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THE CHINA BLUE BOOK AND THE KOWLOON EXTENSION,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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[April 22, 1899.
appearance than it did
the time. When the Tsungli Yamen forwarded to Sir CLAUDE MAC- DONALD a desptach from the Viceroy of Canton enclosing proposed regulations for the new territory, the Minister, after form- ally acknowledging receipt of the despatch and reminding the Yamen of the Conven- tion that had been entered into, "in which "all relevant matters were included in clear detail," went on to say, "It is, therefore, out of the question that the Governor- General of Canton should be permitted to draw up regulations for the loan of his "district. Ais action is quite uncalled for,
proper defence of Hongkong, to con- operations and relying upon the Chinese "tinue." The above mesasges were ex- authorities for protection. Such a course changed by telegram. In a written despatch was calculated to invite disaster and (Daily Press, 15th April.)
of the 27th May the Minister records the humiliation, and that these have-not serious than they have The last mail brought out the blue book course of the negotiations in detail, and, after proved more
must be China, No. 1, 1899," which contains cor- adverting to the Chinese insistence on
set down simply to good respondence dating from 29th March, 1898, retaining jurisdiction over Kowloon city- fortune. As soon as it was decided to to the 3rd February, 1899. The most an insistence which appears to have rested commence the erection of police barracks interesting portion of the documents to mainly on sentimental considerations-heat Taipo, a military guard should have been Hongkong readers are those referring to says:-"I do not, as I have already said, placed in charge. Had this been done the the Kowloon Extension, but unfortunately expect the Chinese jurisdiction in the city opposition would never have gained head. the series is incomplete, a footnote to a to be of long continuance, but I should If for any reason it was deemed inexpedi- despatch from Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD of "be sorry, for the sake of general British ent to station troops in any part of the ter the 4th July reading:
:-"The demarcation "interests in China, if, after the Chinese ritory until it was formally taken over, then "of the extension of Hongkong territory
"have met our wishes in so friendly a the erection of the police-station should not having been completed and the order spirit, we were at once to set to work to have been deferred until after the flag had "in Council applicable to it not having
"obtain a further concession." We hope, been hoisted. In view of the subsequent "been promulgated, no further papers however, that the continuance of Chinese events, the recent visit of the Governor to on the subject can be published at jurisdiction may be even shorter than Sir the Viceroy of Canton to solicit the proteo- "present." Subsequent to that date there CLAUDE anticipated, and that means may be tion of Chinese "braves" for British officials are letters from the China Association found of bringing it to an end without and British property bears an even more and suggestions by the Viceroy of Canton in any way prejudicing general British | undignified which latter, forwarded through the Tsungli interests in China. The collection of the Yamen, Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD declined opium revenue for China by the Hongkong to consider but the regular departmental Government ought to conduce to that end, despatches come to an end with Sir CLAUDE and to that, under the circumstances, Hong- MACDONALD'S of the 4th July, in which he kong can hardly object, being already onclosed Bir ROBERT HART'S suggestions pledged to do what it can to prevent with reference to the protection of the Chin-smuggling into China. "Previous to the ose revenue. We are consequently left unenlightened as to the recommendations of the local Government on this knotty and mach-debated subject, except for the clue afforded by Mr. CHAMBERLIN's despatch Saturday's Gazette, published in last in which, addressing the Governor, the Eecretary of State says:-"No time should "be lost in giving attention to the third question, that of the prevention of smug- # gling into China and the collection of the "Chinese Customs duties on opium. You will see that Her Majesty's Government "have come to the conclusion, which—if I "understand right-is your own conclusion also, that the only satisfactory solution of this question will be the establishment of some system whereby the Chinese Customs duties on opium imported into Ching from Hongkong, including the newly-added territory, shall be actually collected by "the Government of Hongkong."
As the Chamber of Commerce and the China Association have given their assent to the principle of bonded warehouses for opium, they will probably not object to the Govern- ment actually collecting the revenue payable to China on shipments of the drug imported from Hongkong.
