March 24, 1900.}
CHINA OVERLAND TRALE REPORT.
and decided to bell her; but who is to bell the Dowager? That is the question of the day.
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CHINA'S TRADE IN 1899.
Nativa, made handsome profits in almost 'every branch. The political situation,
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gether a grand advance has been made in the past year, and all signs point to a con- tinuance of the progress. We propose to deal with the rest of Mr. TAYLOR's Report in another issue. The introductory remarks, however, which we have quoted above, will serve to show that the Report is not only interesting but gratifying to those inter ested in the commercial development of China.
(Daily Press, 23rd Marob.)
the news of the arrest reached nя, some things which in the face of the world a Governor of Macao could scarcely do, for his own sake and for that of his country, and one of these is the surrender of KING LIEN-SHAN. We must, therefore, await the
(Daily Press, 21st March.) result of the trial with anxiety. It is, of
The Report on the Foreign Trade of China course, easy to rake up a charge of em- for the Year 1899 reached us yesterday, and bezzlement against every official in the in it Mr. F. E. TAYLOR, the Statistical empire; if an offeinl fail sufficiently to Secretary, speaks in a very encouraging grease the palms of his superior this is the
manner of the state of affairs. In his usual method of compelling him or of opening remarks he says: "The Foreign | TH« DEVELOPMENT OF SHANGHAI, effecting his ruin. The boundaries of meum "trade of China during the year 1899 was and tuum in China are not defined with the characterised by an astonishing develop. exactness prevailing in the West, and every-"ment, and merchants, both Foreign and
The local politics of the foreign Settlements thing that comes into an official's pockets is
of Shanghai are not usually of a nature to his own; but he has to share the plunder,
interest the rest of the world, yet now or lose his place. KING LIBS-8HÀN'B RC- 'although still unsettled, gave rise to no
and then they do assume a part of some im count could doubtless be made to show any "immediate fears; the Rice crop
portance. From the circumstances of the deficiency required, but this would not abundant; the spring weather during the case, and in order to prevent the benumbing make him an, embezzler according to critical period for the silkworms
influences of Chinese official interference, Chinese or any other law, and this
unusually favourable; and, except for a
the control at the beginning was placed in the must be as well known to the Governor of
"recrudescence of piracy on the West hands of the foreign owners of land, who Macao as to the man in the street.
River, there were no disturbances to check elected their own committee and taxed The Empress's designs have not, however,
"trade."
This disgraceful state of the themselves. This was in accordance with been confined to Macao; Shanghai is an- West River we in Hongkong are, unfor- the ordinary Chinese custom of the Village. other spot which has incurred the peculiar tunately, only too well acquainted with, Community, which in places has given rise to dislike of Her Majesty. There are certain and we
have been protesting against | important trading centres, such as Fatshan in little circumstances rankling in the Imperial it in vain for years. May we hope Kwangtung, Fun-cheng in Hupeh, or Tsing. bosom. Shanghai is by no means desirous that 1900 will see
a genuine attempt kiang-pu "in Kiangau. Circumstances of undertaking a political râle, nor of being made to cope with the difficulty? The West alter cases in China as elsewhere, and cir dragged into prominence as an Alsatin. It River trade is worth the trouble. But, cumstances changed in Shanghai, and it does not unfortunately always rest with a in spite of this blot, the year 1899, Mr. became a city of refuge when the Taiping community to work out its own destiny, and TAYLOR says,
"beat all previous re-
rebels ravaged with fire and sword the lower Shanghai is not an exception. The circum- cords, and showed ап advance with- provinces. Shanghai had to conform itself to stances under which Shanghai is placed from "out precedent. The total trade WAS
the altered conditions, and the Foreign the beginning led to its having been en- "valued at Hk. Tls. 460,533,288, a rise of Settlements had the task thrown on them of trusted with a considerable share of self-
Hk. Tls 91,916,805 on 1898, and more introducing order amongst the motley_crew government, and the place has grown into "than double the figures for 1890. The in- who took refuge under their wing. It was an important municipality, and is attaining "ternal trade of the country was also un-
natural enough that the Chinese refugees a well-earned position amongst the great usually brisk, and the important changes who took advantage of the shelter should be cities of the world. It would be undeserv-
