- December 10, 1898.]
government, elected a President and officers, and declare themselves independent of Aguinal- do, the United States, Spain, or any other country.
Your correspondent was in Batangas some little time ago, where there were several com panies of infantry, constantly drilling, throwing up quiok trenches and levelling them down again, charging imaginary enemies, and so on. Troops were arriving daily in little coasting steamers and everything was being made ready for an expedition to the south. Finally some bosts did set out and their destination was said to be Iloilo and other cities, but the great point of attack was admitted to be Iloilo. If, as Aguinaldo says, these people now fighting are his men, the very men your cor- respondent saw at Batangas, it seems very unlikely that the above stories can be true.
EXCITABLE INSURGENT PAPERS.
For several days the various papers run by Philippinos in Manila have been printing some. what sweeping statements as to their expecta tions for the future. The Independencia is the leader in extremis. At this stage of the game it is extremely foolish to indulge in such
ap-
utterances. The latest article is one that peared on November 30th. It outlines the ac-
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
TRADE AND REVENUE OF HONGKONG.
In forwarding the Hongkong Blue Book for 1897 Major-General W. Black submits a brief report on the chief features of the year, from which the following is an extract:-
The revenue collected during the year amount. ed to $2,686,914.70, as against $2,609,878.94 collected in the preceding year, and as against $1,427,485.79 collected in the year 1887: this shows an increase of revenue during the last ten years of $1,259,428.91 (or approximating to 100 per cent.), whilst the population, daring the same period, has only increased by 35,759 or 16.79 per cent. The expendi ture for 1897 showed an increase of $166,000, | among the items being one of $116,000 ex- penditure for the Queen's Jubilee celebration. Twenty-one cases of bubonio plague were re- ported during the year. The trade of 1897 was on the whole unsatisfactory from a local point of view, and more especially in imports, which were adversely affected by the low rate of exchange and the scarcity of the circulating me- diam, factors which not only restricted business, but greatly curtailed profits. In cotton piece- goods business opened dull, but improved ; tone prevailed,
tions of the Philippino Commissioner in Paris, during the summer a heaverage of recent
The article asserts throughout that they must have their rights, that they dislike war and hope for peace, but peace only with independence. As your correspondant has indicated, for a long time this feeling has been slowly but surely developing and gaining strength.
transactions being above
where, while waiting for the decision of the Peace Conference, he stated that "the Philip-years, due possibly to some stimulus derived pinos will not allow their homes and hearths to from the opening of the West River in June, be bought and sold like merchandise. They but later in the year an adverse exchange re- will be ready to fight to the end in defence of stricted demand, while at the close business came their rights. We have said this more than once,
to a standstill owing to the extreme tightness of and although it has been taken as arrogance on
money. The result was a falling-off in the the part of a newly born people we say again volume of business as compared with 1896, and that the Philippinos will put up with nothing this was even more marked in the case of fancy less than their Independence."
and woollen goods. The trade in English cotton yarns compared favourably with that of the preceding year, and is reported to have been profitable to dealers, but the margin of profit to importers was slender. Compared with the business transacted in 1896, the trade in Indian yarns must be pronounced as unfavourable. The prevalence of plague in Bombay, the pro- hibition of import into Tongking during three months of the year, the violent fluctua tion in rupee exchange, and the serious fall in the dollar prices of yarn during the final quar- ter of 1897 combined to check the import of the Indian product and promote that of its Japanese rival. Since the opening of the West River to foreign trade on June 3 last, regular communi- cation has been established, and it is hoped that this new outlet will, in course of time, prove of considerable advantage to the commercial inter- ests of the colony.
The Philippino writer gives credit to the United States for indirect aid, by the blockade of Manila, thus leading up to triumph; but argues that without the help of the United States the victory of the natives would have been just as complete though perhaps a little delayed. This latter statement is greatly exaggerated, for if it had not been for the destruction of the arsenal and naval base at Cavite and the sinking of the ships, to say no- thing about bringing Åguinaldo and his leaders back to the Islands, everyone knows that gress would have been at a snail's pace, but as the Independencia asserts, there is a possibility that in the course of time, and a long time at that, the natives might have been victorious.
pro-
The old question of Spain trying to cede a land that does not belong to her is dragged in again with an addition-Nor can America make hers that which she has not received from Spain."
"If the slave trade was abolished because it meant selling people, why sell coun- tries whose people have the right to object to becoming part of another nation? No; we will never cease to protest against such an absurd sale of our country. The Philippinos have their programme and they will carry it out whatever happens.
46
Washington. said: "What matters it to us the paying of a few pounds more or less for pounds of tea? We discuss only our rights,
16
We (Philippinos) likewise-What matters it to us venturing into a war the end of which we cannot foresee? We fight only for our rights."
A likin station in the district of Tai-hsing near Nanking, was raided by a strong band of robbers on the night of the 23rd November and relieved of nearly Tis. 4,000, taxes collected by the deputy in charge. This is the second time within two months that the station has been robbed and it is suspected by the same band. In the first robbery some Tls. 5,000 were taken which the local authorities, military and civil, were compelled to replace in the provincial treasury. A force of 100 militia-men was then detailed to the station as a guard, but it seems that when the robbers made their appearance this time the valiant guards vanished before a single shot was fired by the robbers.-N. C. Daily News,
THE EXTENSION OF HONGKONG.
