432
schemes for railway and mining exploits tion, and we ne
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
to the sea. The Rev. H. D. PERLER, who
TOUT Bank, of course, has travelled by boat from the breach to tha
** endeavours to "I fear
great satisfaction any up the country; but
any
sen, thinks it probable that the stream will permanently follow the course into which it
November 26, 1898.
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
On 22nd ffov, a meeting of the Hongkong
Chamber at the Government Offices, there being present:-
His EXCELLENCY the ACTING Governor,
Major-General BLACK, C. B. (Officer Command-
ing the Troops).
Hon. T. SEBCOMBE SMITH (Acting Colonial Secretary.)
Hon. R. MURRAY RUMSEY (Harbour Master). Hon. F. H. MAY, C.M.G. (Captain Super. intendent of Police.)
Hou. A. M. THOMSON (Acting Colonial Trea- surer.)
Hon. R. D. ORMSBY (Director of Public Works.)
Hon. . P. CHATER, C.M.G. Hon. Dr. Ho Kai, Hon. E. R. BELILIOS.
Hon. J. J. BELL-IRVING. Hon. WEI A YUK.
Mr. J. G. T. BUCKLE (Clerk of Councils.) This being the Acting Governor's last ap- ladies and gentlemen belonging to the outside pearance at the Council meeting a number of public attended.
many cases that the promoters has now run, the closing of the breach be- | Legislative Council was held in the Council Lave mainly in view the sale of worthless ing apparently too stupendous a task to be soncessions to the innocent inhabitants undertaken with any prospect of success. of the British Isles." Almost every mail The Missionary Conference draw attention brings out news of the registration of some to the immense loss of life, property, and Company or other whose nominal object is money caused by the frequently recur- to work concessions in China, but the real ring outbreaks of the river; the many bject of some of them is no doubt the ex- appeals made and so nobly responded ploitation of the gullible public. There is, to both by foreigners and natives; however, a great future for railway and the great sums of money used by the mining enterprise in China, and the re- Government for the relief of the suffering marks of Mr. JAMES JONES at the Chartered people, and the still more enormous sums Bank meeting with reference to the old constantly set aside by the Government for fengshui and graveyard difficulties will com. the re airing of damages and in the attempt mand little acceptance at the present day. to conserve the river; and they express a but investors before going into any scheme hope that the Foreign Ministers will be placed before them had better make en moved, if but for the sake of humanity, quiries as to who the promoters are and to do what is possible to urge upou the whether they have
real stake Chinese Government the necessity of trying in China or knowledge of the country- new plans for controlling the waters.. But while agreeing with Mr. GWYTHER ns The methods hitherto adopted, they say, to the necessity of caution in regard to such have proved quite inadequate and are enterprises as he points to, we think he of doubtful utility, and the petitioners
THE ACTING-GOVERNOR'S FAREWELL. takes too pessimistic a view of the respectfully suggest that the Chinese Go-
His Excellency MAJOR-GENERAL BLACK, possibility of developing trade with China; vernment be pressed to appoint a commis- before the commencement of the ordinary busi- The balance of trade, he says, is already sion of foreign experts to make a full in-ness, said:-All business firms whether large against that country and her annual investigation and report on the best means of or small take stock once a year, and call a mo- debtedness to Europe in respect of interest preventing these calamities and of utilising momentary halt to see how they stand before on her loans and sinking funds will reach the waters which they feel assure might girding up their loins for the work of the com- £3,000,000 in the commencement of next thus cease to be an unmitigated evil and ng year. Governments, which are bat large century, and he counselled those who di- become a source of material prosperity. the same way review each year their position, business firms working for the public weal, in lated on the power of China to absorb manu-The suggestion that a commission of foreign and nut only put forward their balance sheet factured goods and silver ad libitum to care-experts should be appointed to deal with but indicate with modest satisfaction schemes fully examine for themselves the trade re-
which have run smoothly and well, and gloss ports issued by the Imperial Maritime Cus-
over those which, however well laid, have for toms, and thereafter they would no doubt dis-
some cause or other gone agley. I take, then, no unusual course in asking you to listen while cuss the question in a more sober fashion. That the Chinese Government may soouer
or
I briefly touch upon some of the events which have made the ten months I have had the hon- later become involved in financial diffi
our to hold the reins more eventful than many culties is very probable, unless they obtain foreign assistance in the management of the country's affairs and reconstruct her fiscal system on a rational and honest basie. China's capacity for trade, however, is almost illimitable, and, given improved means of communication and freedom from illegal or excessive exactions, the expectations of the most sanguine would be realised. If the taxation of exports were abolished we should 8000 see a marked
advance in that branch, which would be followed by an equally marked increase in the imports. Even as it is the balance of trade cau
hardly be said to be against China, for although the net imports in 1897 are given as Tls. 202,828,625 and the exports as Tls. 163,501,358, when the duty and charges are deducted from the former and added to the Intter we find from the Statistical Secretary's report that the value of the imports at the moment of landing was Tls. 177,915,163 while the value of exports at the moment of shipment was 181,769,995.
