also lost the sale of the lumber. In the third quarter the losses in American imports amounted almost to annihilation. As for the trade with Newchwang, Mr. FOWLER says of the figuresThis is annihilation pure and simple." For the three northern ports together in the second quarter of 1900 American im- ports declined more than half from those of the same period of 1899, in spite of the large gains credited to Chefoo. In the third quarter the decreases in the five articles particularly specified by Mr. FOWLER were as follows:-Drills, from 371,172 to 20,589 pieces; jeans, from 22,930 to 3,340 pieces; sheetings, 839,480 to 81,790 pieces; flour, 158,275 to 19;225 Hk. Tls.; kerosene, 2,058,100 to 50,000 gallons. The above, as the report says, gives a good idea of what a mob in China can do in interfering with trade. An examination of the returns issued by the United States Treasury De- partment reveals the following figures as to the value of exports from the States to China for the first ten months of 1899 and 1900:-
1
44
"
1899 1900
Loss
..$12,628,955
10,442,811
14
2,186,144
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE CRISIS: TELEGRAMS.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS ]
SHANGHAI, 19th April, 7 20 p.m. The students in Chekiang deny that they are chargeable for utrages last year. Always turbulent, they are now greatly incensed at the suspension of the provincial examinations and threaten to burn the official yamens and expel the mandarins.
H.M.S. Centurion is going to Hongkong. Admiral Seymour leaves in H.M.S. Alacrity for Nagasaki to-morrow.
SHANGHAI, 21st April, 7.52 p.m.
It is reported from Moukden that the Russians have lent. Tseng Chi, the Tartar- General of Fengtien, four hundred thousand taels to enable him to raise a military police force in the Province.
[April 27, 1901.
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
On Tuesday afternoon, the 23rd inst., a meet- ing of the Hongkong Legislative Connoil was held in the Council Chamber at the Government Offices, there being present:—
His EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR (Sir HENRY BLAKE, G.C.M.G.).
Secretary).
Hon. T. SERCOMBE SMITH (Aoting Colonial
Hon. C. McI. MESSEE (Acting Colonial Treasurer).
Hon. F. H. MAY, C.M.G. (Captain Superin tendent of Police).
Hon. W. CHATHAM (Acting Director of Public Works).
Hon. BASIL TAYLOR (Acting. Harbour Master).
Hon. C. P. CHATER, C.M.G. Hon. Dr. HO. KAL
Hon. J. THURBURN.
Hon. WEI À YUK.
Mr. R. F. JOHNSTON (Acting Clerk of Coun- cils).
THE FINANCIAL MINUTES, The Financial Minutes No. 17 to 25 came
General Feng Tse-tsai, commanding the troops in Yunnan, has passed Chengtu with 8,000 drilled troops and is proceeding to before the Council, and were passed nem-con.”› Hsianfu.
SHANGHAI, 23rd April, 8.40 p.m. Information has reached here that, not- withstanding all reports to the contrary, the Court has made arrangements to leave Hsian at once. Their destination is, how- have been ordered to stop sending supplies.
The provincial authorities
Mr. FOWLER continues This does not show what we really lost, for there are immense quantities of merchandise in the ports to be worked off before importations can recommence. The year 1900 began
ever, with the greatest increase in our trade
secret.
HONGKONG'S MESSAGE TO THE
DUKE OF YORK.
The following message was despatched on Tuesday to H.R.H. the Duke of Cornwall and York at Singapore :-
Hongkong, 23rd April.
TO H.R.H. THE DUKE OF CORNWALL AND
YORK.
1
1
THE HOSPITAL HULK "HYGEIA. No. 17 was a recommendation from His Excellency the Governor to the Council to ate a sum of $3,320 to provide new moorings for the hospital-hulk Hygeia.
Carried.
No. 13 was a recommendation from His Excellency to vote a sum of $170 for the erec- tion of a coal-store at Starling Inlet Police
THE STARLING INLET POLICE STATION.
Station.
Carried.
THE EDUCATION OF CADETS,
No. 19. The Governor recommended the Council to vote a sum of $9,036.25 to meet the expenses incurred by the Government of the Federate Malay States in respect of the Cadets Messrs. E. D. C, Wolfe and S. B. C. Ross.
Carried.
