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the 10th October, 1899, this original contract between the defendants and the Kwong Hing Cheong was entered into, but in January of the present year the defendants discovered that the work could not be completed in the stipul- ated time. On the 8th February Barlow, one of the partners in the defendant firm, went to the - plaintiffs and laid the matter before them. At that interview some arrangement was come to. The plaintiffs said that at that interview Bar- low gave the order, and that Barlow promised to pay, because, as was explained, he had money in hand under the original contract. The plaintiffs' case proceeded to say that they refused to do the work for and give credit to and at the order of Kwong Hing Cheong. The plaintiffs' manager, Wong Kan, said, "I said I would not do it for the Kwong Hing Cheong." The accountant, who was present at the interview, said, 'We have done work for the Kwong Hing Cheong before. They still owe us money. I would not have consented to do the work for the Kwong Hing Cheong. I know they were in difficulties.' The Kwong Hing Cheong were to approve the work, and the accountant said the Kwong Hing Cheong certified that the work was correct and proper and they put on their chop. Pursuant to this arrangement the first two bills were made out in the defendants' name. Afterwards the bills were in the name of the Kwong Hing Cheong to enable the defendants to recover from them if possible under the arrangement already enter ed into. On the 5th March Barlow made a pay- ment to the plaintiffs. The plaintiffs' case was that the amount due upon the first month's work was $198, and that the defendants fre- quently promised to pay the plaintiffs. On the
finished. 18th May the work was
Mr. Sharp proceeded to read the evidence as to the point that Barlow ordered the work to be done and promised to pay, because he had money in hand on the first contract, and that Barlow paid Wong Kan $198 on the 5th March and frequently promised to pay the balance. Mr. Sharp contended that the true explanation of the whole trouble was to be found in Barlow's own evidence that the defendants lost upon the the contract. He said, "We lost $1,600 or $1,700 on our contract-$1,200 or $1,300 on the engines alone."
Mr. Slade subsequently addressed the court. The Chief Justice dismissed the appeal. but made no order as to costs.
The Acting Puisne Judge dismissed the ap- peal, but allowed costs.
Mr. Slade addressed the court as to costs and
showed the difficulties of the case.
The Chief Justice altered his judgment as to costs, and accordingly the appeal was dis- missed with costs.
THE DEATH OF THE DUKE OF
SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA.
By the courtesy of H.E. the Governor we are enabled to publish the following telegram of condolence from Hongkong to H.M. the Queen on the death of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Her Majesty's reply thereto.
TELEGRAM TO SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE
66
COLONIES, SENT 5TH AUGUST, 1900.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE CRISIS IN CHINA.
}
LOCAL MOVEMENTS. The transport Hinsang returned to Hong kong from Taku and Weihaiwei on the 5th inst. The Jelunga arrived on the 6th inst. with the details which we have already published, and in addition some wireless telegraphy apparatus for nse up North.
H. M. cruiser Mohawk came back from Hoi- how on the 5th inst., and sailed again on Wed- nesday for Shanghai.
The Nankin, transport 30, arrived early on the 6th inst. from Bombay with Capt. E. B. C. Boddam (5th Goorkhas), Lieut. F. H. Gold- thorpe (3rd Punjaub Cavalry), Capt. W. B. Turnbull (54th Native Field Hospital), three British N. C. officers, and 1,144 men of No. 3 Coolie Corps and the 54th Field Hospital.
On the 7th inst. H.M.S. Goliath left for Shanghai at 8 a.m. The transport Nankin also left on the 7th bound for Weihaiwei.
H. M. 1st class gunboat Lizard arrived in the harbour on the 8th inst. from the Australian station, having left Aukland on the 30th July. Her chief figures are:-displacement 715 tons; i.h.p. 100; guns six 4 in., four maxims; speed 13 knots; complement 76.
On the 10th inst., at 4 p.m., three transports sailed for Shanghai General Creagh, V.C., and staff proceeding on the Itind", which returned to Hongkong from Taku on Wednesday, and the Canning conveying the 1st Goorkhas,, the Duke of Portland the 30th Bombay Infantry. The trans- ports also take the Field Hospital, transport mules, and the public and private followers.
[August 11, 1900.
When he found out, however, that one of the party was a European he said he should want much more pay, and ultimately $50 was upon. During the trip down the river the boatman, thinking this a g
a good chance to make money, threatened to have. Father Sette thrown overboard unless 300 ounces of silver was forthcoming. The party had nothing like this amount with them, but putting on a bold front they informed the man that he could have double that amount if he took them safely to Canton, where, they said, the missionary had a rich brother residing. He accordingly landed them safely in Canton and accompanied them to the head of the Roman Catholic Mission there, and subsequently to the French Consul, who gave him a fair recompense for his trouble.
TIENTSIN.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT,]
Tientsin, 24th July. BOXERS STILL ABOUT. The Boxers are still demonstrating against us, and in the old quarter, the Railway Station, they actually had the temerity to make a small attack yesterday. I must confess myself sceptical at this way of stating items of news; I can only regard it as an attempt at incendiarism at best
the torch and oil-can have been the Boxers'
most efficient weapons so far.
