208
THE SITUA÷ION AT PEKING. *}* (Daily Press, 7th September,)
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
report that he found anarchy, brigandage, and disorder in
provinces, while tra le fi was everywhere obstructed and restricted through the official squeezes nind the black mliling of the banditti. Hé could *^nlso! veraciously state that capital was either leaving the country for investment elsewhere
Nothing can be nivre uncertain than the tricts of the home of the most fertile dis
|September 9, 1899.
THE ANGLO-RUSSIIN LAND DISPUTE A HANKOW
(Daily Press, 4th September.
situation at Peking. The practical de ement of the Emperor KWANG, Su ininly not, introduced stability into politics, notwithstanding the great personal influefice and undoubted subtlety or being concealed nud koärded to save its gress=”” In nuy aise it is ìì form of settlement
G
possessors from suffering extortion or under
of
the
The referring of the Hankow dispute, to arbitration may possibly be regarded as one. of the first-fruits of the recent Peace Con
to which Britishers can hardly take ex caption, assuming that the court of arbitra-
fideuce in its impartiality. The question the court will have to decide is whether British British settlement can be compulsorily dis- subjects owning property in China outside a possessed. In the event of the verdict being in the affirmative the dispossessed, owners
would be entitled to full compensation, both
cases in
in equity and by trenty, but there are
which
ich property-owners may for various reasons decline to be bought out at nny price if they can possibly avoid it. The cision will not only affect the particular present onse is an important c
tone, asitheile-
Piece of property now in dispute, but will
ticulars of the Inuikow ene will be found determine the tenure of extra-settlement property at all the treaty, ports. The par-
of the Empress Downger. Whilst there is no question us to her grasp.
of
power and prompt appreciation of the position, it is going robbery. He could likewise prove, tion is so constituted as to command con- equally certain that her supporters are dis without difficulty, that the maintenance united among themselves Prince CHIN two Customs services, competing with ench who represents the Manghuinnt iho com- other was ʼn fruitful source of loss mands, the Peking Field Force and other Imperial exchequer, and recommend the amalgamation of the Hoppo's department -Banner corps, estiunted to number some with the Imperial Maritime (ustoms coliec- 60,000, all belonging to the ruling ree.torate. Whether the Lord High Extor represents the Court and dynastic party, ouer will be sufficiently faithful to the who in the eyeut of the fecense of the interests of the Throne to do this, or whete Empress Downger, would probably restore the unfortunate. KWANG SU to his lost her, being sympathetic with, the great squeeze system che will content himself dignity and estate. JUNG LU, who was with endeavouring to secure a present utilised by the Empress to effect the coup handsome contribution from the Two Kwang d'état of the 21st August, 1898, has acquired by squeezing the gentry, and the wealthy a great deal of power since that event, and traders, remains to be seen. Experience of *virtually controls the Wuwej Army, Chinesa force numbering in all some 80,000 that the latter will be his most probable his methods would, incline us to the opinion men, and he is said to be strongly inimical
course. KANG is not of the stuff out of to the Manchu influence. The Empress which reformers are constructed. He set out in Lord CitARL'S BERESFORD's re- Dowager has therefore to hold the balance
ceat book. The listinguished author tells us: pears to be a mere timeserver, aud has been between these factions, opposed by race and selected by the EMPRESS DOWAGER as a use interest to each other, and evidently finds ful tool for a special purpose. The time for it no easy task. But her rare cunning and strategy- and woman's wit will no doubt any real reform in the administration is not
yet. The necessity` f
for it may, in a dimi discover a way out of the coil. It is re
sort of way, be recognised by the old Lady, ported that some changes in the provincial who made such short work of the party of administrations are imminent, which if
progress when it was rising into prominence during KWANG SO's brief self-assertion, buttion taken up by the French and Russian she is not likely to admit it voluntarily or to authorise any practical measures of re-
correct would go to show that the old lady's resourcefulness has not failed her in this crisis. Yu Lu, the Viceroy of Chibli, has been appointed, it is said, to succeed Liu KUN- Yl, as Viceroy of the Hukwang, and the post thus vacated it is proposed to fill by the restoration, of Li HuNG-CHANG to his old position at Tientsin, as Viceroy of the metropolitan province. If this be true the move has been dictated, no doubt, by the desire of the EMPRESS to bring the veteran LI HUNG-CHANG, again into a position where he can support the Throne As Viceroy of Chihli Li was formerly the most powerful and influential mandarin in the Empire, of which he was always a pillar, in spite, probably, of a lurking ambition to secure the control of the destinies of the great country whose foreign policy he guided so long. Meantime the EMPRESS DowAGEIt is declared to be
form.