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Another point on which the colony bas been anxiously waiting for enlightenment is that relating to the continuance of Chin- ese jurisdiction in Kowloon city. How and why was this objectionable provision in- serted in the concession? On the 26th April Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD telegraphed to the Marquess of SALISBURY:"The negotiations would be much assisted if we grant the continuation of Chinese jurisdiction in the city of Kowloon. Neither in Kinchow nor in Kianchau Chinese jurisdiction to cease. In the case of the former a special arrange- "ment to this effect has been made, al though Kinchow is within the territory "of the Liaotung Peninsula which has been "leased to Russia. Kiaochau also is within the sphere of German influence, but is not included in the territory in Shantung which has been leased to Germany." Mr. BALFOUR replied that the town was peces sary, but Sir CLAUDE again represented that "the cession of the city of Kowloon is "the principal difficulty," and Mr. BAL
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replied Chinese administration, po far as it may not be inconsistent with the military requirements for the
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" inclusion of Mirs Bay in the lease," writes Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD, "I was authorised "by the Colonial Office, through your Lordship, to promise an energetic enforce-
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can be rightly expected from them, but I "think that by pledging themselves before "the extension of territory is actually "assured, they may find it more easy to "reconcile the local public to measures "otherwise perhaps distasteful.”
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aud his regulations are unworthy of consid- "eration." It was to this official, so severely censured by the Minister for his uncalled for interference, that the Governor subsequently applied for protection.
ment of existing arrangements, and with "that inclusion the necessity for the assis- "tance of the Colonial authorities in pre- "venting smuggling becomes much greater. Protection of the revenue of China is not primarily the duty of the Colonial Gov- ernment, but that duty is morally imposed on them by the circumstances under which they obtain an increase of territory, for It may be remembered that in October our demand was based on, and justified last a communication by a c correspondent, "soley by, the necessity of providing for the who is now proved to have been in the "better protection of Hongkong. I do not main well informed, appeared in our mean to suggest that the Hongkong Gov-columns, in which it was stated that the "ernment would be slow to do whatever Provincial Authorities, while openly giving the instructions necessary with reference to
affording the Hon. J. H. STEWART LOOK- HART facilities for the investigation he was then conducting, had given secret orders, probably instigated from Peking, to put all obstacles possible in the way of the tranfer of government. It was further stated that Mr. LOCKHART and his party having finished their survey and departed from the district, word went forth that the foreigners were going to dispossess the natives of their land, and that it would be necessary to raise money for the purchase, in Canton, of arms, to resist the encroachment of the foreigner when it took place; that in accordance with this programme a subscription had been raised amongst the population of the district, who feared the loss of their title to the land, and over $100,000 had been raised; and that all the rowdy characters in the surrounding district had been encouraged to take hand in the distur- bance when it came off, on the taking over of the territory. The result is now known. The elaborate ceremony that was prepared to mark the hoisting of the flag has bad to be abandoned owing to the machinations of the Chinese officials.
THE TAKING OVER OF THE NEW TERRITORY AND THE NATIVE OPPOSITION.
(Daily Press, 17th April.) The anticipation of the date of hoisting the flag on the new territory and the abandonment of the public ceremony that was to have attended it will have caused considerable public disappointment, not unmixed, perhaps, with some little amuse ment. The new territory has been taken over, but without the éclat that was to have attended the event, and the public has been deprived of what was looked forward to as a pleasant little outing and an opportunity of indulging in an outburst of patriotic fervour. To-day will still be nominally observed as a public holiday, but there will be no flag-hoisting ceremony, it having been found necessary to hoist the flag yesterday and assume sovereignty over the territory in order to suppress the opposition that was being arranged. The circumstances will no doubt give occasion for reflections on the little wisdom with which we are governed, and for gibes at official ineptitude.
For days past the opinion has been freely expressed that the ceremony ar- ranged for to-day would not take place without a hitch. The mistake made by the Government was in engaging in building
The villagers of Taipo and the neigh- bourhood are not averse to the British
occupation. The hostile force, about a thousand strong, that fired upon the British on Saturday, was composed of Tungkun men, brought from many milea distance. They were not men fighting un- der a mistaken impression that their inter- ests were affected as might have been the case with the local people but were mere mercenaries. Whence did the money,
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