NEWS FROM PEKING
News yesterday came in from Sir Claude and Major Conger, date 14th July. The Peking folk were still holding out and were eating their The return of Capt. H. O. S. adogan, Royal ponies. There are several other interesting Welsh Fusiliers, who arrived by the P. and O. items, but it is inexpedient to state them at pre- steamer Chusan, was necessitated by the invali-sent lest we inform the enemy as well as our ding home of Major F. Morris.
THE NAVAL BRIGADE FOR PEKING. The composition of the Naval Brigade which accompanies the Peking Relief Force is a battalion of 300 Royal Marines under Major E. V. Luke, R. M. Six guns on Capt. Percy Scott's mountings will be taken with the force.
WEIHAIWEI.
A correspondent writes on the 5th inst. that the Hospital is very full and that more ac comodation is being prepared. The following have died of their wounds in hospital:-Ed. Turner, petty officer of H, M. S. Centurio 1, T. Wright, A. B., and A. Thompson, stoker, of the same ship. Sergeant Roper, of H. M. S. Terrible, who was shot through the brain, the bullet passing clean through his head, is doing well.
THE ATTACKS ON MISSIONS IN HUNAN.
THRILLING EXPERIENCES-CARRIED 300 LI IN A COFFIN.
There are at present staying with the Pro- Roman Catholic Missionaries from the Hunan Vicar Apostolic de Maria in Hongkong two province who in escaping from the infuriated mobs which attacked and destroyed their stations have had experiences which they are not likely to forget as long as they live.
On behalf of the people of Hongkong I beg that you will lay at the feet of Her Majesty the Queen the expression of our loyal and respect- ful condolence in Her Majesty's sad bereavement by the death of H.R.H. the Duke of Saxe-heathen, was moved to pity by his distressed Coburg-Gotha.
"BLAKE."
REPLY TO ABOVE, RECEIVED 7TH AUGUST, 1900. Her Majesty the Queen begs me to express her sincere thanks from the people of Hong- kong.
**
CHAMBERLAIN.'
The death is announced from Manila on the 27th ult. of Sr. Pedro Paterno's father, at the age of 76.
One of them-the Rev. Father Jeremiah arrived in the German Mail steamer yester- day. His station was at Pa Shan. His life was saved by an old Chinese woman, who, though a
condition and hid him for six days in a rice box. At the end of the six days the disturbance had subsided somewhat and he managed to get away to Hankow.
The other is the Rev. Father Stephanus Sette, who had charge of the station Hing Shui. His station was attacked on the 4th of July, and he owes his escape to the reverence of the Chinese for the remains of the dead. He was dumped in a box somewhat resembling a coffin and in this way was carried by native Christians a dis- Mr. George Wyndham, Parliamentary tance of over 300 li to Lien Chau, the journey Secretary for War, on the 9th alt. stated in taking about seven days. Of course the party answer to a question, that since 1895 English were frequently stopped on the way, but when firms had supplied to China 71 guns of position; informed that the box contained human remains 123 field guns. 207 machine guns, and a pro-which were being carried to their native countr
country portionate quantity of ammunition. Gerr for burial all enquiries were satisfied. firms, Mr, Wydham said, had in 1899 suppl: 1 $160,000 Mauser rifles and 3,000,000 cartridg` = to China,
On reaching Lien Chau one of the native (hristians hunted up a boatman, who agreed to take him and two friends to Canton for $10.
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friends. A report from Chinese quarters this morning says the foreigners are now in the Imperial Palace and are being defended by the troops, but it finds no believers in its present form.
GUN-FIRING PARTICULARS.
The following figures about the 12-pounders and the 4in. quick-firer in the Meadows Road battery will interest, many people. They con- cern the firing on 13th June between 5 a.m. and 11 a.m., while the allied attack was being made on the Tientsin walled city, the first oc- casion, by-the-by, on which our fire competely dominated that of the Chinese. I do not give the figures for the six-pounder Hotchkisses which were pummelling away as vigorously as their bigger neighbours.
The four-inch fired 270 rounds, half of which, roughly speaking, were lyddite; one twelve- pounder was not in good form, and only got off 100 odd rounds, but the other two got through the amazing numbers of 350 and 385, making grand practice at that. When I add that the greatest number of rounds fired by the same weapons and the same crews in South Africa during a whole day was 260, your readers will have some adequate ides of the Our Terrible lads were bringing their art to a severity of the job in hand in North China. nicety when the order came to "Cense fire" as the Japanese were entering the city. They were dropping their shells with beautiful pre- cision on to the South wall, traversing its length from East to West; they had just got as far as the big Ku Lu or Drum tower over the great South gate, when they were stopped. The still standing; another dose of lyddite would tower is now a shapeless, top-heavy ruin, but is
have finished it. Many of the Chinese dead soldiers presented the livid yellow appearance caused by the picric acid. Not the least ghast- ly sight on the streets was a little family of four, both parents dead from shell and the little children badly torn with shell fragments; on these awful wounds the flies had battened in thousands. The children were still living and apparently quite callous to their misery.
THE QUESTION OF LOOT. The collection of illegally held loot is still going on, but with indifferent success relative to the whole bulk. On Friday, 20th July, the few British naval officers left in Tientain had to sign a circular that they had none, or would give up what they had. I do not know, if this was enforced on those who had previously re- joined their ships. Unless the other allies have imposed a similar test on their folk, such a measure was a hardship, for it was too obvious
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