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Macao, 18th November.
THE EXTENSION OF MACAO,
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It is matter for regret that the writer of the paragraph in the Universal Gazette, reproduced in your issue of the 1st instant, before endeavour. ing to belittle the Portuguese nation, when commenting upon the news of the reported negotiations for the extension of Macao's boundaries, did not make certain of his facts before committing himself to public print. His statement, which is a very mischievous one, has therefore evoked the righteous indignation of your Portuguese contemporary, O Porvir, which publishes a travesty of the animadver-raising sions on the Portuguese nation in its leader of the 9th instant. That the glamour of the ancient glory of Portugal yet surrounds its Far Eastern possession is a fact undoubted alike by impartial writers and its most morbid detractors. As the first European kingdom to have acquired a colony in the Orient by the skill and intre- pidity of her world-famous navigators, Portugal can still hold up Macao before the present-day Powers and point with pride to her most cherished possession which she has tenaciously held through all the vicissitudes of her varied fortunes. The alleged desire to alienate Macao is, as argued by 0 Porvir, inconsistent with a sought-for enlargement of its territory. Her desire for a re-adjustment of its boundaries is no idle ambition for territorial aggrandise- ment. There are good reasons why a proper delimitation of its frontiers is of importance to the Colony, and not the least among those reasons, so far as the writer can judge, is the improvement and better control of the fiscal and economic conditions of the port. For, as has been previously stated in your columns, one can hardly conceive that for purposes of strategy in present-day political questions Macao will play any important part for its possessors. Without any sea-borne trade of her own, Macao need not be called upon to fulfil the purpose of a naval base for Portugal. Indeed, such a necessity does not exist for her. However valuable as a half-way house it might be were it in the possession of a Power the bulk of whose tradal interest centres in South China, it cannot be said to be so for Portugal.
As has been pointed out elsewhere, the cession of the district round about Macao should form a contributory factor towards the promotion of peace between the Western Powers, and likewise remove from the shoulders of the Viceroyalty of the Two Kwangs the incubus for the sup- pression of piracy which it has been found too great a task to carry out effectually. With the agricultural district of H-ungshan or such portion of it as may be advisable to cede to Macao as its hinterland, there should be created a buffer territory whereon the covetons eye of aggressive imperialistie ambition may not be allowed to rest. It should serve. China's ends
to create such a buffer region. By herself Por- tugal of to-day canno., admittedly, be imparti ally considered as a factor either among the military or naval Powers of modern times. Nevertheless, there can be reckoned as her backer-up her ancient ally, upon whose interest more than that of any other nation should devolve the grateful task of maintaining and supporting the dignity of the sovereignty of the Portuguese colony so tra ically established beyond historical doubt in 1848.
Regarding Macao's extension from an ally's, point of view, its enlargement oust redound to England's gain. With any other but a friendly power for its next-door neighbour, actively pressing its tradal interests under the opera- tion of a restrictive protective tariff. Hong- kong's trade would have to face a formidable competitor in times of peace, while in the event of hostilities it would remain in 100 close, and consequently dangerous, proximity with its foe. It is matter of history that without Macao the early exponents of British commerce in China could never have found the resting place on their expulsion from Canton, nor such a convenient foothold or so favourable a point of vantage for the later settlement of that most flourishing colony of Hong- kong-the key of South China. So much for history. To revert to the question OF the injustice to the Portuzuesh The attri bation to them of a desire to part with Macao for a mon-y consideration, because of its impecuniosity, is as untrue as the statement is calculated to belittle the prestige of the
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.expenditure is..
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(November 23, 1901.
unable to see visitors for some weeks, and most of his work is being done on his behalf by the Treasurer. A few weeks ago he petitioned the throne for leave te retire on the ground of age and infirmity, but it was refused and he still remains here.
HONOURS FOR THE DEAD.
