September 22, 1900.1]
a decline of $19,270 on the previous year, mainly due to loss on sale of postage stamps. This furnishes another strong argument why this colony should not be called upon to make good the losses on correspondence passing through it to the Chinese Treaty Ports.
Sincerely trusting that the Imperial Govern- ment may be inttuced to adopt a more equitable and reasonable basis than that of mileage in calculating the Colony's contribution to the Postal subsidy,
I have the honour to be, sir,
Your most obedient servant,
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX,
Secretary.
HON. ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY.
THE PROPOSED CHANGE OF LIGHTS.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.
Hongkong, 10th August, 1900.
SIB,
I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 1st inst. (No. 1395) announc- ing that the Government has had under its con- sideration the question of the advisability of transferring the Cape D'Aguilar light to Green Island and the light at present on Green Island to Cape Collinson with a view to improving both lights and rendering the approaches to the harbour safer for shipping, and asking the opinion of this Chamber upon the proposed transfers, as to whether the expenditure invol. ved would be justified by the advantages to be gained.
The Committee have carefully considered the question after obtaining the opinion of experts, and they are quite satisfied that the advantages to be secured would greatly outweigh the cost. They are further of opinion that this outlay might be judiciously increased in making pro vision for the substitution of revolving or flash- lights on Green Island and Cape Collinson, since the present fixed lights are not always distin- guishable from the lights on junks, especially in thick weather, always provided that the cost for the same is not excessive.
It has also been suggested to the Committee that, as an aid to shipping entering from the eastward, the fog signal at Waglan should be fired at regular intervals, say every minute, in- stead of, as at present, only on a steamer's whistle being heard.
I have the honour to be, sir,
Your most obedient servant,
R. CHATTERTON WILCCX,
Secretary.
HON. F. H. MAY, C.M.G.,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
THE CRISIS IN CHINA.
LOCAL MOVEMENTS.
On the 13th inst. the German cruiser
Bussard arrived from Kiel.
The Wardha arrived on the 14th inst. on her second journey from Calcutta, bringing the Bikaneer Infantry (5 British and 14 native off. cers, 388 N.C.O.'s and men, with 95 followers), and details of the 15th B.F.H., Signalling Units, No. 6 Brigade Supply Column, etc., and 7 British
and one native officer, with followers, of the Staff of the 4th Brigade. Major H. H. the Maharajah of Bikaneer arrived by this tran. sport.
The transport Ballaarat returned on the 14th inst. from Shanghai.
The City of Cambridge, Jelunga, and Putiala left on the 14th inst. for Bombay, while the Ashruf proceeded on her way to Taku.
On the 15th inst. the transports Rewa and Sunda returned from Taku, and the Clive from Shanghai,
The Lalpoora, British transport, left on the 15th for Taku, as did the French transport Adour. The Lawada left for Calcutta.
The Italian transport San Gottardo arrived on the 16th from Singapore,
The German transport Strassburg arrived on Sunday night on her way north.
The British transport Pundua left on Sunday night for Taku, while the Clive and Rewa returned to Bombay:/
On the 17th inst the French transport Melbourne arrived from Marseilles, which she left on the 12th ult., with 29 officers and 1,088 troops on board.
|
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The Portuguese cruiser Adamastor on Sun- day night returned to Macao.
On the 17th inst. the British transport Sunda left for Bombay,
The Jelunga also left for Bombay, taking a number of invalids, time-expired men and trans- fers, as well as the wives and families of Lieut.- Col. Wheeler, A, 0. D., Major Whitty, R. A. M. C., and Capt. Langhorne, R. A.
H. M. 8. Argonaut went out on the 17th inst. for a cruise, returning on the 22nd.
On Monday night the British transport Sumatra left for Taku. She was followed on the 18th inst. by the German transport Strassburg and the French transport Melbourne. The German cruisers Hertha and Bussard left on the 18th inst., the former for Shanghai and the latter for Amoy.
The Italian transport San Gottardo left on Tuesday night for Taku.
The British gunboat Protector left on the 19th inst. for Shanghai.
H.M.S. Britomart left the harbour for Can- ton yesterday mornning. As the Argonaut was still out on a cruise, Hongkong was left without any man-of-war to protect the harbour. The British transport Itaura arrived yester- day from Calcutta with the D Squadron of the Jodpore Lancers (one British and 3 native of ficers, 118 men, and 78 followers), part of the 61st Native Field Hospital, some details of the 34th Pioneers and the following officers- General H. Pipon, Col. W. T. Shone, Major J. L. Day, Capts. James and Coxhead, Capt. Sir Portal Singh, and Lieut. Bing-Bing.
The Ula returned from Taku.
The U.S. transport Meade left for Manila. Yesterday the Itaura left for Bombay, and the French transport Caledonien arrived from the south.
ARRIVAL OF COUNT VON
WALDERSEE.
Among the arrivals by the Gorman mail steamer Sachsen on Tuesday morning were Count von Waldersee and staff. The Count was accorded the salute due to his rank and was
called upon by Captain the Hon. H. W. Trefusis, A. D. C. to H. E. Major-General Gascoigne, C. M. G. The Count landed at Murray Pier at one o'clock, being received by a guard of honour composed of men belonging to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. The Count called at Government and Headquarter Houses, and in the evening resumed his voyage north
on the Hertha.
