thrown over the victim's guard of a large body of ruuners being sent to head, and he instructed his runners to use all escort the missionary in question. A large mob diligence in the endeavour to bring the per gathered around the yamen at first to gaze upon petrators of the deed to justice. The Municipal the foreigner and satisfy their curiousity; but Police have the affair in band, but up to the they were approached by a number of secret 80- present no arrests have been made.-N. C. Daily ciety men-laochiungfu being one of the head | News. centres of the Kolao Hui-who began to tell malicious stories of foreign missionaries in general, and this missionary in particular.
DEAR SIR,-In your issue of to-day appears a letter under the above caption, signed "Manila Merchants" commending the reten tion by the American authorities of Manila of the Spanish duties, and protesting against the abolition of these duties, thereby practically throwing Manila open to the world as well as to "a few Hongkong speculators who have interfered in a market of which they are entirely ignorant." Overlooking the modesty of the siguers of this remarkable letter in de- signating themselves the only "legitimate traders," I am taking the liberty of chain-courtyard of the yamen than mou rushed for- pioning these so called illegitimate Hongkong speculators who have burned theirfingers.
The object of the retention of the Spanish tariff was simply a makeshift on the part of the American officials which was authorized by President McKinley on July 12th, 1898. The Act concludes with the following paragraph :-
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THE HANYANG ARSENAL.
Shanghai, 1st September. We mentioned the other day that a "first consignment" of two thousand Mauser rifles and four quick-firing field-pieces, with ammuni- tion, had been despatched from the Small Arms factory of the Hanyang 1ronworks to the capital for the use of the Peking Field Force. From fuller information now received we learn that this is by no means the first consignment, and that we were in error in saying that it came from the Small Arms factory of the Hau- yang Ironworks. The Government Arsenal at Hanyang is an establishment nearly as exten- sive as the Ironworks themselves, from which it is quite distinct, being the property of the Government, while the Ironworks are owned by H.E. Sheng Tajen, Director-General of Rail- ways, etc. We are informed that the Arsenal despatched last year to Peking one thousand Mauser rifles and twelve 3.7-centimetre quick- firing mountain guos, while this year it has sent to the capital two thousand Mauser rifles and twenty-four mountain guns of the same calibre, with the necessary ammunition.
While the mob were being incited to the sticking point, the prefect, taking note of the ominous etes about him, smuggled the mis- sionary out by a back door and sent him out of the city, to his boat, before the people in front of the yamen were aware of the fact. Even this disappointment was not sufficient to make the mob murderously incliued, but here again the society men were at work, and one of them setting the example the whole of the four or five thousand men began to pull down the outer houses of the yamen's great court. Pillaging began in spite of the personal remonstrances of the prefect himself, and when some one cried out that pulling down was too slow work and that fire was more to the point, this official began to think that it was about time for him to retire. This show of weakness was fatal. No sooner had the prefect entered the second ward with lighted torches in their hands--the treasure room having in the meanwhile heen already pillaged of over Tls. 20,000 in shoes of sycee and the whole building was consigned to the flames. The prefect is said to have
The Arsenal at Hanyaug includes, we learn, escaped personal injury but not only was the
at the present time a gun factory, rifle yamen, containing some 200 rooms, gutted, but factory, rifle-cartridge factory, and gun. considerable property built all around the carriage and limber factory, a shot and fuse yamen and owned by some of the local gentry factory for guns, a cartridge-case factory for mt the same fate, The military, consisting of artillery ammunition, a shot foundry, and a some 350 men, then appeared and the mob dis-general foundry, besides the other necessary shops. An enlargement of some of the factories and the addition of crucible steel works and a smokeless powder factory are provided for in the future.-N. C. Daily News.
The foregoing schedules and provisions, based upon the tariff and taxing laws heretofore in operation in the Philippine Islands, including such other taxes and exactions heretofore colpersed at the approach of the soldiers. The lected, as in the discretionary judgment of the Commanding General shall be considered proper and necessary. shall be and remain in force until duly modified, suspended, or revoked.”
