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Gorm ins to Tsintao. The officer in command of the few troops which were here is strongly anti foreign, He proposed to go out and meet the enemy. He thought that a few words from him would turn them back, but if they would not listen to reason then he would be compelled to force! When the people heard that the Ger- mans had gone back to the coast they at once concluded that they were afraid to face the re- doubtable Major who made the above striking proposition.
Yesterday and to-day troops have been coming in from Têngchoufu and Chefoo. There are now about two thousand soldiers in the city.
Rumours of all kinds are flying about, and the feeling on the street is not as friendly as we would like to see it. In spite of the fright and profase promises of the officials, we do not seem to be any nearer to getting our various cases settled than we were a month ago. The fatuous blindness of these men is almost past belief. Verily, whom the gods would destroy they first make mad, or, to auswer the purpose even better, hopelessly conceited.-N. C. Daily News correspondent.
·THE FILIPINOS and THE HONG-
·KONG AND SHANGHAI BANK.
A SETTLEMENT ARRIVED AT,
The claim made upon the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank by Aguinaldo's representatives for the $200,000 deposited with the Bank has been settled, the money having been paid.
RUSSIA AND CHINA.
THE MASSACRE AT TALIEN-WAN.
The Kobe Chronicle translated from a Japan- ese paper the following press despatch dated Tokyo, 20th April :-
The Chinese Government recently opened negotiations with the Russian Government through the Chinese Minister at St. Petersburg to obtain redress for the shooting of Chinese peasants by Russian soldiers at Liao-tang. It is reported that Count Muravieff, the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs, informed the Chinese Minister at St. Petersburg that the Russian Government would not consent to the Chinese demand even if Chinese men-of-war appeared in the Baltic and Chinese troops at St. Petersburg, The Chinese Minister immediately telegraphed the reply to the Peking Govern- ment, but received instructions from the Em- press Dowager to continue the negotiations.
<FIGHTING BETWEEN OUSSACKS AND CHINESE,
We are indebted to a prominent retired Chinese official, now living at Shanghai for the following news received by him from a nephew who is an official in Kashgaria-A force of Cossacks from the Russian side of the frontier tried on the 3rd of April to oross the Chakmak Pass, but were successfully opposed by a squad. ron of Chinese and Burut Khirghiz troopers, After several hours' desultory firing the Cos- sacks recrossed to their own side, just as two mountain guns brought up from the fort ten miles to the east, began to fire on them. Rein- forcements are urgently needed both in Kash- garia as well as in Ili. Great anxiety is 'being felt about the present state of affairs in the New Dominion. The Trotai and the General commanding here (Kashgar city) have jointly petitioned Governor Jao that they refuse to accept responsibility in suppressing outbreaks amongst the Mahomedans here unless reinforce- ments be promptly sent to them. At least 5,000 infantry and 8,000 cavalry are required at once. They are all horsemen in this part of the country, hence the necessity of having strong bodies of cavalry to patrol the disaffected districts. Chakmak is a pass leading from Pamir into the Yengishar district.-N. C. Daily News.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE RULERS OF CHINA.
May 6, 1899.
To add to the troubles of the people, there | is an epidemio of measles
According to our native correspondent at infant mortality. Some moroad, with a high
has lately purchased some gold mines in the It is stated, too, that a Shanghai syndicate
neighbourhood and that work on these will shortly commence.
other disease of Peking, China is now ruled by two Manohus gastric character is also e epidemio. namely, the Grand Secretary Jung Lu and the An architect has arrived to build summer Assistant Grand Secretary Kang Yi. The Em-residences on ground purchased on the mainland press Dowager defers implicitly to the advice of by a Shanghai syndicate, not far from Flagstaff these two men, who are clever enough to give the Point, on which the North lighthouse is built. credit and responsibility of all their decisions to It is said that building lots have also been the Empress Dowager. The great ambition of purchased in Half Moon Bay, which lies about Jung Lu is to be proclaimed Grand Generalis two miles from the maťou. has been working his best to bring the 70,000 or simo of the forces of the whole Empire and he
80,000 men under his special command in Chi- bli province up to the best state possible, as far as within him lies, in regard to modern equipments The most sanguine could hardly say that the and discipline. Hence he does not often inter- Post Office gives satisfaction. A more frequent fere in purely civil departmental matters, these delivery, with an occasional saving in time when being generally left to Kang Yi, who has the s steamer calls with a bag for the Weihai office on board, will probably sum up its advantages. reputation of being a bigot and the bitterest enemy of the Reform Party. Jung Lu, who is But, so far, no arrangement seems to have been more of a soldier, being the nearest living rela- made for the European mail for Weihai to come tion of the Empress Dowager has naturally the by direct steamer. Certain it is the last English mail went up to Chefoo, though two steamers most influence over her. He is much less of a
came in from Shanghai that morning, one of bigot and has hitherto always counselled moder- ation and effectually prevented the sword and them bringing the mail for the fleet. It seems fire policy of Kang Yi against the Reform absurd, however, to charge domestic postage on Party-and against all foreigners, for that mat- some international mail papers, belated, and ter. Jung Lu, therefore, possesses more popa-brought in by direct steamer a few days later; larity amongst the masses than any half-a dozen whereas the same papers would have been de mandarins put together in Peking.-N. C. livered free in Chefoo. Parcels, too, were charged double domestic rates by direct Daily News."
steamer; single rates only are levied in Chefoo.
