42
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
The following insoription is cut into the | William Gascoigne is only Acting Governor, stone itself:-
HONGKONG DOCKYARD EXTENSION.
COMMODORE F. POWELL, C.B., R.N., B PERINTENDENT.
This Stone was laid by Mrs. Powell in the reign of King Edward VII, January 15th, 1902.
Having read the inscriptions, Mr. ORDISH, turning to Mrs. Powell, and, handing to her a trowel and mallet, said-I beg to request you now to set the stone.
The mallet and trowel were accepted by Mrs. Powell, who proceeded to spread the mortar on the place where the stone was to ba laid. Be fore it was lowered into position, a bottle con. taining the coins of the realm, a record of the proceedings, a plan of the works, and copies of the local newspapers, was placed in a cavity made for the purpose. The stone was then lowered on to it, bed and levelled by the Super- intending Civil Engineer.
but I am sure we could not have a better.
The toast was duly honoured, with three cheers for General Gascoigne and one for Lady Gascoigne,
H.E. THE ACTING GOVERNOR. in replying, said-Ladies and gentlemen, I beg to thank you very much both for myself and my wife for the very kind way in which you have received the toast of my name. It was quite an unex- pected thing for me that I should be so honoured. I have always taken a great deal of interest in this work-as the Commodore has said, from early morning until late at night. I have to thank you very much for the way in which you have drunk my health, and now wish to have the honour of proposing the health of Messrs. Punchal, Lowther & Co.. the architects and builders of this great work. I couple with it the name of Mr. Kidd. the engineer. (Applause.) I feel that one cannot say sufficient about the great undertakings of Hongkong. All I can say now is that I wish most sincerely I could come back fifteen or twenty years afterwards to 80 what it will be like, I think that a great increase in its importance will be seen in a very short time. During the The SUPERINTENDING CIVIL ENGINEER, three years even that I have been bore, I have addressing Mrs. Powell, said-As you have noticed a great change for the better. I beg to used this trowel and mallet in such a workman-propose the toast I have med, with three times like manner in setting this tablet block to three and one for Mrs, Kida. commemorato the placing under water of the first foundation block for His Majesty's Naval Yard Extension, I now beg your acceptance a token of the ceremony and the pleasure you have given us in attending on this auspicious occasion, and when in the old country this memento will remind you of those in Hongkong who wish you and yours & long and happy life. (Applause)
Mrs. Pow&LL. having consummated the ceremony by tapping the stone with the mallet, said-I decla: o this stone to be well and truly
laid.
of them as
The conclusion of the formal part of the proceedings was signalised by the band playing God Save the King." Three chcers' and a tiger were afterwards given for Mrs. Powell on the call of Hon. T. H. Whitehead, and "one
"for Messrs. Punchard, Lowther & Co. The inscription on the trowel is as follows:-
In the reign of His Majesty King Edward VII.
more
ADMIRALTY NAVAL YARD EXTENSION WORKS, HONGKONG.
COMMODORE F. POWELL, C B., R.N., SUPERINTENDEN F.
Presented to Mrs. Francis Powell on the occasion of setting the first Foundation Block, 15th January, 1902.
The trowel and mallet wore of a beautiful design, and magificently chased.
The ceremony finished, the company ad- journed to the drawing office, where light refreshments were served, and a short toast-list submitted. Mr. Owen Ordish presided, and was supported by, among others, the Acting Governor, Major-General Gascoigne, Admiral Sir Cyprian Bridge, Admiral Grenfell, Commodore Powell, Mr. W. Kidd, Mr. A. R. Lewis. and Mr. G. J. B. Ɛayer.
His EXCELLENCY the ACTING GOVERNOR proposed the toast of "The King" which was pledged with all the honours.
Mr. ORDISH Said-Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I have much pleasure in pro- posing a toast to the very good health of Mrs, Powell, who has honoured us by placing so ably in position the first foundation block for His Majesty's Naval Yard Extension Works.
The toast was enthusiastically pledged. Commodore PoWELL, in responding, said Ladies and gentlemen, Mrs. Powell has asked me to thank you very kindly for so cordially drinking her health. She takes the greatest interest in the work that is going on here-in fact from the early morning when the dredger commences until 10 o'clock at night when the pile-driving stops. She thanks you very kindly for the way in which her interest in the work has been recognised by you. (Applause.) Mr. R. SHEWAN, in proposing the health of Ilis Excellency the Acting Governor, said-I have been asked unexpectedly to propose the toast, and I feel that I am very unworthy of the honour done me. Ladies and gentlemen, the health of the Governor of Hongkong. Sir
O
The toast was pledged with enthusiasm. Mr. Krop, in acknowledging the honour, said-Your Excell ncies, ladies and gentlemen. I beg to thank you on behalf of the firm I represent for the way you have drunk this toust. The function which Mrs. Powell has so grace. fully performed to-day cannot but give the contractors, a certain sense of gratification, inasmuch as it marks an important step toward the achievement of our undertaking. Person- ally I have but one regret, and that is that my friend and colleague Mr. Houston is not abl⋅ to be with us.