From this paragraph it would seen that the Spanish tariff was not in force to give the Manila Merchants" a monopoly of the Island. but as a simple question of political expediency It has never been the policy of the United States to enforce excessive tariffs in its own country, and no one believes that she will enforce for any length of time a prohibitive tariff in her conquered possession The Chinese traders in Canton made the same useless protest against the encroachment of the "Hongkong speculators" as the Manila merchants are now making, and again history will repeat itself. · Owing to this ex- e ssive tariff, American oil is selling in Manila for $4.20 per case. Can any one believe that there would be any market for case oil on the West River at the same price, or do the Manila merchants hope that their limited market will be protected at the expense of the hundred thousand would be consumers of kerosine oil in the Philippine Islands if case oil was selling there as cheaply as it was in Hongkong. Rather it is believed that, "in the discretionary judg. ment of the commanding General," a draw. back will be allowed the Hongkong speculators (who by the way are the leading firms in this colony), which cannot of course be awarded to the Manila merchants. Tariffs are not retro-active, Zahl the American authorities cannot be held r. sponsible for disposition of merchandize pur- chased by resident firus under the Spanish regime. I remain. dear sir, yours faithfully,
HONGKONG RESIDENT. Hong kong, 6th September, 1898.
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latter, however, were compelled to help the fire- men to put out the fire instead of making any arrests, as the serious condition of the conflag ration threatened to consume the whole city. The day following the riot and consequent fire one or two arrests were made. but both the leaders of the mob and their instigators had already set many miles between themselves and the yamen runners, so none of any account have so far been arrested. The foreign missionary escaped scatheless.--N. C. Daily News,
SHOCKING MURDER AT
SHANGHAI.
Shanghai, 29th August. On Friday night a peculiarly atrocious murder was committed in an alleyway off the Fuhkien Road, the victim being a woman of about 47 years of age. It appears that the woman had a slight difference with her husband, who left home on that account early in the evening and slept at a native hotel for the night. During the night the house was en- tered by a female servant in the emply of the household, and three men, two of whom, named Liu and Hsu, are known. They com. menced operations by binding and gagging the son of their victim, a boy of about ten years old, and then throwing a straw rope round the wo- man's neekd they dragged her downstairs into the kitchen, where lime was thrown in her face, and a large quilt thrown over her and beld un- til she was suffocated. As soon as she was dead, the murderers searched the house in quest of money and valuables which were known to be on the premises. They succeeded in securing booty to the value of about $1,600, and after trying
CANTON NOTES.
[FROM THE "CHUNG NGOI SAN PO."] Viceroy Tan has lately received instructions from the Peking Government granting him two more mouths' leage and refusing his ap- plication to be allowed to resign.
The Sin-hau-kuk has issused a notification telling the people not to be alarmed or give any trouble in the carrying on of the railway works, as the engineers have been intructed not to let the railways pass any graves if possible, and that the owners of land, fields, aud graves through which the railway passes will be com. pensated according to the market prices.
A clan fight has broken out between the clans of Chan, Lum, and Cheng, on the borders of Hoi-yenng and Hoi-luk districts, and great slaughter has taken place. The local force is too small to cope with the combatants and the local authorities have applied to the Canton Go-
vernment for reinforcements.
On the 1st instant a junk running between Tongkoon district and Canton foundered in a heavy gale at Liptak, not far from Canton. Over fifty lives were lost. The Kwongchai Hospital has so far picked up thirty-seven corpses. There were altogether over one bun- dred persons on board, but a good number of them were saved by the neighbouring boats.
:
Sham Chan-koon has been appointed by the Throne to succeed Chang Yan-Tsan Provincial Treasurer, who has been transferred to be Pro- vincial Treasurer of Shantung.
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