THE YELLOW RIVER,
Tls.
the problem is a sensible one and it is to be hoped that the Ministers will urge it upon the Tsungli Yamen with all the force of which they are capable. In the meantime LI HUNG-CHANG has been appointed by the Empress-Downger to examine the question on the spot and submit a report thereon. If confidence could only be reposed in Li's disinterestedness perhaps no better selection could have been made from the ranks of the Chinese officials, for His Excellency has had iutiuate intercourse with foreigners during his long tenure of office at Tientsin, has travelled, has been shown the sights of Europe, and must have some appreciation of Western engineering science. He hates the foreigner, however, and at the present ino.nent his hatred is probably more intense than ever. Possibly, therefore, he may elect to recommend persistence in the ineffective native methods rather than allow foreigners to confer a benefit on his country. It is to be hoped, however, that he may be able to rise superior to any personal feeling of that kind and to consider the real interests of his country. There is no doubt the Yellow River could be brought under con- trol, but not by Chinese methods.
The United States cruiser McCulloch left for home on the 24th November being seen off by Consul-General Wildman.
That everything in connection with H.M. ships in the harbour is in apple-pie order was måde abundantly evident on Saturday forenoon. A signal was made from Admiral Fitzgerald's flagship (Barfleur) to land detachments in full marching order with guns, ammunition, and provisions. Saturday is a busy day on board ship, and at the time the order was given
like periods in your past history. Although less severe than in 1894, the Plague has this year claimed 1,163 victims out of 1,320 stricken. Wisely abandoning the too stringent application of Western methods the Government erected placed them in charge of the Tungwa Hospital, suitable hospital buildings at Kennedytownj and induced to Chinese to carry their sick to that benevolent institution. While deeply de- ploring the loss by this dread visitation, I am glad to congratulate the medical profession, and the other Government officials whose duty connected them with the suppression of the plague, for the strenuous and unselfish efforts with which they carried out their humane duties. Three of the sisters caught the infection at the post of duty, of whom two died, giving up their lives as nobly as men who die on the field amid the din and excitement of battle. (Applause.) The outbreak of war between Spain and America two countries in friendly relations with Eng- land-threw on this Government the onerous task of maintaining the laws of neutrality.
4 little island stored with food, coal, and all the munitions of war in great abundance lying off a coast indented with harbours, is naturally a convenient (spot where belligerents might re- plenish their stores of coal and food, and it is a source of satisfaction to this Government that thanks to the energy and tact with which the officials carried out their duties, the laws of nentrality were strictly enforced, and yet the end of the war found us on as friendly terms- with either belligerent as at the beginning. The changes that this war may bring may deeply affect this colony but they still lie in the future and are not yet within our ken. A social incident not without its bearing on a great national movement was the arrival in Hongkong of a- German Prince charged for the first time with high command in Eastern waters. The Prince of Prussia would have found a welcome for his own sake. Courteous, kind, and capable, yet every inch a Prince, he was welcomed by the whole community of Hongkong, and the English in- habitants did not forget in their welcome that
(Daily Press 19th November). The representation made by the Shantung and Honan Conference of Protestant Mis- sionaries to the Diplomatic Body at Peking with reference to the Yellow River will be endorsed by the foreign communities through-the out China. From time to time the river bursts its banks and spreads desolation over the districts through which it flows; floods occur, destroying the crops, and appeals have to be made to the charitably disposed to assist the suff ring population during the
resulting famine. The unruly landed, time of bas once more left its bed some nine-pounders were also ended. The mes, hound as wife are grand-children of our be- marched through the town, exciting the ad-loved Queen. (Applause.) Hongkong has long felt the anomaly of its position, with the north.
stream
men were hard at work cleaning. The order could hardly have come at a mora inopportune moment, and it is, there fore, exceedingly creditable to all concerned that within thirty minutes about 2,000 men, including marines and field-gun crews. had been pat ashore, each man carrying 100 rounds of ammunition and two days' provisions. Six
hundred and fifty miles or more from its mouth and has found a new course for itself miration of all beholders.
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