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THE HANKOW AND CANTON RAILWAY.
(Daily Press, 9th January)
In an article in the Daily Press on the 4th inst. it was remarked, in the course of a summary of the present position of railway enterprise in China, that the railway from Hankow to Canton had been secured by America. We regret to learn that so far this is not the case. SHENG Tuotai, Director-
General of Railways, delays signing the
contract, and the attorney of the American- British Syndicate left Shanghai for the States two weeks ago utterly disgusted, SHENG having kept him kicking his hee.s about for the best part of twelve months. As remarked by the Shanghai correspondent of The Times the other day, the leading spirits amongst the Chinese have not failed to observe that preliminary railway con tracts can always be protracted indefnitely But is this by subsequent negotiations. indefinite protraction to be allowed to con- tinue? Russia seems to have a way of making the Chinese fulfil their engagements, and we can only hope that the United States and Great Britain will ere long take a leaf out of Russia's book and recoguise the necessity for firm coercion. In apply. ing such coercion the Governments con- cerned wou'd have the assurance that, while they were affording opportunities to their own nationals and protecting their interests, they were also doing the best thing possible for China herself. The limes in a recent article, after referring to the abuses set out by its Shanghai correspondent, went on to say: "The best remedy for this "state of things would be, no doubt, the "abolition of the Mandarins and their system bag and baggage.' That cure is "for the present impracticable. The next "best course is the development of the “natural resources of the country, and this development might be carried out to a large extent under subsisting concessions "if the Chinese were forced to keep their 'bargains with the concessionnaires." That opinion will be endorsed by all residents in
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China.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
MEASURES FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF PIRACY ON THE WEST RIVER,
one else muat undertake the task. If the Chinese officials du not move promptly in the matter. British gunboats ought to be des patched to shell out the piratical villages.
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ment.
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THE SHELL COLLECTING
MONOPORY.
(Daily Press, 9th January.) The question of the alleged shell fishing monopoly at Ping Chau, briefly referred to in a paragraph in yesterday's issue, calls for further elucidation, which, without loss of dignity, might be afforded by the Govern In the Legislative Council on the 14th December the on T. H. WHITEHEAD asked to be informed "whether the Govern- ment have granted any exclusive privilege or monopoly for the dredging for and "the collection of shells, used in the manu "facture of lime, in the waters of the New Territory leased by the Couvention of last *year." The Colonial Secretary replied :-- "No such exclusive privilege or monopoly as is referred to in the question of the honourable member has been granted." On the following day Mr. WHITEBBAD forwarded to the press certain correspond ence relating to the matter, which appeared in the aily Press of the 16th December. This correspondence consisted of a letter from Mr. WHITEHEAD to the Government, dated 13th December, enclosing a letter received by him from certain fishermen connection with alleged monopoly, in which they stated that they had been stopped in their usual occupation of dredging for shells by the monopoliets, the Lee Hing Company, and they closed a notice issued by that Company in which it
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[January 18, 1900.
Colonial Secretary says one thing, the Lee Hing Company advertises another. Either there has been some extraordinary misun- derstanding or there has been a still more extraordinary perversion of the truth.
(Daily Press, 10th January,
The letter from the Lee Hing Company, published in to-day's issue, with reference to the alleged shell-fishing monopoly, ap- pears to set up a distinction without a difference. A Crown lease of the sea-bed has been granted, which, in effect, we take it, establishes a monopoly, though it may not be officially called a monopoly. If this be so, the Colonial Secretary, in his reply to the Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD's question in the Legislative Council on this subject, was merely quibbling. One phrase of Mr. WHITEHEAD's question asked why, if an exclusive privilege or monopoly had been granted public tenders were not invited. That section of the question, ignored at the time, still calls for a reply, even assuming that the lease granted does not amount to a technical monopoly. As to the question of translation, the term shing pai, used in the original advertisement, is not that used in Government notifications of the sale of Crown lenses, but it is the term used in connection with Chinese Government mo- nopolies, as for instance the Weising lottery monopoly. It has various shades of mean- ing, and Inay be applied to a Crown lease, but in the connection in which it stood it
lease is, in fact, a monopoly. conveyed the idea of a monopoly. A Crown
SUPREME COURT.
6th January.
