donbl
Stewards
ected:
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND.
SHANGHAT'S DEFENCE
SCHEME.
to: on-it, simply.
the fix the price.
fel Mr. SUIDTER, in seconding, said he felt sure the matter could be safely left in the hands of
The resolution was carried, and the meeting the French Company of Volunteers, Tesão
the Stewards.
terminated.
A DISHONEST COOLIE BROUGHT
TO-BOOK.
FORTUNATE: RECOVERY OF $2,000. The owner of an earthenware and porce lain shop at No. 59, Queen's Road Central, has reason to congratulate himself on the fortunate recovery of a sum of $2,044 which had been
stolen from him,
Shanghai slept through a rehearsal of the defence scheme on the 9th inst., the N C. Daily matter all the troops now under the command of News relates. There were concerned in this
Major-General O'Moore Creagh, V.C., and
hearsal consisted in the early turning-ont of the
re
troops, and their taking up the positions which
are assigned to them in case of trouble.
oing so certain
(October 20 19:00
legislation to allow foreigne
Japan.
H.M.S.
own land in
TERRIBLE RUNS AGROUND.
the N C
tated
The Weihaiwel correspondent The Shanghai Volunteer Corps were called Daily News records that the dredger. out at five, while it was yet dusk, by the sending now at Weihaiwei, was requisitioned to help the round of cards headed. "Actual Service," which Terrible out of difficulty the other night. The commanded them to repair at once to their posts great cruiser had been "standing by fully armed and accoutred. The signal was a ness to proceed to Taku for several days, complete surprise, but a very good number on Monday afternoon (1st October) the expect- assembled, and waited at ease until they were ed orders arrived, steam was got up im- thanked and complimented for their appearance. was made to draw out into the channel. The finally visited by Major General Creagh, and médiately, and in order to save time an attempt
The whole of the brigade of Indian troops mooring of the Descartes, however, nece move out from their camps, with the exception a too narrow margin and the current carried of the 3rd Baluchis who remained at their sta the Terrible's starboard bow on to the tion near the Brigade Office. The Rajputs, in the extreme western end of the island. She Sikhs, and Ghurkas went to their places, while was got off uninjured the next morning by the Bombay Cavalry carried out peacefully such the help of the St. Enoch, the crew going duties at the limits of the Settlements as would over the side to lighten the ship. Meantime or- fall to them under more active conditions. ders to proceed to sea were countermanded. French Volunteers were similarly employed Had not this accident occurred, it would have after nine, and the Settlement resumed its under the sole protection of two French their Concession. Everything had finished been an interesting spectacle, Weihaiwel wonted appearances.
men-of-war.
When he left his shop at about eight o'clock on the evening of the 12th inst. there was a considerable sum of money in the safe, On going to business at about seven o'clock the following morning he found that $2,044 had been extracted, the safe having evidently been left unlocked. An investigation disclosed the fact that a coolie who had slept on the premises was missing and suspicion at once fell upon him. It was supposed that he had left the colony by the eight o'clock boat to Canton, and a wire wase sent to Canton requesting that he should be detained. When the boats arrived at Canton, however, the man who was wanted was no- where to be seen.
On Sunday night a man who had arrived from Namtau, near Deep Bay, called upon the shopkeeper, and said that if he would hire a launch and return with him to Namtan he would take him to the man who had. appropri- ated his money. The shopkeeper did not jump at this offer, thinking it might be a ruse to get possession of a launch for piratical purposes He accordingly consulted with a friend and they both decided to see the police about the måtter. The man from Namtau repeated his statement to the police. In the meantime an- other Namtau resident made his appearance. He also offered to take the shopkeeper to the whereabouts of the coolie, who, he said, had $2,000 in his possession.. one
The upshot was that Deputy Superinten dent Badeley sent a couple of Chinese detectives to Namtan, with the shopkeeper and the two informers, they being armed with a letter to the Namtan authorities. The coolie was here found to be in custody. It appears that on Saturday night, 13th inst., some soldiers, whom the recent disturbances had put on the alert, caught the coolie climbing over the walls into the city. He could give no sat isfactory account of himself, and when he was discovered to have $2,000 on his person the soldiers suspicions were still further aroused and they handed him over to the civil authorities. The wonder is that they did not deprive him of his money, divide it among themselves, and let him go, ft.
The men who came over to Hongkong got wind of this. The coolie is a Namtan man. They discovered where he had been working in Hongkong, and naturally concluded that he had stolen the money from his employer.