479
unlike the Highlands of Scotland. It is felt that with the establishment
as in the
government in the territory there will British case of Hongkong and Singapore, be a large influx of Chinese, and that a speedy develop- ment of Kowloon may be expected. One of the early works to be commenced on the administra- tion being taken over by the British will pro- bably be the construction of new roads, and it is hoped that in due time a railway between Kowloon and Canton will be made. A ques tion that still has to be settled is that of the re- tention of the Chinese Customs stations, and on this matter the opinion is expressed that the representations made on this subject to the Bri- tish Government by so important a body as the Hongkong Chamber of Commerce, urging the removal of the Chinese Customs, will be consi- dered with due regard to the importance of the matter.
PRINCE HENRY IN HONGKONG.
Prince Henry of Prussia arrived in Hong- kong in the Deutschland on Saturday. H.. Sir Henry Blake went off to receive him, and subsequently went over the Powerful with him.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT WUCHOW.
[FROM A CORRESPONDENT.]
Wuchow, 1st December. A serious fire broke out about noon to-day in the east end of the town, outside the city wall, amongst the poorer houses and bamboo mat structures lying at the back of Messrs. gained ground and by two o'clock was in fall Butterfield & Swire's property. It quickly blaze. The various manual engines were got steam pumping station also contributed its to work with commendable promptitude and the stream of water; but the latter, owing to the pipes connected with it not being laid in that end of the town, was not of much use. Two men are said to have lost their lives and hun. dreds
are homeless. The foreshore and the piece of property belonging to Messrs. Butter- field's, off which the huts, etc., have been lately. cleared, afforded them a place of refuge for their goods and chattels,
Reuter's Agency learns that the question of the future administration and settlement of the Kowloon extension of Hongkong is now under consideration by the Imperial authorities, who are in possession of the report drawn up by the British Commission which recently completed a tour over the whole of the leased territory. Some apprehension has been expressed in vari- ous quarters regarding the native city of Kow. loon, which, it is alleged, is the resort of bad characters, and would form a sort of Alsatia within the British sphere. This fear, it is pointed out, is unfounded, and can only be based on a misapprehension. Kowloon City is a small walled city, the majority of whose in. habitants are Chinese soldiers forming the gar- rison there. In addition to the troops, there are only about 200 civilians in the place. This city is distant about half a mile from the seashore, and its suburbs, which are of course outside the walls, run down to the edge of the harbour opposite to Hongkong. It is in these suburbs that the gambling dens are situated and where the dangerous classes complained of have congregated. These suburbs, being outside the city walls, are by the Convention leased to Great Britain. The extent of the territory leased by the Chinese Government is nearer 400 miles in extent than the 200 originally reported. The total population numbers about 100,000 people, who live in a number of populous villages scattered throughout the country. In many parts the land is well cultivated, and especially in the west. It is very fertile. No difficulty is to be apprehended with the people. The country in parts is said to possess great natural beauty, and to be not'
all other foreigners and their properly escaped. Messrs. Bowie & Co.'s Hong was burned, but Large quantities of kerosine are stored in the shops and houses although the danger of this has been frequently pointed out to the Chinese officials, who, however, content themselves with saying it is not to be stored, but take no means to enforce their decrees. In one instance we believe the fire reached the next house to one where some 500 cases were stored!
NEW STEAMER FOR FORMOSA.
}
Last week the trial took place of a very creditable addition to the already large number of steamers turned out by local builders. The vessel is named the Taiwanfoo and is built for a private company for work on the Formosa coast, where she will shortly be supplemented by several other boats, one of which is under construction by the same builders, Tong Sing and Co., of Wanchai. The Taiwanfoo is 112 feet by 18 feet 6 inches by 7 feet 6 inches and will carry 120 tons of cargo on 6 feet 6 inches draft. She is comfortably fitted up with European quarters, saloon, &c., and has accommodation for 28 Chinese passengers. She has a large ballast tank forward by which the vessel may be tipped. for orossing bars and on the trial this was filled and emptied in 20 minutes by a special arrange- ment of pumps designed by Mr. W. S. Bailey, the company's Superintendent. The vessel was built under the inspection of Messrs. Bailey and Le Breton, and the trial proved the work to be thoroughly well done. In order to make the trial severe and approxi mate the conditions of actual work on the rough coast of Formosa the vessel was taken round Hongkong right outside the islands where a heavy swell was encountered and the boat was tried uur sail; with 60 tons of coal on board the log s wed a speed of nearly 10 knots. ⠀⠀
The party on board consisted of Messrs. Mum. ford (Lloyd's Surveyor) Harrison, Bailey (Con- sulting Engineer), Hastings (representing the owners), Captain Mayelsdorf, and other friends, An excellent tiffin to which complete justice was
:
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.