splendidly illustrated from photographs; Thomas Edward Brown, author "—by A. T. Quiller Couch; oss of Time," by Miss M. F. Coleridge; Nile: an Ode," by Henry Newbolt; and the three opening chapters of a new story, Tristram of Blent, by Anthony Hope, whose admirers will. welcome his appearance in the new magazine. Altogether the Monthly Review is a. fine production, and they must be difficult to please who cannot find in it reading mattor to their taste.
tude of England toward Russia.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
A delightful prospect, truly! But even the home Government has not been quite so un- statesmenlike as the writer of the above lines. What may come of the Anglo-German Agree- ment we cannot venture to predict; but it pro- mises better things, than the author of “After Pekin" would allow us.
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THE FIRE ON THE «ROHILLA.
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“October 27,
idea of a righteous expiation lent to indifference to a repetitio The Government of his Maj
the refore, proposes to the Cabinete con that they should invite their representatives Peking to designate those leading Chinese per- sonages regarding whose guilt in respect of the instigation or perpetration of the crimes there can be no possible doubt. BuLOW."
A Peking correspondent writes to a con- the Dowager Empress was driven about the temporary-The state of frenzy into which middle of last June is now explained in the following manner. Tuan, in order to further his own aims, present- It appears that Prince ed to her Majesty a document which he alleged to be an ultimatum drawn up by the foreight Ministers, which demanded (1) the complete retirement of the I Dowager Empress from posi- tion of ruler in China and the reinstatement of Kwang Heu as Emperor; (2) the placing of Chinese finances under European control and the removal of the seat of the Government from Peking; and (3) the appointment of foreign advisers to six boards, in whose hands the affairs of state would be placed. Wang Weu-chao, Viceroy of Pactingfn, and Hau Ching-chong, have both denied that they ever presented any such document, but Prince Tuan insisted that it came through Prince Fu-lu.
As the. P. & Oz steamer Rohilla was steam- CURIOUS STORY FROM PEKING. We will return now to the second article, 6th inst., a fire was discovered on the port side ing into Kobe early on Saturday morning, the After Pekin," and consider what the anonymous The ship's fire appliances had no effect on the writer las to say on China. He takes rather burning cargo, and the captain thought it pru- an unusual view of the situation, and puts it dent to drop anchor in the Bay instead of going forward in an interesting manner, though we direct to the pier as usual. Mr. Sim, the Superin- imagine that few Englishmen will be.in sym- tendent Adviser of the Kobe Fire Brigade, pathy with it. After touching briefly on the subjects of Jingoism in England and the atti-was sent for, and at his suggestion the steamer tude of Entope to the decaying Empire of was put alongside the pier. Four fire-engines China, the writer proceeds to examine the atti- were then taken to the pier, and a hydrant fitted with hose, so that the loca. firemen One looks hack [he says] even from this short dis could play on the flames. An immense tance with amazement at the way in which, for in- quantity of water was thrown into the com- stance, the occupation of Port Arthur by Russia was partment in which the fire was situated treated in respectable journals. If any one will take with apparently little effect, as there were the trouble to look at a map of China, it is apparent, only scuttle holes for the engines to play on the face of it, that Russia's claim to predomin into. So much water was thrown in that auca in Manchuria is irresistible. She already owns the country on two sides of it, and has spent large the water in the vesssel nearly reached the sums of money in the development of her possessions, boiler, and the large fire-engines then ceased particularly by means of the Siberian railway. It work until the ship's bilge pump was got to has long been recognised by statesmen in this country, and elsewhere that a terminus to that railway in a reasonably ice-free port is a commercial necessity, and that such a port can only be found in Manchuria. When, therefore, proposed, with the assent of China, to occupy Port Arthur and Talienwan for that pur pose, she was making no extravagant proposal. On the contrary, she was certainly not doing more than we should have done in her place.
The writer might have added, but did not, that we should certainly have brought down on our heads a far more violent, storm of abuse by so acting in a similar position. When, more.❤ over, he talks of the occupation by Russia, with "the assent of China," of Port Arthur and Tailienwan, he is misleading. A clique of cor- rupt Chinese and Manchu officials, it is true,
sold their country to the highest bidder, but it is absurd to speak of "China's assent" to the cession. One of the main reasons for the hatred displayed so violently against foreigners during the present crisis was, beyond all doubt, the seizure by outside nations of vast tracts of Chi nese territory. But the writer in the Monthly Review holds trange ideas on such seizures He says
It can stay be doubted that, if we were free from all for complications and interference, and
could exciusy regard the wishes of British mer.
chants [1], we should do right to annex the whole of the Chinese Empire. Not only is it true that trade follows the flag, but, apart from this, the commercial policy of Great Britain is unquestionably that which best suits her commercial interests: Unfortunately, any such action is imposible.
But it is urged by the forward party that, though we cannot now hope to take the whole of China,, we might at least occupy some part of it.
