April 27, 1901,1
BRITISH CLAIMS FOR COMPENSATION,
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
NORTHERN NOTES.
849
The following items are from the P. c T. Times of the 13th inst.:
The U.S. troops expect to leave Tientsin about the end of this month,
account of the mystery which surrounds Agni- There is a good deal of criticism here at the naldo and the seclusion in which he is kept, the constitution of the Legation Committes for rumour is going among the Spanish and native investigating British claims. I think I men-classes that the recent capture is not Aguinaldo. tioned before that it is composed of Mr. Tower, but some "fake" who is being used to bring the First Secretary, and Messrs. ( ampbell and about the surrender of the numerous guerrilla Jamieson of the Consular Service. As to bands and small insurgent forces which are still The Japanese are building barracks exton- ability and impartiality, the Committee is a scattered over the country. There is no way sively in their Settlement at Tientain, misle very strong affair, but Tientsin is of opinion of remedying this at present unless the ex- The Imperial Troops of the 4th Brigade are that a home barrister of wide commercial ex- general is placed at the mercy of the papers, under orders to return to India, and will leave perience should have a place on it, as many of and the military authorities refuse to do this. I early next month. the questions on which it will have to decide Was there ever a city that desired civil rule involve complex trade matters and cracial points more than Manila does? I think not. Ask in commercial law. It is now supposed that the the long strained newspapers, and there will be gross claims will not be far short of two millions no doubt about it. sterling; this of course only refers to British subjects.
́DE. IRWIN'S DEATH,
MANILA.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Manila, 16th April. COMMISSARY SCANDALS DWINDLE.
Boxers are being beheaded by the Chiness officials in many large towns in this Province, where they are pretty well discredited.
.
:
A Chinese newspaper has been established in Kiaochow by the Germans, and Yuan Shikai has distributed 500 copies among the officials.
Chin Shim, a prominent Manchu oficial, has left Peking for Hsian with a detailed report of the state of the City and Palaces; and Pekingese believe that the return of the Court is probable some time in June.
2.
A very unique presentation has reached Mrs. Bellingham from H. M. S. Terrible in acknow- ledgment of her services to wounded members of their crew when in the Gordon Hall, Tien- tsin. The gift is a perfect and exquisitely finished model in silver of the Ladysmith gun- which was mounted with such good effect here... on an ebony stand, and bears a neat little in. men for Mrs. Bellingham's kindly attention.
Subsequent enquiry has revealed the fact that Mr. Stonehouse was not murdered by design, and that his death was due in some measure to the Chinese of the district having been recently victimised by unscrupulous foreigners; and Chinese who had been extorting money from the villagers. The gang who murdered Mr. Stonehouse killed three of these foreigners and three of the Chinese with them about a month previous to Mr. Stonehouse's death, and nothing very serious happening, they probably thought the lives of wandering foreigners; might be taken with impunity. The people of these districts appear to be generally well armed and ready for any mischief going. The chiefs have not been arrested, but they are known, and one of them appears to be a man who was unfor tunately liberated from the Chinese prison by German force some time ago, and who has since been doing a great deal of mischief.
COMMISSION'S SUCCESSFUL SOUTHERN TRIP. The Civil Commission is still in the southern islands and to-day they are organising the city Tientsin on Good Friday lest in Dr. Andrew and island of Cebu. During the month that Irwin one of its oldest residents and most esteem. the Commissioners have been in the south they ed citizens. As a man and a doctor the deceased have accomplished a great amount of important gentleman commanded boundless respect, and work. In a majority of the islands the people better still, confidence and affection. He was have been fairly launched on life under civil one of the pioneers of Western medicine among government. The deep interest and widespread the Chinese and was for years an intimate enthusiasm which have been manifest at the friend of Li Hung-chang, whom he accom-public meetings held in the various cities are panied to Europe on the occasion of his famous very encouraging and furnish the brightest mission. Dr. Irwin leaves a widow and one of prospects. The Commission is highly pleased child. Their departure will leave a gap in with the result of the investigations and the our social circle that can never be adequately more its members become acquainted with the filled. The funeral took place on Easter country, the more satisfied they are that the scription, expressing the indebtedness of the Sunday and was attended by all sorts and time has arrived for the beginnings of civil conditions of men, affording most striking rule. The insurrection is almost forgotten in testimony to the unique position the good many of the southern islands and trade is doctor held in the hearts of the native as springing up in all parts. Even the conserva well as in the affectionate regard of our very tive Moros of Sula and Mindanao are beginning cosmopolitan community.