which will be brought about by the ex. made to pay for the privilege, but as the ing of this rank did it fail zealously to guard "tension of railways have already been place grew in wealth and importance, and its privileges in the interest of its inhabi-"proved. Newchwang and Tientsin have the Chinese inhabitants proved themselves tauts. It has always resisted the claims of promptly responded to the stimulus of bet-worthy citizens, the injustice and impolioy of the government to interfere in its private "ter means of communication, and the trade plasing on them more than their fair share concerns, or levy taxes within its limits, "at those ports has leapt forward, although of the municipal burdens came to be re- except those admitted to be strictly Imperial," the former suffered from a severe outbreak cognised, and two years ago the taxes, which as the land-tax and customs. For the most
"of plague. It is found that immediately had hitherto been assessed on a discriminat- part these rights have been respected, and "trains begin to run, districts through which ing basis, were finally equalised. To their it has only been when some reactionary in- "there was comparatively little traffic, such credit the Chinese have from the beginning dividual came into office that any opposition". as between Paoting and Peking, suddenly recognised the principles of justice which was displayed; lately attempts have been commence to hum with life and activity, underlay this policy, and have in every made at encroachment and the Government
"and there springs up a flourishing trade way aided the establishment of good govern- of the Empress Dowager has been seeking "which was formerly undreamt of and im- ment. But the result has had wider reach- to gain an opening for interference. No pri-
possible for want of cheap transport." ing consequences, for the Chinese have vilege has heen more jealously guarded than The Russian and Peking-Hankow lines grasped the meaning of the object lesson, the freedom from arbitrary arrest, and to are progressing steadily, the latter not- and learned to appreciate the benefits in secure this privilege intact no arrest is withstanding the difficulties in the southern their own persons of free and honest self- legal without having first obtained the sig section, where extensive tunnelling is re government. The contrast, on the one hand, nature of the Consul concerned, or of the quired. Rails have been laid for 40 kilo of the respect paid to order and justice by Senior Consul. From day to day the most metres northwards from Hankow, it is the municipal government of Shanghai, and, bareficed a tempts are made to set aside pointed out." The track is now being made on the other, of the corruption of their own this salutary regulation, and some run-
as far as Sinyang―to which place it is official life has not failed to strike so practi- ner" of the native officials is caught flagrante hoped to run trains within two years--cal a people as the Chinese; and Shanghai delicto, in the act of attempting to drag off "and the whole line of 1,200 kilometres is has for long become the headquarters of all to the native yamens some unfortunate in-
to be completed in five years, including that was progressive in the land, while dividual who has incurred official disappro- "the difficult engineering font of bridg- lately it has become the headquarters of bation. Infortunately there is no power "ing the Yellow River." The Taku- the reform party. In Shanghai was started adequate to punish the delinquent in such Tientsin-Peking line is prosperous, the under foreign auspices the first attempt at u case, who generally, after a few days de-extension to Newchwang is being pressed native journalism. The attempt, looked at teution, is permitted to escape. Lately, un-
askance at first, soon commended itself to Yer the influence of Peking, such attempts
the natives who found that free discussion Have been more frequent than ever, and the
could be permitted without detriment municipal police have to exercise more vigi-
to public morals; and it was not long lance than ordinarily. As yet no importnut
in commending itself also to the native case has occurred, nor have the police been
officials, whe soon sought to turn the new able to establish any clear instance of
weapon to their own uses. They were not political interference. Still the wish is
altogether successful, and soon found that evident, and it is only the sharp eye of the
to run a paper on other than lines which municipal authorities which prevents abuses
commended themselves to popular_views occurring. This is but an instance of the un-
was financially a failure; so by the force of settled condition of affairs generally through-
circumstances the native press has main- out the empire; and it is plain that such a
tained an attitude of very marked indepen- ondition must be fraught with grave dan
dence, and has not hesitated to criticise gers to the State. The mice in council held
from time to time the acts of the official a consulation over the misdeeds of the cat,
world, On the whole these criticisms have
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ou, and Yingkou, the real port of Newchwang, will shortly be connected by rail with the capital. "Difficulties re- 'garding the question of control," continues the Report "are hampering the conces- "sionaires of various other lines, but it is to "be hoped these will soon be satisfactorily arranged, as there is no longer any doubt that the effect of cheap transport will lead to an enormous development of China's "trade." New Customs-houses have been provided at Santuno, Nanking, and Yochow, the first Treaty port in Hunan; and one on the island of Tsingtao (by arrangement with Germany), to control the trade passing to the mainland through Kiao-chow, Alto-
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