148.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
MACAO.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.)
Macao, 14th August,
OFFICIALS AND GAMBLING,
evidenced his real opinion by his action in asking for an expert. Consequently, the Memoran- dum of the Trio stands alone on its merits. I have endeavoured to show a few of its untruths, suppressions and inaccuracies. The statement asked for by Mr. Osborne, and at present refused by two of the Trio, wil shew more. Therefore A recent resolution of the Senate called forth as a public document, the Memorandum fails a storm of righteous indignation from the rank and it may consequently be consigned to that and file of the municipal subordinate officers. convenient receptac'o of rejected literature-The motion was brought forward by Mr. Edwards the waste-paper basket. As a private document | Marques and reads as follows:- it may be treasured as a curiosity-showing to what heights the Official imagination, when unrestricted by thoughts of public scrutiny,
Alas, poor Yorick !"
may soar.
SCRUTATOR.
THE CHINA EXPEDITION HONOURS AND PROMOTIONS.
The London Gazette publishes the following honours and promotions in connection with the China Expeditionary Forces:-
Sir Clande Macdonald, Colonels Reid, Barrow and Dorward, and Sir Pertab Singh are appointed Knights Commanders of the Bath.
Sir Norman Stewart, Generals Cummins and Lorn Campbell, Colonels Bookey, Gartside, Tipping and Bertie, Majors Bond and Ramsay,
are appointed Companions of the Bath
Major-General Gascoigne is appointed Knight Commander of St. Michael and t. Georga, Commanders Connor, New South Wales Contingent, and Tickell, Victoria Contingent, are made Companions of St. Michael and St. George. Commander Eldertou, of the Royal Indian Marines, Majors Johnston, Royal Artillery, and Poreira, Grenadier Guards, Captains Philipps, Griffin and Roweroft, Lentonauts Gaussen and Bainbridge, Indian Staff Corps, Captains Pell of the Queen's, Poole. East Yorkshires, and Walwyn, Royal Welch Fusiliers, receive the Distinguished Service Order. General aselee is promoted to Major General, and the Maharaja Sindhia is appointed Aide-de-Camp to the King.
}
The following have received promotion: - Lieutenant-Colonels O'Sullivan. Royal En- gineers, Woon and Pollock. Indian Staff Corps, Majors Johnstone and Luke, Royal Marines, Swan, Bower, Tulloch, Mackenzie- Kennedy, and Vaughan, Staff Corps, St. John, Royal Artillery, Koe, Army Service Corps, Captains Norie of the Middlesex Regiment, Gwynne, Royal Welch Fusiliers, Lee. Royal Engineers, Jermyn. Shaw, Brooking. Napier, Bingley, and Vanghan of the Staff Corps, Wray, Royal Marines, and Veterinary Captain Hazelton.
to
The following receive the Medul for distinguished conduct in the field :—
Sergeants Murphy and Preston, Corporals Johnson and Gowney, and Private Myers of the Royal Marines, Sergeant Taylor, and Privates Crew. Doodson and Jackson, Royal elch Fusiliers, Havildar Roshankhan, ifongkong Singapore Battalion, and Artillery Sergeant Gidie kwee of the Chinese Regiment.
The following Indian Ionours are also announced:-
Major-General Gaselee to le Knight Grand Commander of the Indian Empire.
The Maharaja of Bikanir to be Knight Commander of the Indian Empire.
To be Companions of the Indian Empire: Colonels Rainsford, Radford, Scott-Moncrieff and Waddell, Majors Watson and Scott Lieutenant Asafalikhan, of the Maler Kotla Sappers, Subadar Majors Sardarkhan, Hong kong Regiment, and Yasinkhan, 24th Bengal Infantry.
To be a Companion of the Star of India :-- Colonel Richardson of the Indian Staff Corps.
A Japanese fleet consisting of the Asahi, Shikishima, Idzumo, Asama, Tokiwa, Kasogi, Saiyen, Kaimon and two torpedo-boats, the Yugiri and Sosanami, put into Chemulpo on the last day of July. The Coreans swarmed the hill-tops, and had all kinds of reports going. one of which was that a rebellion had broken out in Fusan and that the ships had been there and had killed numbers of Coreans. The Japanese ships, hawever, only intended to make a five days stay and then to proceed to Chinnampo.
·
[August 17, 1901.
