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July 7, 1900.]
THE CRISIS IN CHINA.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
SHANGHAI, 29th June, 9.47 p.m. The position at Chungking is very critical. The Pioneer is detained for one month. The Consul has taken entire charge.
At Tientsin, one gun is still bombarding the town from the arsenal, but the shells do not explode.
SHANGHAI, 29th June, 9.57 p.m. The U. 8. battleship Oregon has been stranded during a fog off Noki Island.
SHANGHAI, 1st July, 5.33 p.m. The telegraph lines to Chefoo are work- ing badly and there is much delay. The British naval brigade under Commander C. G. F. M. Cradock, of H.M.S. Alacrity, with the Welsh Fusiliers, 600 altogether, 150 Americans under Major Waller, and 30 Italians entered Tientsin first, the Russians and Germans following.
Admiral Seymour reached a point within 25 miles from Peking and then retired from an enormous force of Chinese troops. He had 37 British killed and 92 wounded. Captain Beyts of the Centurion was killed. Captain Jellicoe received dangerous wounds and Lieutentant Powell of the Aurora a severe chest-wound,
Tientsin is safe and has suffered little da. mage. The Terrible's twelve-pounder on her original carriage promptly silenced the remaining gun at the Arsenal. The Chinese then retired. Admiral Seymour captured fifty Maxims, some Krupps, and immense stores of ammunition.
The Tientsin-Peking railway is quite destroyed, while the Taku-Tientsin line has been destroyed for nine miles. The sleepers have been carried away for fuel.
The allies have burnt the villages between Taku and Tientsin to destroy the cover. The banks of the Peiho River from Tientsin to Taku are lined with dead Chinese. The Barfleur has suffered the heaviest casualties among British ships. A Chinese fort on the Peiho, twelve miles from Taku, has been exploded by the Fame, Commander Keyes. The Chinese Regiment under Col. Bower is very keen and is doing good work. Ex- perts agree that Indian cavalry, not infantry, is mostly required.
The Japanese troops are remaining at Taku, not going to the front. The Russian
movements are uncertain.
Newchwang is nervous.
there.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
SHANGHAI, 3rd July, 9 p.m.
At Peking on Sunday, the 1st instant, all the foreigners were besieged in the British Legation. Their situation was desperate.
There is no adequate force at Tientsin to send for the relief of Peking.
SHANGHAI, 4th July, 10.12 p.m. A Chinese report, which is generally be- lieved here, states that all foreigners in Peking have been murdered, the Emperor Kwang Hsu poisoned, the Empress Dowa- ger's rule abolished, and General Nieh with 30,000 troops is marching on Tientsin.
It is reported that Japan's intended ex- pedition has been stopped by international jealousies.
SHANGHAI, 5th July, 10.6 p.m. The women and children are leaving Tientsin.
News has been received via Chefoo, dated Peking 24th ult., to the effect that all foreigners were collected in three Legations, the English, French, and Japanese. They had only two days' provisions.
The Oregon is still badly ashore.
Chev. Z. Volpicelli, the Italian Consul, courteously informed us that on the 4th inst. that he had received a wire from the Chief Italian Naval Officer at Taku, which con- firmed the murder of the German Minister. All the Legations have been destroyed ex- cepting three, the British, French andGerman. These three legations are scattered apart, and no exact reason can be assigned, in the absence of information, as to why these particular three have been left standing. The British legation is a strong building, with high strong walls, facing the road and canal and the German legation is further on down the same street. The Italian Consul is also informed that the gravest fears exist at Taku concerning the Ministers, and that the whole of the foreigners had taken refuge in the British Legation.
Official news is also said to have been re- ceived, from Peking stating that the late German Minister was murdered in the street whilst on the way to visit the Tsungli Ya- men. His German interpreter was also wounded, but escaped with his life.
By the courtesy of the Japanese Consul we are able to publish the following telegram received by him on the evening of the 5th inst. from the Japanese Government :---
SUPREME COURT.
29th June.
BEFORE HIS HONOUR SIR JOHN CARBING- TON, C.M.G. (CHIEF JUSTICE) AND His HONOUR, T. SERCOMBE SMITH (PUISNE JUDGE).
THE SHELL CASE-JUDGMENT FOR THE DEFENDANT.
