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198
[March 11, 1890.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
the North Sea, had built up for themselves a vast point drew a line and said, "Thus far shalt world-wide empire. He admired the indepen-thou go and no farther, and if you do pass that dence of spirit of Englishmen, the go-ahead char- line we are prepared to go to war.” The result acter which had led to their opening out new fields, was that Russia's progress in Central Asia had in treading new paths, in striking out new work not been stopped for a single week, and Eng- all over the world, but he despised that ap- land had set every Russian to think that the parently innate valgarity which characterised British empire was the sworn foe of his country. a very large section of the population. He (the (Hear, hear.) The lecturer mentioned Eng lecturer) was afraid that if the truth must be land's wavering policy on the north-west frontier told they were without exception the most of India. They might be told that this was vulgar race in the civilised world. (Laughter.) due to the exigencies of party Government. This vulgarity did not as a general rule show That was no doubt true so far as it went, but it itself to any appreciable extent in the upper did not go to the root of the matter. The root classes. English ladies and English gentlemen of the matter was the want of imagination and were recognised as ladies and gentlemen in the perception, the slowness, the dullness, the an. most refined and fastidious cricles all over the sympathetic character of the average English- world, but in the lower middle and lower
man. The masses required education and en- orders of the population this vulgarity ran lightenment; they required to be taught the mag- strong and wide. It was not due to poverty, nificence of the great empire handed down from because it was frequently observable that their forefathers; the present conditions by which - the richer and more prosperous among they maintained that empire, and the methods these people were the most vulgar. It and processes by which they might hope to was not due to lack of education. Among hand it down unimpaired to their posterity. the ignorant and barbarous savages of West There was a very important and collateral Atrica there was no vulgarity, although there aspect of this question which he wanted to was a great deal of poverty and dense and crass bring before them, and that was the necessity ignorance. He supposed that among civilised which he thought they were under of cultivat- populations the most ignorant and backward ing in their children imagination, perception, were to be found in the remote districts of the individual fanoy, the individual taste, the Spain. He had travelled among these people, individual idiosyncracies of character if they and he could give his own impression for what were to contend with any hope of success against it was worth. Although their manners were the levelling stream of modern progress (Hear, undoubtedly free and independent and easy hear,)-for the present undeniable tendency of there was no vulgarity among them. He the stream of modern progress was to level thought the vulgarity of Englishmen was them all down to one uniform mass wherein due to the slowness, the dullness, the all individuality of character, all individual poverty of their imagination. It was fancy would be destroyed. The lecturer showed due to the want of sympathy with other how this levelling tendency affected all classes of people's feelings and want of sympathy and the community, and in conclusion repeated appreciation of other people's ideas. This that the masses required to be taught the poverty of spirit, this want of appreciation of magnificence of the great heritage which had the sublime and of the magnificent, had worked been handed down to them from their fore- untold mischief in the history of the empire. fathers, the vast expansion which the British It lost as the American colonies. The men of that empire had undergone in the past, its vast day had no souls to realise the magnificent and possibilities of further advancement, and the princely heritage which they had in North grand role which it ought to play in the America. He proceeded to give a few instances world as a great peace-loving enlightened power of the working of this defect of character in working steadily for the welfare and the pro- our home and colonial policy, taking first the gress of mankind. (Applause). question of Egypt. Here he said they occupied an utterly false he would not say immoral- position before the world. Years ago they pledged themselves to remove their troops from Egypt and they had not carried out that pledge. This was because their Government and their politicians could never make up their minds between two opposite and contrasted lines of policy in Egypt.
oroft, and Commander Ethelston, of H.M.S. Powerful. The dance programme contained twenty-one numbers and three supper engage ments. A set supper was laid in the theatre by Mr. Farmer, of the "New Victoria," who provided a sumptuous repast. The tables were decorated, in addition to a big array of flowers, with cups, goblets, and many other articles of gold and silver, being presentations or trophies won by the regiment. They comprised two shields for football and orioket; one gold and four silver "Red Dragon" racing cups; two gold goblets, presented by Col. Bell, v.o., C.B.; goblets by Capt. W. J. Steward, Monmouth shire Light Infantry; by officers 21st R. North British Fusiliers; by 9th Lancers at Woolwich in 1817; cups by Captain Mitchell Molyneaux. Lt. Col. Bulwer, C.B., 1865; 8t. David's Cup by Captain Sydney Millett, 1865; Captain Chas. Morgan; Major. J.Knoxlett; silver jugs by Major. J. Duff and Col. R. B. Harkett; flower bowls by Captain F. de G. H. Helbert, Major and Brevet Lt. Col. Gubbins, by Captain Ed. R. B. Moore at Crete; Major J. Knoxlett; eight silver candlesticks and two lamps by Captain | R. W. Ethalston, brother of Commander Ethel- stou of H.M.S. Powerful; and a steeple chase cap, won by "Thorpe," owned by Sir Horace MoMahon, and ridden by Captain B. K. Hanbury at Aldershot in 1894. With a few other smaller presentations, the whole of the gold and silver displayed has a value at tached of over four thousand dollars. There were two sittings for supper which were worked with tickets, a plan that proved to be a very successful introduction." A re- freshment bar was provided downstairs for gentlemen, and adjoining, in the library, oard tables. Drinks, expect at supper, had to be par ohased. Remarks concerning this were passed; but when it is known that only thirty-two per sons were entirely responsible for the expenses of the whole function, the matter of payment for stimulants was a mere trifle and a pleasure. The M.C.'s were Col. Sergt. Ridings, Sergt. Kelly, and Sergt. Drummer Mackie, who car- ried out their respective duties with much tact The flowers and plants were kindly lent from the Botanical Gardens. The decora- tions took days to fix, but were all taken down aud cleared away in eight or nine hours after the last dance took place. There was only oue thing to mar the occasion: an accident to Private Christopher Ganghram. He was told off to see the plants safely returned to the Botanical Gardens, and after taking one cart, load there, he mounted the trolly to ride down the hill. The coolies in charge were unable to control the thing and let go of the ropes Ganghram jumped from the cart as it sped down the bill and cleared it, but he fell close to the shafts, and as the ends came near him the cart swerved and the crossbar of the shafts, ran through his arm, causing injuries which, it is feared, will necessitate amputation.