As usual, certain dovecotes were fluttered with the thought that peril was imminent, and that the Volunteers who left their homes were going into danger. The more, since yesterday was the date originally set apart for the massa- danger was apprehended at any time. The cre of all (foreigners here. Needless to say no parade was just an ordinary practice of the scheme of defence, and was caused by no reports of intended attacks, riots, or kind.
anything of the
A NEW TREATY POINT IN JAPAN.
THE TRADE OF SINGAPORE.
und
Sir Alex: Swettenham, the officer administer- ing the Government at Singapore, in the annual the financial prospects of the Colony, thus address to the Legislative Council reviewing refers to the trade of the Settlements:
***As in 1898, Exchange with the Mother Country was comparatively steady during 1899, the difference between the highest and lowest rates for demand during the year being only 144. The commercial world also enjoyed more than usual prosperity and the trade of the Co- lony reflected the general condition of meraan- tile progress. Our imports of goods from other countries showed an increase in sterling values of considerably over 18 per cent. while the in- creases in exports was approximately 20 per cent. Both Singapore and Penang participated in these increases. The high prices which were obtainable for tin contributed largely to the enhanced percentage in exports.
The British Foreign Office, sapported by the law officers of the Crown, has recently decided a point of great importance to foreign holders of land in the Yokohama Settlements which has excited much alarmn amongst them, says the Manchester Guardian. The titles to lots of land in the Settlements were derived from the Japanese Government, and were in form of per petual leases—a form of right in land unknown then, and still unknown, to Japanese law, but A comparison of the trade figures for the first which at the time of the creation of the Settle-half of the present year with those for the same ments was that in which the foreign represen- period of 1899 shows an increase of 234 million tatives desired that the title should be granted. dollars or over 19 per cent in imports and an Then came the new treaties, which provide that increase of over 161 million dollars or more than all the rights of foreigners in land and property 15 per cent. in exports. In imports the chief are to be preserved intact, as they were under increases come under the heads of Foodstuffs, the old treaties. Now, in Japan the ownership Raw Materials, and Manufactured Articles. and all encumbrances on and rights in respect of In exports, Tin and Produce show the largest land are to be registered in the local prefectures or increases. The comparative returns for the other district offices, a complete system of land second quarters of both years, however, are less registration prevailing in that country. When favourable. the foreign landowners went to register their “Complications in the Far East, are temporari land as soon as the new treaties came into force ly restricting our trade with Chins, but it is they found that their titles were registered as not too much to expect that a peaceful settle- perpetual superficies" and not perpetual leases, ment of the country will result in a large in- the former being the nearest approach in Jap-crease in our trade and prosperity. Meanwhile anese law to the latter, but it is not so valuable a right as perpetual lease, for the superficies is liable under the Civil (cde to be made termin able by the decree of court, whereas the lease is not. To meet this hitch the Japanese devised ~ The shopkeeper may consider himself for the expedient of entering the right as "perpetu- tunate in having recovered his money so quick- al superficies" followed by the words "perpetu- ly, and no doubt he will adequately reward the al lease in brackets. But this did not satisfy men who gave him information as to the where the landholders, who have a certain title secured abonte of his dishonest servant so opportunely by treaty, as they consider, and who decline, therefore, to accept anything loss; while the HB.M. flagship Barflour, with Admiral Bruce Japanese can only register titles recognised on board, left Nagasaki on the 8th inst. for by Japanese law. Meanwhile all dealings Weihai The Aurora came out of dock on with land in the Settlements, which, of ad left on the 9th for Woosung. The course, is immensely valuable, are suspended, is in dock at Nagasaki, and when the utmost inconvenience is being felt; and have been executed she will leave after a good deal of agitation the matter has The German flagship Hansa, with| been referred home, and the law officers have Kirchhoff on board, ?
held that the landholders are absolutely right. the 6th inst from Sha wan. and that they are entitled to
protracted and will undergo their titles an perpetual leases and
local Mitsu Binhi dock Bhe This means that the Japanese mus obably sail for Taku at the end of this as to make legal for the old foreign new description of Ship of
The official in charge at Namtan has com- municated the facts of the case to his superior, who has gone to Samchun in connection with the expedition sent to oppose the rebels, and no doubt the coolie will meet with his deserts in due tamen tot
at
of
the demand for coal has been extraordinary.
Referring to a depreciation of nearly $25,000 in the value of the securities held by the Cur- rency Commissioners, and the steps taken to cover the depreciation, Bir Alexander mayasa **There are many causes which it the previou moment favour depreciation. The South Afri can War has lowered the value of British Securities all round, and the cost of the exped tion to Chins has prevented values from rising, The troubles of the Government of India have depreciated the value of Indian Becuri the rise of Silver in terms of Gold investments, both in Europe and fewer dollars than were origin them; further advanÓN $126,000 ' are- ciation acc00
1898
mounting
for about
depro-
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