The British merchants here also dwelt
on the very unsatisfaeli,ry position in "which British subjects find themselves "with regard to the rights of property—1.e. us to land bought outside the British con- cessi and registered at the British Con- “sulare under Chinese title deerls. ... The complaints made were relative to the posi-
"authorities in Hankow; who have, seized “upon properties which not only the regis Whether Li Hung-chang would attempt | s
**ters, but stones delineating the boundaries, to influence Her Majesty in this direction,There is no doubt that British subjects prove.........to belong to British subjects. if restored to power at Tientsiu, is also, pro-have been deliberately deprived of their blematical. The veteran was never really partial to progress except in so far as he
property by the nction of the French and thought the acquisition of arms, gunboats,
"Russian Consuls and arsenals placed a new power of reais. There has long been a British con- tance to Western influence in the hands of cession at Hakow, but certain British China. He would be more likely, it is to
firms, neluling Messrs. Jardine, Matheson be feared, to play into the hands of Russia&Co., have acquire properties outside and work for the inflation of his already distended and plethoric purse than to labour for the good of his country or for the salvation of the dynasty. Past experience has shown this unscrupulous and unprincipled official
such an unfavourable light that no British
"
.11.
the limits of that concession. In 1896 France mid Russia, and the area conceded concessions were mule respectively lo to the latter Paser Imppens to include MATHESON & Co. The land, is stated by the property owned by Messrs. Jardinis
Lord CHARLEs Beresford, is held under
seems not improbable, that this and it | subject and few Chinamien; could desire his | Chinese title deeds: Can it then be treated.
COL
venient indispoition which will enable Hei Majesty to defer any decisions of importance and will furnish an excuse for refusing to listen to any representations from either of the rivál factions for the purpose of clipping the wings of the other.
over to another Power with the sole condi- as though it were still Chipese and be made. tion that the latter shall compensate the owner? All the treaties provide that land acquired by the subjects of the Trenty and Chinic naturally bas
reinstatement in a position where he woukl be able to again sacrifice the best interests of his country for the sake of personal gain or advancement. It may be said with truth that L. HUNG-CHANG never sought to raise himself at the expense of thế dynasty; although there were obvious scrupulous travelling agent of Her Majesty the Chinese official is always timid and KANG YI, who has succeeded in “raising | ready to shrink from embarking on a stej
to some extent in the Central | which might lead to destruction instead of the Chinese rights of property therein shall
Powers from
In the interim that active and not very temptations to seize supreme power; bút | før at á für Ihese subjects shall be nuid
+
the wind Parvinces, is said to be coming south to
a right to make territorial concessions toge Treaty Powers on the understand ng that
be cancelled upon payment of the full vâluo
Canton, with a view, no doubt, to see what to no Throus. Be that as it may man that the broperty shall thereupon, be-
نوبی
can be collected for the use of the Court in the Two Kwang provinces. KANG KA
Yu, who ned for himself the Gilberting title f Lord High Extortionery will hardly find in the Southern provinces, where dopulation, find the hand of " feerny.
ciently heavy without being ossible, however the
lotle provin
uced
the
Frher
his
contented himself with the acquisition immense wealth, which very curly in
cureer he found to be, the secret | of much power in China. The vice of avarice has grown on him with the growth of the years, and it is now known that he is chud all over in i its livery. F. rtunately for
British interests the character of this con spicuous but inglerious personnge has been good fully revealed by recent events and one
BD | more babble pricked..
owners
come vested in those who have by such payment a quired, the right. thereto. So fur all is plain sailing. When, however; property within the area of the concessio has alrendy been acquired by subjects of other Powers complications are introduced.
may be con
contended that s such foreign higher title than, that posˇess : -no- possessed by the original Chinese owner On the other hand the French – Lientin trety provides that French property of all descriptions is to be inviolable. "Les pro
appartenant à des “francais dans l'empire chinois seront con- sideries par les chinois comme inviolable,
Mr. R. L. Jack, the Queensland Governmentpriétés de toute
eologist
ne to bare
in an Australian telegram appointment in the
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