THE GAOL OFFICER'S QUARTERS. The Governor recommended Financial Minute No. 20, which was a recommendation
of Hongkong desire on the part of the commu-month for the current
"The Members of the Legislative Council to vote a sum of $990, being the rent of quar- ters for gaol officers for nine months at ȘÎ10 a
year. nity to wish your Royal Highnesses God-speed
Carried. and a safe return, and to express their regret that circumstances prevented the community of of receiving a visit and offering to your Royal this important Colony from having the honour Highnesses a hearty and loyal welcome.
ever known, and ended with the most "serious losses. The losses to the cotton trade alone I estimate at over $3,000,000.” The sketch which we have given of Mr. FOWLER's report will furnish some idea of the losses sustained by one country through the disastrous events of last year in North 'China. A rapidly expanding trade was
reduced practically to non-existence within- a short space of time; the retrogression was general; and so unsettled are affairs still that it will be a long time, in the judgment of those who have devoted themselves to the study of the situation, before there can be any beginning of a recovery of the lost trade. It is more than ever evident, from the commercial point of view, that in seeking reparation from China for the outrages of last year what is to be aimed at is not huge sums of money wrung from the people, which will only injure their buying powers for many years to come, but increased fncili- fies for traders. By such means alone can the prospect become bright, The Western
Please convey our best thanks to members Powers, or at least the majority of them, of Legislative Council and to whole communi- have come to China professedly to trade.ty for their kind message. I much regret Yet from the standpoint of trade their impossible to visit Hongkong, where I feel sure proceedings in the past have often been loyal and hearty welcome ever awaits us. absolutely unreasonable. There is no cer fainty that their conduct will not be so again. We have not the particulars of the indemnities claimed from China, but we trust that the reports which have reached us of enormous pecuniary burdens to be fastened on China are not merely premature but
incorrect.
The Taichow correspondent of the N.-C. Daily News writes on the 11th inst.-A deep ramonr rose yesterday, and is confirmed to-day, that the French have revived the infamous Wanté case of two years since. The prefect Kuo (now of Ningpo), the late chentai of Haimen, his chongfu, and the Huangyen chihsien, are among others to be degraded, and the examinations are to be stopped till the huge indemnity is paid. (The first-named was degraded to Ningpo because he executed Wantè.) We trust it is but rumour, but if true, we cannot but ask, What can our French neighbours be thinking about? Surely wiser counsels would have said: “Let sleeping dogs lis. Was not their man's head enough ?”
GOVERNOR OF Hongkong,”
**
The following answer was received : —
Singapore, 23rd April. FROM H.E.H. THE DUKE OF COB · WALL, AND
YORK TO GOVERNOR, HONGKONG.
66
葡萄
GEORGE."
!
រឺ
THE WAGLAN LIGHT STATION.
Governor to the Council to vote a sum of $288 Financial Minute No. 21 was then put to the Council. It was a recommendation from the
to cover the cost of certain articles required for the use of the Waglan Light Station.”
Carried.
THE SAIKUNG POLICE STATION.
Financial Minutes Nos 22 and 23 were re- commendations from the Governor to the Council to re-vote the some of $8,871.95, being unexpended balance of the votes for 1900, and to vote $1,294 under the head Public Works" Extraordinary for the construction of a police station at Saikung.
Carried.
THE NOVEMBER TYPHOON, Financial Minute 24. : The Governor recom- mended the Council to vote 8553.52 to meet the cost of certain repairs of certain damages done by the typhoon in November last.
Carried.
the Minutes were referred to the Finance Com-
On the motion of the COLONIAL SECRETARY -
mittee..
FINANCE.:
PAPERS.
We have received the first two numbers of the Philippine Argonaut, a Sunday journal which commenced its existence at Manila on the 7th inst. It is a neat-looking paper, after following lines from the introductory article the style of the San Francisco Argonaut. The
will explain its objects:-"It is the aim of its projectors to make it a publication representa- tive of the education and refinement of these The report of the proceedings of the Fiosuce Islands. It will from week to week present a Committee held on the 11th ult. was adopted condensation of the news of the States, so that on the motion of the COLONIAL SECRETARY. Americans resident in the Islands may con- stantly be in touch with home and, on the other hand, it will bring to the people of the States pictures of life in the Orient. Considerable attention will be paid to socisty, Filipino homo life, agriculture, resources, industries and pos- sibilities. It will weekly give the history of local happenings in Manila and throughout the islands of the group and in a general way sim to be a reflex of all local happenings. Editori- ally it will discuss all questions that may arise and engage the public mind, and will do so from an independent, unbiased standpoint.”
>
The following papers were laid on the table." The report of the Food Supply Commission; report of the Acting principal Civil Médical Officer for the year 1900; Harbour Master's report as to the removal of Cape D'Aguilar Light to Green Island, dated 25th August, 1900; report of the Treasurer and the Acting Post- master General as to revenue and expenditure of British Post Offices in China, dated 25th February, 1901, financial returns for the year 1900, report of the Superintendent of Fire Bri- gade 1900, and report of the Acting Superin
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