to find out that the Americans are good cus- tomers, and intercourse and communication exist in many places where such conditions were never possible under the Spaniards. As the Com- mission visited the various American garrisons in the Mohammedan country, Sultans, dattos and sub-dattos came in from places many miles distant to meet the representatives of Ameri- can civil rule. Several of the pagan tribes After all the talk and noise that have been living about the great volcano of Mount Apo made over the commissary scandals it begins 10 spent the day in the town of Davao and all the look as though a mountain has been made out chiefs gave testimony before the Commissioners. of a mole-hill: The busybodies of Manila have It was most pleasing to hear these savage, stirred up a tempest in a tea-pot and it is only primitive people describe their relations with & question of time until the whole thing blows the army. In almost every case they said that over. Only the preliminary courtmartial con- they had never known more peaceful times, and cerning the non-commissioned officers have been the most that they could ask for was the con- held and the trials of Captain Read, the Assis- tinuauce of the present conditions. This speaks tant Depot Commissary, and Lieutenant Boyer well for the soldiers, and they merit every word will not be completed for several days, but as of it. the investigations proceed the sensations sub- side. It has been stated on the highest autho- rity that $20,000 will cover the entire steal and The Commission will return to Manila about where millions are concerned and the daily the first week of May and after clearing up transactions often run up into five figures the work which has accumulated during their the matter is very trivial. According to pre- absence they will take the field again and sent indications, in the worst event it cannot organise the provinces of northern Luzon. mean more than the dismissal or imprisonment About the beginning of July we may look for of a few enlisted men and two or three officers. the establishment of a central civil gövern- The arrest of Mr. Pitt of the firm of Thos. ment in Manila, with Judge Taft as Governor, Evany & Co. without the privilege of bonds and a legislative conneil composed of Ameri- caused a good deal of comment and talk in cans and Filipinos. Manila is ready for it, the business circles; but after two days he was whole country is as ready as it is likely to released on putting up a two thousand dollar be for a long time under present management, bond. Mr. Pitt's case has not yet come to and the sooner civil rule begins the better trial and it is possible that the matter may it will be for the islands. Almost every in. be allowed to drop. In the meantime the terest demands the subordination of the mili- impression is spreading that Mr. Pitt is the tary to its proper place. After three years of victim of circumstances and an army officer hard and successful work its labours have been who borrowed money on the strength of Mr. almost completed, and the time has come for Pitt's generosity, and finally when the limit the civil authorities to exercise again supreme had been reached and security was demanded power. against more loans, the officer deposited fifty cases of bacon, government bacon as it hap- pened, in a room adjoining Mr. Pitt's office. The finding of this bacon led to the arrest, and its presence has not yet been explained before the authorities. InterAN
AGUINALDO STILL BECLUDED.
CENTRAL CIVIL GOVERNMENT NEXT.JULY.
a
CORRESPONDENCE.
We do not hold ourselves responsible for the [opinions expressed by our correspondents.]
MISSIONARIES IN CHINA.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE " DAILY PRESS.
18th April. 818,--All parties, I think, should be grateful to Mr. Michie for the judicious and impartial tone with which he treated the subject of his in structive lecture. If the missionary question is to be discussed, as he says it must, it is greatly to be desired that it be done in the moderate and impartial method of which he gives the example. May I be pardoned for taking exception, in this connection, to certain strong expressions in your own valuable columns, where cert tives of some bodies of missionarie which may indeed be worthy of are qualified as simply vicious reputable"?
Missionaries in particular will be grateful to Mr. Michie for his clear testimony to fact, **that the Christian religion, is such, provoked the Chinese Government acts of violence: and that their to the propaganda has been, political, and only incidentally difficulties surrounding manifold and complex, at the bottom such dimeulti the prac
It is possible that a large number of acres of arable land at Taipo will shortly be the property of a Chinese syndicate. They intend to cultivate it in three or four different lots, and have already made arrangements for Aguinaldo still hangs his hat at the Palace importing the latest designed plonghing in Malacanan and sees only a few friends, and machinery. A large proportion of the capital advisers. General-MoÀrthur refuses to allow necessary has been subscribed, and it is said newspaper men to see him until important a Shanghai capitalist is the chief promoter of tters which are pending are settled. In the scheme. We have made enquiries, and of a lack of news the local papers are find that the venture is the result of the report the struggling along with a lot of mistaken in- of the Food Supply Commimion, and formation and a good many wrong impressions idea is to cultivate the land and have been foisted on the public. The much Hongkong' market with potatoes, talked-of Aguinaldo manifesto is believed to, &e. For the conveyance of the products to the from be now in the of the interpreters, and after Hongkong.
this is out much m will be
teresting
be in, junku will be employed,
good
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