LECTURE BY COLONEL KLSDALE, R.E.
On the 6th March a lecture was delivered in the City Hall, under the auspices of the Odd Volumes' Society, by Colonel Elsdale, R.E, the subject being “Our national weak points." | itis Excellency Major-General Gascoigne, C.M.G., presided, and His Excellency Sir Henry Blake, G.C.M.G., was also present. There was a good attendance. After a few introductory words from the Chairman,
Colonel ELSDALE remarked that last year they had a lecture from Mr. Drummond, of Shanghai, the general tone and purpose of which seemed to be the glorification of the British empire. In the course of a conversation afterwards he ven- tured to remark, without in the last disparaging the lecture, that what they now wanted was a leo-
The first of these was
what he might call the "hands off and concert of Europe" policy. That was a teuable line of policy and a practical policy, but they did not adopt it. The next line of policy which any reasonable statesman would have adopted was what they now called the imperialistic policy. The lecturer proceeded to give instances of vacillation and lack of foresight on the part of the British Government in connection
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were
The CHAIRMAN remarked that those among them who, like himself,
not
рге- pared to go quite as far as Colonel Elsdale and who were not quite disposed to agree with him in all matters would admit that the lecture had been intensely interest. ing. He would tell them what was run- ning through his mind the whole of the time Colonel Elsdale was touching upon their national defects, and that was-was there any body but an Englishman who could have got upon a platform and preached about those de- foots as Colonel Elsdase had done, and would
any
audience but an English audience have listened to the slating they had listened to not only with complacency but actually with ap- plause. They had heard a great deal of their national defects, but he thought the characteristic he had spoken of had made and would make them a great nation-and that was that they were always as Englishmen prone to look into their na tional defects. Other nations were rather inclined to sit down and say that everything which was going on in that nation was for the best. The national tendency of the English was to look for their defects, and it was by this means that they came to remedy them and became the nation which they were. (Hear, hear.) He thought, therefore, that everyone of them owed a deep debt of gratitude to Colonel Elsdale for his interesting lecture, and he would ask them if they agreed with him to signify it by their applause and thus socord a hearty vote of thanks to Colonel Elsdale,
"OUR NATIONAL WEAK POINTS." with other portions of the African con- tinent. He said that for a long period of years
it was perfectly clear to every thinking man that the position of the Port- uguese in Delagoa Bay must become a sharp thorn in the side of British progess in South Africa. The Portuguese set no store on it themselves and at one time would have accepted a very small sum in compensation. Lord Carn arvon, one of the best Colonial Ministers they ever had, undertook to buy the claims of Portu- gal out of Delagoa Bay for a sum which was never publicly mentioned in the House of Com- mons he thought, but which it was generally understood would be under a hundred thousand pounds. But the Government would not rise to the occasion, and now he supposed they would be very glad to give the Portuguese a million or a couple of millions for Delagoa Bay. Speaking about Russian progress in Central Asia, the lecturer said that personally he thought Eng land Lad no ground of complaint against Russia
Mr. C. W. Duggan, J.P., has been appointed for annexing those countries which lay at her doors. England had no claim to them and Secretary of the Hongkong Sanitary Board, what she should have done was to view Russian and commenced his duties yesterday morning. progress in a friendly spirit, on to draw a line Mr. Duggan has been in the Government and say thus far and no farther, but she did service since 1869. He commenced as an Inspec- not do this. Time after time more or less tor of Police. He subsequently became secund angry despatches passed between England and clerk at the Central Police Station, and then Eussia. England was always barking and grow-first clerk and paymaster. In 1893 the style ling at the heels of Russia, but she never at any of the latter once was changed to paymaster.
ture on their weak points. No one had come for- ward in the interim to deal with the question, and so he would trust to their kind indulgence that afternoon while he did his best on the subject. If they could see themselves as others saw them, if they could look at themselves with the eyes of an intelligent foreigner, he thought they might find much that would profit them. The average and intelligent foreigner on the Continent of Europe fully recognised and ad- mired the energy and o capacity of Englishmen, who, starting from a small group of islands in
This request was heartily responded to, as was a similar request made by Mr. J. J. Franois, Q.C., in respect to the Major-General for presiding,
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