Let us, then, Occupy the Yangtzo Valley, or at the least declare
an informal protectorate over it.
work to keep the water down. Late in the evening a door was opened from one of the hatches at the stern end of the reserve hold, this being the only entrance to this hold, which is between 60 and 70 feet long. When the door was opened the smoke was for a time so dense that it was impossible for any one to enter, but after playing three streams of water into the hold the smoke decreased, and the officers of the ship did splendid work with a gang of coolies in removing through the small door a great quantity of cargo, consisting most- ly of rattan, leather in bales, cinnamon, &c. For a long time the engines continued to play on the fire, and the cargo to be removed as op-
portunity offered, but little effect seemed to be produced on the outbreak; indeed, about seven o'clock the heat and smoke were so great that the men were driven back and for awhile no work could be done. Then the ship's pumps and the fire-engines were put full speed ahead, and at last the smoke lessened sufficiently to allow the removal of cargo to be resumed. By 9.30 p.m. such good progress had been made that the fire was practically out and the whole of the cargo in the hold could be removed, the Fire Brigade engines returning to the station at 10 p.m. The Kobe Chronicle understands that with the exception of the cargo in the reserve hold; where the fire occurred, the gene- ral cargo throughout the vessel is in perfect order, and the ship is not injured in the least,
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THE GERMAN CIRCULAR NOTE TO THE POWERS.
The following is the full text of the German Circular Note which last month was telegraphed to the German Imperial Embassies in London, Vienna, and to the German Imperial Legution Paris, St. Petersburg, Rome, Washington, and
in Tokyo:
The first sentence above quoted misrepresents the wiser among the merchants, and we do not know that the most "advanced" among them have ever advocated such a monstrous and im- possible step as the annexation of the whole of China; for, after all, they know something about the country. It is hot to be denied that in
"The Government of his Majesty the Emper preference by a future absorption into the
or considers that a preliminary condition of Russia Empire of Central China the.mer-entering upon diplomatic dealings with the chants, and for that matter anyone who cares Chinese Government is the surrender of those aught for our interests in the Far East, would welcome the establishment of our claims in the persons regarding whom it has been ascertained that they were the original and real instigators Yangtze region. The reason requires no seek of those orinies against the law of nations which ing When a leading Russian journal like the Novoe Vremya can "object to the open-door were committed in Peking. The number of the principle north of the Peiho," we have little execution en masse would be against the con- criminal instruments employed is too great; an cause for changing our opinion that any science of the fcivilized world. The circum- pledge Russie may give about allowing. "free stances of the case, moreover, involve the im- trade in whatever part of China she may annex is worthless. This the Monthly Review writer possibility of discovering even the whole of the group who were the ringleaders. The few, probably recognises, for he says, in 'concluding however, whose guilt is notorions ought to be The commercial policy of Russia is worse for tus delivered over and punished. The reprefenta- han that of any other nation, and it would be better tives of the Powers in Peking will be in a posi that Japan or even Germany should be encouraged to tion to give or to obtain competent evidence in Ake over the Government of the southern and central this investigation. The number of those who
mpire. In the meantime an attitude of
are to be punished is of less importance than
his article:
It is added that on receipt of this ultimatum the Dowager-Empress was convinced of the designs of the foreign Mimisters, and that she thereupon authorised a general massacre. The alleged ultimatum is now known to the Imperial refugees to have been a forgery..
FOOCHOW.
Daily Echo of the 13th inst.:-
The following notes are from the Foochom
With all our best endeavours, the best in-
dividual endeavours of foreigner and native alike, to avoid doing anything that might cause trouble, it is irritating to learn that certain American missionaries have insisted on going up to Kucheng in the face of their Consul's orders that they should not go, and against the entreaties of the Provincial Authorities that no missionaries should return to their country stations until peace is assured, for fear of untoward consequences, It is scarcely too much to say that by their action these missionaries are conrting danger, and running the risk of disturbing the peace of the port. All loyal people will be indignant of us, with the feeling that we are beholden at the Consul being disobeyed. And most
to the Viceroy and Tuotais for our freedom from anxiety during the late tronblous times". (anxiety from which no other port in China, has been wholly exempt) would seek to help them now by carrying out their wishes instead of running counter to them. These good Chris- tains did not heed the Consul's orders any more than they seem to have cared to observe you"; they ought to be compelled to return, but St. Paul's maxim to "obey those who rule over they happen to be ladies and are consequently difficult to manage.
It is a long time since a cricket match was played at Foochow, and the event of Thursday last, the F. C. C. v. H.M.S. Lizard, broualit together quite a number of spectators.. Play commenced at noon, the Lizard's team going in first. At 1 o'clock tiffin was served in the Pavilion at which upwards of thirty sat down, and play was resumed soon after 2, when the first innings of the Navy team was continued, and shortly afterwards-finished with a total of 62 runs. The Foochow team then went in and succeeded in making up a total of 161 runs off what was said to be comparatively easy bowling. The second innings of the Lizard followed but could not be completed owing to the failing fight. The day was fine and a most enjoyable· afternoon was spent by all present, including great many ladies.
is all that the Government of this country their character as prime movers and ringleaders. | Maru is due to-day. She is the first offered
take up. It may well be that eventu whve part may be open to it, in the ping order in the sea-coast towns and perfectly pacified Japanese Empire.
The Government of his Majesty believes that it can reckon upon the uranimity of all the Cabinets on this point; since indifference to the
The Oaks Shosen. Kaisha's 8.8. Akashi new line of steamers to run between Hongkong and Foochow, calling at Swatow and. Amoy The Compay having a special subaldy for this
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