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maladministration, the province of Kwangtung. as well as the neighbouring one of Kwangsi has been over-run with rebels, robbers, and pirates, and all sorts of crimes have been com- mitted. Since H.E. Li Hung-chang arrived, he has dismissed nearly all the useless officers and those of "squeezing" habits, and has taken active measures to suppress the bad characters, robbers and pirates, many of whom have suffered the extremity penalty of law. The notorious pirates and robbers, having been overawed by the act ion of the venerable viceroy, have nearly all fled | away or hidden themselves in the mountains fastness. There is a general agreement among the people that if Li Hung-chang continues to occupy the viceroyship for three years, Kwang- tung will be the most peaceful province the empire. The merchants and the gentry have filed petition
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urging the viceroy earnestly not to proceed to Peking; for if he goes away, they say, the bad characters will most probably take the chance of the Northern crisis to raise rebellions and commit crimes of every description. At present it is not certain whether Li Hung-chang will leave Canton or not, but it is quite certain that he will not go by the Kwanglee as has been reported. The Northern crisis is regarded very seriously, and an officer sent from Canton by the Tartar General with a memorial to the Throne has wired to the General from the province of Shantung, saying that he is unable to proceed further on account of the obstruc- tion of the Boxers.
MACAO.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
MACAO, 18th June.
THE PROTECTION OF MACAO
It is really wonderful how coolly our local and home governments are taking the present crisis in the North. It seems as if they were ignorant of the fact that Macao is in China. This great movement, as is well known, has been preparing for a very long time and was bound sooner or later to culminate in something serious. But in spite of this having been patent and of the Government have had more than sufficient time to send out to the colony more troops and some men-of-war (of which at least two more are required in the harbour), nothing whatever has been done. Our Government should have been the first of all to take precautions, and for this reason, that the Portuguese have already had so many lessons. How often before the foundation of the colony did Portuguese mer- chants attempt to establish a place of shelter for themselves and their ships, only to be left with insufficient troops, badly armed, and at the mercy of rebels and murderous rowdies? Our history shows many instances of this fate, of so many Portuguese in this or that place, having been murdered by the Chinese. It is a great shame that the first nation that came to China should, in this great crisis, leave its na- tionals entirely forgotten. We don't require to send up troops to save the Legation, but we require them at least to give security for our life and property. The Government should give us a guarantee that those rebels and turbulent pea- sants who are in our neighbourhood will keep quiet and not one day break out and do us some mischief. Perhaps the Government cannot do SO and
80 is waiting till after the mischief is done before sending help. Our Government is always the same; when the thunder is heard, then it thinks the time is come to fix the lightning-conductor.
AND OF PORTUGUESE SUBJECTS.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND ment had been one full of energy, a long time ago in Taku harbour there would have seen the Portuguese flag flying, not with hostile intent but to protect Portuguese subjects only, scat- tered about in such numbers in these ports.
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE.
The members of the Government Consul should not any longer undertake the responsibi- lity for the security of life and properties in this colony, much loss of the lives of Portugnese subjects throughout the China Ports. They should lighten their responsibilities by wiring to the home Government and calling attention to the crisis, asking for immediate help, and not waiting till the new Governor comes to let him then ask for the help required, when, perhaps it may be too late. I hope sincerely that there will be nothing of the kind in our neighbouring provinces that is going on in the North, but this is hardly to be believed, because the spirit of rebellion runs throughout the whole of China.
with those
PREPARATIONS FOR THE FUTURE. It is also certain that if the disturbance spreads hither the two colonies of Macao and Hongkong will be places of refuge for many families, and
many suspicious In the colony there characters will also come. is no sufficient force to keep such characters in order. The infantry force here, (so called), is compared mostly of Mahomedans and rickshaw coolies with their pig tails cut off, and a very few Europeans, the latter overworked and almost useless. Does the Government expect the Ma- homedans and coolies to impose fear and respect? Mahomedans don't understand their own officers or speak Portuguese, and the Chinese certainly If the will never go against their own race. Government thinks it right to employ these people, and believes they are sufficient to garrison the place, then let them stay, but if not no time should be lost in sending out a full battalion of European soldiers to this colony, which certainly can afford to pay for them.
The revolution having commenced, the Government Council should now stop altogether the exportation of arms and ammunitions into China. Senhor Galhardo caused quite enough scandal during his government on this point, by letting thousands of arms pass through Macao as though he was ignorant on the matter.
MANILA.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Manila, 10th June. MANILA STIRRED OVER THE CHINESE CRISIS.
The Boer war, the Philippine insurrection, and all other military and naval affairs are shelved, while the interest is daily growing in the crisis that is generally reported to be ap- proaching in North China. The telegrams that have been received in Manila are the merest skeletons of news, and by the time that the local editors have padded them out to make them interesting there is very little reliable informa- tion left. Little is known in Manila about China, especially about Tientsin and Peking. and every report that comes along is accepted in blind good faith. The discussions and cor- respondence of the Hongkong papers are largely quoted in the local newspapers; beyond these there are no sources of Chinese news.