A DESPAIRING EDICT. Our Wuchow correspondent writes, under date 12th September:-An Imperial Edict, des- pairing in tone, has been sent by telegram from Taiuen (the capital of Shansi) in which the Emperor assumes the responsibility for the foreign troubles which have overtaken China; but implies that, as these troubles did not arise in a day, there may possibly be some other causes, not altogether unconnected with the people themselves, as a reason for them. He urges on the provincial officials the necessity of assistance being given-in what particular form is not stated-and also of protecting foreigners, respecting treaties &c., &c. This Edict was re- ceived in the South on or about September 11th.
PEKING NEWS.
The N.-C. Daily News special correspondent gives the following description of the triumphal march of the Allies through the Sacred City, Peking, on the 28th ult. :-
A triumphal march of a portion of the Allies through the Palace took place this morning, and was an imposing and successful pageant. 800 Russians, 400 British, 200 Germans, with some Americana, Japanese, French, Italians and Austrians, entered in the following order: Russians, Japanese, British, Americans, French, Germans, Italians, and Austrians. Previous to this a salute of 21 guns, had been fired by the British. The weather was beautiful for this parade through the deserted precincts of the Sacred City from North to South. The greater part of the palace was unvisited, as the troops marched straight through. A few Palace servants were the only spectators. Generally speaking everything was in a state of magnificent decay, the spacious courtyards being weed-grown.
"The troops were enthusiastic, particularly the Russians, whose band played national airs as the
various detachments passed but The Busman General Linevitch reviewed the troops before the start, and congratulated General Gaselée on the appearance of the Indian contingent He hoped they would always be friends. General Gaselee replied that he was pleased to be naso- ciated with so fine a force of Russians. The various Ministers were present. The only music of the British force was the Indian con- tingent's bagpipes.
7.
The strange suggestion that correspondents should be excluded, and the affair kept private, was not adopted.
"The Japanese have succeeded in communicat-- ing with Prince Ching, who is also said to have authority from the Emperor regarding the ar- rangements of a future government."
Another correspondent of the same paper writes :—“ Peking is fast becoming a desolation.
Even the beggars have departed, and a". strange quiet rests over the entire city. It is only a few days since the siege was raised, yet in that time the people have found a way to appeal for merey or claim protection. Wher- ever there is a single Chinaman, there is seen either one of the flags floating over his home, or, more often, a white piece of cloth is hang out, on which are the two words, obedient (loyal) people,' and usually mentioning some great country to which they are obedient. As the Japanese have been quick to use the knife, the number who state themselves to be loyal to Japan outnumbers all the rest put together."
•
THE IMPERIAL COURT.
DEATHS AND ESCAPES.
According to news received from the North it would seem that quite a number of the Princes, Dukes and Nobles belonging to the Imperial and the Manchu clans did not after all accompany the Empress Dowager on her flight to the West, some being massacred by Prince Than on the charge of intending to betray the Capital to the foreign troops, whilst many es caped to their country estates, North-east of Peking, where they are now supposed to be. The following, says the N.-C. Daily News, is a list of the higher Court officials who either accompanied, or followed, the Empress Dow- ager to Shansi, according to a local vernacular paper: -Princes Ching (since left for Peking), Tuan, Chuang, Su, and Na Yen-tu, 1st Order Princes Lun and Su, 4th Order; Dukes Kuei (father-in-law of Emperor), Hsün, Pa, Kung (descendant of Confucius), Chih, and Lan; the Assistant Grand Secretaries Kang Yi and Wang Wenshao; Chao Shu-ob, iao, President of the Board of Punishments, Ying Nein, Vice-President of the Board of Revenue; several members of the Board of Comptrollers-General of the Imperial House- hold Department, all of the members of the Im- perial College of Physicians, and about one-half of the Imperial Bodyguards of the Presence doing duty at the Chien-tsing Gate of the Im- perial Palace. The following military officers in command of brigades accompanied the Em- press Dowager as escort: General Su Lu-tai (Manchu), with a brigade of the Peking Field Force; Duke P'a, with a brigade of the Husheng Army Corps (Prince Tuan's own troops) : General Ma, with brigade of General Sung Ching's Army Corps, and General Ts'ên, with two brigades of General Tung Fuhsiang's Kan- su Army Corps.
Reliable despatches from the North give the following list of high officials in Peking and elsewhere who have met death, since the troubles up North, either by their own hand, or ex- ecuted or slain by the enemy's bullets: Yu Lu, of Viceroy of Chihli, suicide, after taking o Tientsin by the allies; General Nieb, Com- mander-in-Chief of Chihli provincial forces, slain during taking of Tientsin; Li Ping-hêng, notorious High Commissioner of the Yangtze provinces, slain during battle at Hosiwu; Heu
hing-cheng, Yuan Chang, Haü Yung-yi and Lien Yuan, Ministers of the Tsungli, Ting Chieh, Provincial Treasurer of Chibli, formerl
Boxer chief, Chin Sing, President of the Board of Revenue, Li Shan, Vice-President of the Board of Revenue, Shou Tsun, Hanlin, Ch'ên Hsio-fen, Vice-President of the Board of Civil Appointments, and many others, names not tran- spired, executed by orders of Prince Tuan or mur- dered by his Boxers; and finally the Grand Secre tary Hsu Tang, the most conserva ive of conserva-
1.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.