Judgment was given in the Shell Case. The Chief Justice said-By their petition the plaintiffs alleged that by an agreement dated the 20th December, 1899, the Crown agreed to lease to them a piece of ground covered by the sea and registered in the Land Office of the Colony as Lantao Marine Lot No. 2 for a term of five years from the 7th October, 1899 at the annual rent of $300, and that one of the conditions of the agreement was that the plaintiffs should use the said premises for the purpose only of search- ing for and obtaining coral or shells from the the 12th January, 1900, the defendant trespassed bed of the sea. They further alleged that on
upon the said premises and took therefrom coral and shells, the property of the plaintiffs, and con- verted them to his own use. And they claimd damages of $100 for the trespass and con- version.
!
By his answer the defendent set up several defences, the principal of which, and the one most relied on at the hearing, was that, from a time exceeding the limits of living memory, Chinese fishermen had, without hindrance and in exercise of their lawful rights, taken by dredging the natural products of the sea, as well from the leased premises as from the adjacent and surrounding waters and the land beneath such waters; that the said premises are situate within the distriot leased to Her Majesty the Queen by His Majesty the Emperor of China by and subject to the conditions contained in the Convention dated the 9th June, 1898; that it is a term of the Convention that there shall be no expropriation of the inhabitants of the leased district; and that the defendant was
an inhabitant of the said district and had a
right to take the natural products of the sea, including coral and shells, from the said pre- mises.
Chefoo is also in a state of anxiety. Minister is reported to have been murdered his area the plaintiffs, took marine shells for At Shanghai all is quiet. The Pique has arrived at Woosung and is going to by Chinese troops on his way to the Tsungli
Hankow.
J
most part not in dispute. The plaintiffs seem to At the hearing the facts of the case were for the have been engaged in the business of procuring dead shells, dredged up from the waters of the sea. for the purpose of lime-burning for some time before they obtained the agreement for a lease which is referred to in their petition. This agreement which, by the way, purports to be executed by the plaintiffs, but is not ao sion, for the purposes already mentioned, of a executed-was intended to place them in posses-
submarine area, measuring nearly three miles The Tsungli Yamen ordered the foreign in length by about a mile and a half in breadth Ministers on the 19th June to leave Peking-inclusive, however, of a considerable island- within 24 hours. Owing to the danger of close to the little island of Chan Kung, on the the journey they refused to comply. Mean-
eastern side of the large island of Lantao. It is The Aurora is while the situation at Peking is growing admitted that this area is within the limits of the more and more serious, and the German territorial waters of the leased district. From
use in their business, by means of junks and boats engaged by them for the purpose. They also gave permission to the owners of other junks and boats to take shells from the leased premises, on condition of their being paid one candareem per pical for all shells so taken. Finding their alleged exclusive rights of dredg- ing invaded by others without permission obtained from them, the plaintiffs in January last made complaint to the Police authorities, with the result that on the 12th January Ser geant Kerr, of the Water Police, found five junks dredging for shells within the limits of the area under lease. Of one of these junks the defendant was the owner and master. After ascertaining that the junka were dredging without the permission of the plaintiffs, Ber geant Kerr took the junks with the parsons on board of them to the Police Station at Tsim Sha Tsui. There it was found that the junks had on board greater or less quantities of dead marine shells, the defendant stating that his junk carried 14 picals. Mr. Slade admitted
It is believed that the Foreign Ministers, refused to leave Peking. Probably Prince Tuan is now the actual Emperor.
The Boxers claim eight million adherents, including the Chinese armies, by the end of September, when it was intended that the rising should take place. But the Paotingfu affair precipitated matters. Happily the Viceroys Chang Chih-tung and Lau Kungyi remain staunch.
News has arrived from Peking to-day that the German Minister was murdered on the 13th ult. by Chinese troops.
Only three Legations had not been burnt on the 23rd. The situation is most precarious.
SHANGHAI, 2nd July 8.20 p.m.
The Moukden Mission and Hospital have been burnt down. The native pastor and
· Christians have been killed.
Yamen. According to the report brought from Peking to Tientsin on the 29th June by special messenger, all the Legations except the British, German, and French were destroyed, and the foreigners are besieged in the British Legation under heavy rifle fire.
The subordinate staff of the Penang Govern ment Service, who recently memorialized the Acting Governor for a further grant of 10 per cent, allowance on their salaries, consequent on the enhanced prices of commodities, have re- ceived what thay consider a provisional reply dealing with only one of the points advan oed in the memorial, namely, rice. After con- trasting its price in 1889 with its price in sub- sequent years, the letter concludes with a suggestion that the prevalent high price is probably due to the famine in India, and that, when the letter has been tided over, rice will fall to its normal price. It is rumoured that a meeting will soon be convened to discuss the
matter.
that these shells had been dredged up by the defendant from the leased premises to be used in the burning of lime. The persons in charge
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