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS ORDERED TO CHINA.
[June 23, 1900.
on the Asiatic station is limited and if any emergency arises troops will very likely be
been receiv necessary. Private cablegrams have ed by a Manila correspondent
opean office, instructing him tom the Eur-
go to China in the event of American troops being sent All these things are indications of the there. light in which the situation is regarded. Gossip in the clubs and among the foreign population, however, shows very divided opinions Many hold the affair is merely a "flash in the and that the real explosion has not come. pan' Others assert that the situation will constantly become more serious until the storm that has been promised for the last eight or ten years will break and have itself out.
PHILIPPINE AFFAIRS.
The results of the campaigning of the last week, summed up briefly, show activity a little above the average. Disturbances have been felt in many parts of the archipelago, but principally in central and southern and Panay Island. The Ameri- Luzon can losses have been nine men killed, in- captain and one lieutenant; cluding one twenty-three wounded including two captains; and one captain has been captured. The re- ported Filipino losses are two hundred and eighteen killed, including two mayors of towns, sixty-three wounded, one hundred and forty two men and one hundred and fifty-nine rifles captured.
A HARD FIGHT.
The
The toughest fight of the week took place in Captain the Camarines, in South Luzon. Steinhauser, with thirty-one men of the 45th U. S. Volunteer Infantry, was reconnoitr- ing in the vicinity of Daet, when he was attacked by a force of rifle and bolo men. position was particularly advantageous to the enemy, and before a safe place could be reached, three men had been killed and seven wounded. Captain Steinhauser was seriously shot through Finally the both legs and may not recover. remnant of the detachments charged the insur- gents and succeeded in scattering them. In the few minutes thus gained the Americans man- aged to retreat to the church, carrying their dead and wounded with them. They barricaded doors and windows and prepared for a siege. It was none too soon, for the enemy quickly collect- ed again and returned to the attack. Fighting went on for several days, and food and water were almost unknown. As there was no surgeon with the party, the wounded men were absolutely without surgical aid, and their sufferings were awful. Finally one of the privates, artificer, volunteered to attempt to pass through the insurgent lines and bring up aid. He stole out of the church at night and after many narrow escapes he succeeded in getting outside the insurgent cordon. Then by dint of the hardest travelling and careful avoidance of the insurgent bands he reached the nearest American garrison and told of the fate of his detachment. Reinforcements were immediately started for the imprisoned men, and after a lively fight the beseigers were driven off. When the church was at last opened, there was loss than a quart of water left for the outfit, wounded men and all. The insurgent loss is unknown.
Manila, 20th June, 9.30 p.m. [BY TELEGRAPH.]
an
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT BY U.S. PRE- SIDENT.
That the world believes a crisis is at hand is shown by the fact that two of the greatest news
President McKinley announces that ninety agencies have sent telegraphic orders to their Philippine correspondents to hurry to North days amnesty is granted to armed Filipinos and China. Oscar King Davis, of the New York their sympathisers, thus giving them an oppor- Sun, and Robert Collins, the London correspon-tunity to surrender and declare allegiance to the
United States Government. dent of the Associated Press, will leave in two or three days for Tientsin. Both have had large experience in handling political situations, and have spent several months in studying the Philippine question. Frederick Palmer, special correspondent of the New York World and Collier's Weekly, will also leave for China about the fifteenth of the present month. Mr. Palmer contemplates an extended trip into Siberia.
Another great scandal is that in this great crisis we have in this quarter only one man-of- war, and, what is still worse, on board there are only the commandant and the purser, all the other officers and the doctor having been sent home by the commandant. This boat is not only intended for service here in this colony, but if Timor requires her service she must go there. The Government should know and does know well that all those China ports open for Europeans are full of His Most Faithful Majes- The movement of troops from the Philippines ties' subjects. If there comes an urgent call to China has been and is being considered. for a man-of-war to go up and to protect| Many papers have printed lengthy discussions Portuguese subjects, how will the Government on the possibility and advisability of taking manage to send up the protecting force-es- pecially if in the meantime Timor were also to break out into a revolution ? If the Govern-
TROOPS FOR CHINA.
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The Count and Countess de Galembert left Foochow by the Haeshin on the 10th inst. for a holiday trip. The Count has been acting Deputy Commissioner of Customs for the last two years and was accorded a most enthusiastic send-off. Foochow has telegraphed congratulations to the and Queen to Lord Roberts on the occupation of Pretoria, receiving a message of sincere thanks from Her Majesty. The first prize at the Foochow Gun Club's competition on the 6th inst. was won by Mr. C. L. Howell, the second troops from the more pacified districts and send-by Mr. G L. Greig.–The first of the new ing them to Chinese shores for the protection season's tea left Foochow for London on the of American interests. The number of marines 11th inst.
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