against Macao's trade. On the other hand, at Kongmun such facilities already exist. There, as soon as a junk arrives, banks are ready to make advances against the cargo, which enable the consigness to expedite the vessel, discharge and to at once purchaso return cargo, with the result that a larger number of voyages can bo made in the year and capital turned over more frequently. In consequence, a larger portion of the West Coast trade tends each year to abandon Macao in favour of Konguun. Macao's future prospect is, therefore, not just now a bright one. First and foremost, it Macao is to remain a port of any importance whatever, it is necessary that Portugal wake up from her present lethargy of indifference. and permit her colony to undertake the dredging of the approaches to the port. The next most important step would appear to be the establish- ment of a bonded warehouse, in which goods could be placed on arrival under the charge of be induced to make on them the advances responsible persons, so that the Bauks might necessary to expedite the movement of shipping;
"That all municipal officers, of whatever class belonging, shall be prohibited from frequenting the fantan gambling honses, under penalty of reprimand for the first offence, suspension from office for the second, and dismissal for the third." The motion, being supported by the entire body of the Senators present at the meeting, with the single exception of the President, was duly prased. The President, in opposing the rosolution tooth and nail, delivered an excellent In the curse of his remarks he said, whatever speech, the substance of which should be noted. the expediency or the good intentions of the he felt it his duty to strenuously oppose a mover of the resolution in urging its adoption,
The aggregate of these advances would amount to so large a sum and the security be measure which, if ouarted, would have the effect of so high a class that a foreign Bank would ject. True that the enactment would affect establishing a branch in Macao, and, as it of restricting the individual liberty of the sub-probably soon recognise the advisability of only a small number of persons as represented would he content with a lower rate of interest by the body of the officers in the municipal than is demanded by native banks doing similar service, but he felt it none the less imperative business at Kongmun and elsewhere, the advan- to see that no law should be enacted--if only tagea Macao would enjoy as a commercial centre departmental whose result would enslave the would be yet further increased." liberty which every citizen, in common with to enjoy. The resolution they were c usid ring his fellow-subjects, has the inalienable right would have this effect. Moreover, the restriction is wholly inconsistent with the legislation of the colony. Gambling is not only tolerated, but is actually legalised by the laws of the country. If would also be unfair to the gambling farmer, since lages for which he pays a large sum yearly. it would constitute an infringement of the privi
police, municipal, or Government regulations The constitutional laws are explicit in that no can be framed with the intention of inflicting punishments not specifically provided by law
(Art. 486 of the Penal Code).
TWO COMMISSIONS,
Enquiry is gazetted in a recent issue of the, The appointment of two Commissiers of
mission, having for its object the investigation Boletim Official. The first is the Land Com- of the titles of land in this colony and other kindred subjects. The wonder is that such port should set at rest many a misappre- an enquiry was not held long ago. The re hension defectire title-deeds ant the re-adjustment of a leged existence of boundaries of existing lots. As to the latter head of inquiry it is suggested that seroral
48 10 the
encroachments should be looked into. A similar
question afforded the Hongkong Land Com- mission much scopo for useful work.
OUR BANKING SYSTEM.
The other Commission is to enquiro into and report upon the system-or rather the absence of one-of banking in the colony. Bearing in mind the recommendations of the real cenado to the National Congress, it is doubtful whether deficiency will be recommended to Govern- any measures calculated to supply the presont
ment
But it is not unreasonable to sup. pose that a matter so closely associated with the advancement. or retro ression, of the dismissed without careful and searching inves trade of the port, should not be lightly tigation at the hands of the Commissioners. It appears that the consensus of local opinion is that, having regard to present needs, the existing system of Chinese counting-houses should not be made to give way to a rogulated system of banking as is known and recognised amongst European nations. To combat this view, and as showing the urgent necessity, in the interests of trade, for an early reform of the unsatisfactory methods hitherto prevailing, I will quote in extenso the recommendations of Mr. A. E. Hippisley, the former Commissioner of the Lappa Customs, in one of his Decennial Reports. I trust the weighty arguments in favour of a change will morit the carnest attention of both the Commissioners and the Government. Mr. Hippisley wrote:-
"Native traders maintain that the absence of banks which would advance on a jurk's cargo so as she reaches port militates strongly
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t.
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SWATOW.
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENCE.
Swatow, 13th August. FOREIGN MERCHANTS ASK FOR CONSULS'
INTERVENTION.
As indicated in my last communication, trade may bo severely affected by the fact that, unless the provincial authorities intervene local owing to the supioness and partly to the powerlossn69 of the Chinese officials, clan fights are still in progress, and hence rural commerce is almost at a standstill. The port which forwards to and of Swatow itself is merely a distributing coûtre receives from the The foreign hoogs, who now are beginning adjacent districts and the interior s'l its goods.
to perceive the harm done by the disturbed slate of the surrounding country, have addressed a the consular body, asking him to protest to the petition to the German Consal, as doyen of
hostilities carried on round hero, Viceroy of this provincs at Canton against the It is hoped that the Consul's protest will have the desired effect.
NATIVE CHRISTIANS TO THE FORK AGAIN.
I am informned that the olders of the various clans now engaged in strife tried the other day to settle existing disputes and to com- pensato those who suffered essential mone- tary losses, but their efforts were rendered fatilo owing to the native Roman Catholic Christians demanding more than their just also attempted to bring matters to a settlement, claims. It appears that some of the officials
but their good intentions were of no`avail. the Romanist converta proving stubborn in resist- iug all their arrangements.
A DROWNING FATALITY.
Mr. Shearer, late second engineer of the s.s. Chefco, met with an untimely death on Sunday last. It appears that he had just left his steamer to walk on shore, when, on stepping over a bridge that connects the pontoon with the shore, he missed his footing, it being then dusk, and fell into the water, which at the time was nine feet deep. The body was recovered at the place where Mr. Shearer is supposed to have dropped in. An inquest presided over by H.B.M. Consul will be held today at Messrs. Butterfield & Swire's office.
A LOSS TO THE COMMUNITY.
It is with deep regret that I have to record the death of Mr. Ü. Lang, of the Customs. which occurred early this morning. Mr. Lang had been suffering from typhoid for the past 16 days and seemed to be progressing favour- ably, when suddenly a change for the worse came over him and his temperature was at 106. up to the time of his expiring. Mr. Lang was
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