KANG YU WEI AND HIS PARTY.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND Portuguese nation. It is not my purpose here to discuss the merits of the sources of Macio's revenue, but that its Budget furnishes ground to justify the false allegation of the disposal of the Colony is proved beyond a doubt. | The following figures of its revenue and ex- penditure for the financial year 1901-1902, abstracted from the Colonial Estimates pub-
Those whom the king delighteth to honour lished in the Boletim Official of the 16th inst., have in China to wait long for their reward. will amply demonstrate the force of the argu- Li Hang-chang's latest promotion can only be He has now been ment that, instead of being a burden to the recorded on his tomb. mother country, Macao is able to assist the created a marquis, and posthumously named home exchequer with surplus money of it own the "Literary and Honest." He has farther be-n appointed Senior Tutor to the Heir $980,522.00 The estimated revenue is
Apparent. Chinese ceremony cares nothing 666,159.00 for the facts that there is no Heir Apparent and
that the man himself is dead. $314,362.63 or a surplus of estimated revenue over ex- penditure of $201,192.084 for the current year. Besides Macao, there are two other Colonies that are self-supporting; these are the Cape Verde Islands and St. Thomas and Principe. But the gratifying features about the Macao figures is that ner surplus revenue is approxi- mately as large us the balances of the other two colonies cou. inel. Moreover, were it not for the constant drain made upon its Treasury, by the resourcelessness of Timor, due almost en- tirely to the neglect of her vast mineral and agricultural possibilities, Macao would now have been much the better off by hundreds of dollars, which might go a long way to improve the condition of the approach to its silted harbour. Herein is to be found the crucial question of Macao's value to its possessors. Could the stolid indifference of the Portuguese Ministry be made but to bend to the pressure of local public opinion and the oft reiterated counsels of those best able to advise, not except. ing its successive Governors, the trade of the port, in its relation to West River especially, and following the abolition of all harbour dues, might reasonably have been in creased could it have offered deeper anchorage and a better roadway." Before concluding- the lie must be emphatically given to any state- ment that Macao is "in the market. As it has been shown, whatever it might have been in the past, it is no white elephant at the pre- sent time. And there is every indication that, taking the appreciable rise in the value of house property as a safe guide-a rise brought about by capital attracted hither from withont
the
there may be a return of its ancient prosperity that should still be further promoted conld the harbour improvement scheme be realised at an early date and the abolition of all manner of obnoxions farm so inimical to the rudimentary principles of Free Trade be brought about.`
CANTON,
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Canton, 17th November. VISITORS.
The past week has been a time of festivity in Canton. H.E. Sir Ernest Satow departed at the end of last week and has been succeeded by Sir James Mackay and his staff. He arrived on Tuesday evening and spent Wednesday morning in calling on the Chinese officials, being entertained in the evening by the Cham- bar of Commerce at the Shameen Hotel. The party left for Wuchow this morning, where they will inspect the prospects of the West River trade.
EUROPEANS AND THE INDEMNITY.
The new import duty of 5 per cent. came into force on Monday, and the European residents are asking rather pertinent'y why they should have to pay the Chinese indemnity. We have seen and heard a great deal about ambassadors and plenipotentiaries of late, but if their only achievement is to raise the prices of every thing we need, they would seem to be an ex- pensive luxury. The official retort is that we are lucky not to have to pay 10 per cent. But this is an inconclusive reply to the fact that the forein Governments having inflicted a fine on the Chines for their misdeeds are now calmly aloving a portion of the indemnity to be exacted from t eir own subjects.
H.E. TAO MU ILL.
H.E. Viceroy Tao is ill with asthma and has petitioned for two months' leave. He has been
There are sighs that Kang Yn Wei is losing some of his influence in this province. Opinions are frequently expressed by those in favour of reform that he is doing little besides collecting subscriptions and living at his e se.. A petition which recently arrived from Singapore is significant in this connection. The writer is an Amoy man named Yan, a rich merchant of Singapore and an educated man, who has taken the degree of M.A. His petition shows that he was formerly a friend and ally of Kang Yu Wei, and contributed large sums to forward his schemes. He now sends a sum of money to the Emperor and requests the Viceroy to forward his petition that he may be forgive and his name removed from the list of suspects and proscribed.
ILLICIT ARMS.
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A secret gun-factory was discovered recently at Fatshan. The house was surrounded and rushed by soldiers, and five men were captured. A quantity of newly finished rifles were found in the cellars, and these together with the plant captured have been deposited in the Government The thieves have been brought to Arsenal. Canton for trial.
RETRENCHMENT.
As a measure of retrenchment the torpedo school at Whampoa is being closed, and the two European teachers are not being allowed to renew their contract. The school. was established at considerable expense, and might have proved of great use had there been any career for the boys as they left it. These however were drafted into any office regardless of the technicality of their education, often not being sent to a coast port at all.
WHAMPOA'S DECLINE.
The docks at Whampoa have for long been empty except for the occasional repainting of a Chinese cruiser, so it may be presumed that the place will now lose even that little activity it had. The Taotai in charge is a person of very marked anti-foreign tendencies, which he has inherited from his father the Com- missioner Lim who made himself so famons in the Opium War.
STRIKES.
Contrary to expectation the shoemakers' strike has not yet ended, and appeal is being made to the magistrate of the Pun Ya district. The facts of the case are these. There are four distinct operations which go to the making of a shoe, and the craftsmen's guild is divided into four sections according to the nature of the One of those work performed by the artisan. sections is now on strike and demands that the masters' guild should pay 5 lie (rather under a cent) more on every pair of shoes. This de- mand is based on the fact that the masters have recently raised the price of shoes 5 cents a pair. The masters are afraid to grant their request lest each of the other sections should in turn demand it. In China it is the custom for the masters to feed and lodge the workmen who contrac. to work with them for a certain time, small wage. The besides paying them opinion of the others and the fact that they are paid by piece-work will keep any workmen from shirking. When the strike began the masters immediately refused to pay wages, but still had to board and lodge the men. They therefore appealed to the Pan Yu magistrate to help them. He has issued a proclamation authori- sing them to expel the workmen and promising if necessary to help them. The craftmen's guild has not e ough money to feed the men who are locked out, but has enough influence to prevent the introduction of blacklegs, while
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