'WEL AIWEI.
18th April.
The territory leased to the British Govern- ment lies for the most part in Wentenghsien, bat a certain portion lies in Yangchinghsien. As mentioned in my last, the British authorities issued a proclamation forbidding payment of taxes to the Chinese officials within the leased area. This was shortly followed by one from the | local magistrate, a Sz, forbidding any interfer ence with the former proclamation. So far the British authorities have not issued instructionsas to how or when the taxes are to be paid. Mean- time the natives are in a dilemma, for, it is said, the Yungching magistrate has issued an order to the village headmen arging them to collect the taxes as usual, enquiring the cause of the delay, speaking of the contents of the British pro- clamation as rumour," and undertaking that the taxes will not require to be paid a second time ander any circumstances. This order is what is called a Yu-t'ieh and whilst your correspondent has not seen a copy himself, his authority for this statement is fairly good. Taxes in this locality are collected by a headman, the heads of families taking the duty in yearly terms. This headman is per- mitted to charge a small sum for the receipt which he brings back to such taxpayer from the hsien-say about twenty cash, sometimes less. So the business is not lucrative, and like the sheriff of an English county, the ti-fang stands to lose money. One of these men is said to have been beaten for failing to make his returns since the aformentioned proclamation issued. The Yungching magistrate has only an acting appointment there, and is about to be removed. As his share of the taxes amounts to something like twenty-five per cent, he is natur- ally anxions to make what hay he can in the little sunshine left to him. Moreover, natives themselves have no idea of the limits of the British territory; no proclamation defining them has ever been effectively issued, and even had that put out by the high authorities some months ago been circulated, who is to say how far thirty li from the Weihai Bay shore extends ? Here, as elsewhere in China, a li is more or less "accordingly." It is to be hoped the autho- rities will shortly put an end to this very un- satisfactory state of things.
was
Food-staffs increase in price. Maize, im- ported from Manchuria, is the principal grain used. Five years ago it sold at about sixteen cash per catty, now it fetches say thirty or thirty-two. At what figure must prices stand before it will pay to import from America? Could not a cargo be made to pay at present rates? It would find a ready market. The new magistrate at Wenteng has issued a pro- clamation offering to distribute one hundred passports" to the merchants here, to enable them to obtain grain at places where its export
at present prohibited.
An American blue-jacket from the Charleston,
· named Jeremiah O'Sullivan, died suddenly in
house in Graham street, on Tuesday night," disease being supposed to have been the of death.
|
On the other hand, it is right to give prais when praise is due, and since, the Imperial Post Office was instituted I have not lost a letter. Is that because I use French stamps which are cheaper than British Would our friends in Shanghai and elsewhere not do well to send their correspondence through the French Office,::and so save a little money in these days of close cutting-besides, of course, saving the Hong- kong Office not a little trouble?
The Alacrity arrived to-day. The Iphigenia and Phoenix are the only other ships in harbour. The Centurion is expected to-morrow.-N. O. Daily News correspondent.
ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUÌ. CIDE AT MANILA,
The American contains the following accoun of a sensational occurrence at Manila:-
A fashionable resort at No. 30, Calle Real, was on the 18th April the scene of an attempted murder of a dashing blonde, and the fatal sui- side of the ardent lover. The patrol had just passed down the street upon his beat and was halting weary pedestrians who were out after seven o'clock, when the sharp orack of two pistol shots resounded on the still night. The guard hurried back to where the sound came from and rushed upstairs to find Lieutenant Guerri of the Spanish reserve, lying dead in a pool of blood with a bullet through his brain from a, 45 Smith and Wesson revolver, caused by his,
own band.
A young woman with flaxen hair and hazel® eyes, with a bullet wound through her right breast, was lying back in a rocking chair in dead faint, while a sorrowing mother was bending over her daughter who she thought was dying. The guard soon took in the situa tion and called for a glass of water and when the young lady had revived, she walked to the drugstore on the corner unaided. A doctor was called and the wound dressed. In the meantime the body of the dead lieutenant was sent to the hospital of San Juan de Dios, from which place his funeral took place on the 19th.
The following is the true story of the affair by the Mother of Lolita Fernanden, the young lady in question, and upon whom the attempt to murder was made :---
"My daughter kept company with the lieu- tenant when he was in the army. He knew my daughter was to come into a large amount of money when she became of age. She for a time accepted his attentions. He later resigned his commission and has done nothing since. That was over a year ago.. About five months ago my daughter learned that he was not the man she thought he was and as a dutiful daughter told me so. I then forbid hin house and my daughter also did the same. called several times during that time b on other protesta, Tuesday night,
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