IN BANKRUPTor JurisdictION, BEFORE HIS HONOR W. MEIGH GOODMAN- (Acting ChiEY JUSTICE)
RE THE SUN LUNG PIRM AND OHUI PUI LAM, A PARTNER THEREOF, EX-PARTE POON
NAM SHANG, A OBEDITOR. Mr. H. W. Looker appeared in support of the application for adjudication of bankrupoy.
was stated that the Company had obtained permission "from the Government to collect shells The re- for the term of five year." ceipt of Mr. WHITEHEAD'S letter was nc- knowledged in a C.S.O. of the 15th Decen- ber, a copy of which was sent, by direction of the Colonial Secretary, to the newspapers. The first paragraph of that C 8.0. was a mere formal acknowledgment of receipt, and the second paragraph read as follows: -"The "statement in the 8th pargraph of that "letter”—(viz. the fishermen's letter)—
His Lordship said—In this case it seems that "that no answer was given to the petition the Sun Lung Firm formerly carried on business, of the fishermen in untrue." Supposing at 348, Queen's Road Central, Victoria. In the statement had been true, the public 1898 the firm closed its business premises, and Chui Pui Lam, the principal partner, departed would have attached less importance to (Daily Press, 10th January.) After the brush between the pirates and what might be simply a neglect of official from Hongkong with intent to defeat and de- John Carringtou, in October, 1898, for leave to the cutter of H.M.S. Tweed, and the proved routine than they will to the substantial lay his creditors. An order was made by Sir serve the petitioning creditor out of the juris- complicity of the villagers of Chutoushan, question of whether the fishermen have been Howtong, Kuchen, and other place with interfered with in earning their living. In diction, and service was effected and a receiving the pirates, there ought to be no further his reply to Mr. WHITEHEAD in the order was made on 11th November, 1893. On De 15th December, 189, at the last general meet, delay in adopting vigorous measures in re- Legislative Council on the 14th gard to this matter. As remarked by the comber, after stating that no monopoly had ing of the creditors, it was resolved that the debtors should be adjudicated bankrupt. It correspondent who sends u an account of been granted, the Colonial Secretary went
seems that nothing ha bện heard as to what' rent has been to say :—“ A Crown the recent cases, it is to be hoped the British
has become of Chui Pui Lam. Accordingly, "Axed for a limited extent of Crown land under section 19 of the Bankruptcy Ordinance, authorities will force the Viceroy to inflict
surrounding Ping Chau off the east coast
I adjudge the firm and the partners thereof summary punishment on the villages con- cerned, and send the Sandpiper t see that "of Laptao used by the manufacturers of bankrupt, and appoint Mr. Bruce Shepherd, he does it. Our Tientsin correspondent, "lime on Ping Chau, and leases for short the Official Receiver, to be trustee of the pro- whose letter appears in another column, terins granted to them at Crown rents | purty. predicts that LI HUNG-CHANG, when he takes "amounting to $1,800 per annum, under up the Viceroyalty, will make short work of "the general instructions of the Secretary "of State." The Lee Hing Company, judg the piracy that now prevails in the Two Kwangs, and in support of this view points ing from their advertisement, evidently to the improvement effected in the public think they have get something more than order of fientsin during His Excellency's that. They say they "have been granted tenure of office there. Our correspondent, the monopoly of dredging nud collecting however, makes the important qualificatiou "shells in and around Ping Chau Island,' that the lethargy of age is creeping upon that shells dredged and collected will be Lt. While hoping for the best from Li, properly paid for when taken to the Lee however, it would be well not to lose sight Hiug Company, but that, if they are sold to candereen per picul of the old adage that if you want a thing other persous, one well done it is best to do it yourself. While must be paid to the Les Hing Company, everyone would be glad to see the Chinese that is to say, the Lee Hing Company authorities effectively extirpate piracy then-conceive that they have a right to levy selves, if they are dilatory in doing so, some a royalty. Is this so, or is it not? The
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RE THE SHING LOONG TIRK EX-PALTE LO HRUNG NAM AND ANOTHER, This was an application for the discharge of a
debtor.
His Lordship said-In this case the Shing - Loong Firm was adjudicated bankrupt on 15th Jane, 1899. It seems that in 1896, one Lo Lam Ubi, together with two sleeping partners, stur»; ted business as brick and tile dealers, with a capital of $5,000), of which $3,200 were applied to the purchase from the former proprietors or partners of the old Shing Loong Firm, of their business. The chief unstomers of the firm were. building contractors, and the cause of failure in loss of capital owing to the numerous bad debtain- ourzel by the firm, arising from the impossibility of collecting the payments due by some of those customers who have themselves. failed
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