He is due in the olony in a day or two, but the movements of the Commander-in- Chief prevented the ceremony being delayed until his arrival He knows what we are doing, however, and telegraphed me this morning his very best wishes for the success of the function, so I think we can assume him to be present. Had he be here be would have represented the firm more worthily than I can do, and could have told yon that we both looked forward confidently to a time, in a reasonable number of years, when we can ask you or a similarly representatiro company to as emble here and celebrate the consummation of our labours. (Applause.) I have again to thank you for the kind way in which you have received this to st. I now beg to propose the health of the Superintending Civil Engineer. Mr. Orilish, who is so intimately associated with this work, and under whose directions our operations are It gives me gr at pleasure to say carried on. that Mr. Ordish with his able staff co-operates with us in these operations in the most hearty the health of Mr. Ordish.
manner.
I
propose
The toast was pledged with enthusiasın. Mr. ORDISH replied briefly, and said-Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I did not expect this toast, and all I can say is I thank you for the hearty way in which you have drank it.
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD gave the last toast, The Ladies." He said -Your Excellencies проп and gentlemen, a duty. has been thrown me on the very shortest notice, but realising full well the meaning of the word duty I did not h sitate to respond, although there has been 8 moment to prepare. I have not been asked to proposa and commit to your reception the toast of "The Ladies," and perhaps it could not have been placed in the hands of one of a more retiring dis- position than myself, I ask you to drink the health of the ladies in bumpers-God bless them. The toast was cordially pledged and was ac- knowledged in a word by Mr. FULLERTON HENDERSON, on behalf of the ladies.
The company afterwards dispersed.
We are requested by Mr. W. Kidd to state that the absence of Mr. J. L. Houston from the ceremony was mach regretted, more parti- cularly by himself, as Mr. Houston's colleague, The movements of the Commander-in-Chief, however, rendered it impossible to postpone the function until after Mr. Houston's arrival, which otherwise would have been done.
|
[January 18, 1902.
THE COURT AT PEKING.
Their Imperial Majesties, welcomed by the Imperial Princes, Ministers of State, and a large number of mandarins, civil and military, returned to their palace at Peking, as we have already reported, on the 7th inst passing througli the Yangting Gate at half past one p.m. The roule was guarded by the troops of Generals Ma Yu-kun and Chiang Kusi-ti, aud the Im- perial p.ocession was grand and dignified, according to the N.-C. Daily News correspon- dent. The latter says that their Majesties have such reliance upon H.E Yuan Shikai, that when he was received in audience at Chenting- fn, they said: "Yon must protect us, as we have no one in whom we can put confidence, but only you." H.E. Yuan Shikai, with tears in his ey s, replied that he would never neglect his duty, and then withdrew from the Court.
It is said that their Majesties intend to relieve H.E. Wang Wen shao of his duties as Penco Plenipotentiary, and appoint H.E. Yuan Shi- kai in his place. Yuan's enemy Yung Lu, while at Chêntin fu, organised twenty battalions of White Banner troops, making ten thousand men in all, as his dependents, with whom he intends to face his political rival. When met at Chentingfa by Prince Ching and shown the draft of the proposed Manchurian Convention, not only did he not oppose it, but undertook to support its adoption.
The three Viceroys, Liu Kung-yi, Chang Chih-tung, and Yuan Shikai, having recom- mended in a memorial to the Throne the decapitation of General Tung Fashsianr, the Ministers of the Grand Council have decided to banish him, and apologise to the Powers for their inability to carry out the death sentance.
LU YUNG'S REHABILITATION.
..
In confirmation of what we wrote on the 18th inst. about the whitewashing" of Yung Lu, a note on native affairs in the N.-C. Daily News may be quoted. "Only lately," says our contempor. ary, it began to be bruited about that a very high British official on a recent visit to the Yangtze Viceroys towards the end of last autumn had been assured by the latter that they
never would have dared to refuse obedienco to what appeared at the time to be perfectly bona fide Imperial Edicts commanding the gathering together and organising of patriotic Boxrs throughout the Empire, for the purpose of exterminating all foreigners and their symathis. ers throughout the Empire nuless they had received secret telegraphic instructions from the Grand Secretary Yung La telling them not to obey any Imperial edicts dated after the 20th of June (1900) owing to the fact that the Princes and high Ministers at Court were nearly all open partisans and followers of the Boxers and desperadoes then dominating Peking, and sane counsel unknown at that time.
"It is now stated that the above is perfectly true, and from a high authority we have obtained a copy of Yung Lu's alleged telegram to the Yangtsze Viceroys which we translate below as follows:-
· Peking, 26th June, 19 0. "To their Excellencies Liu, Viceroy of Liang- kiang, and Chang, Viceroy of Hukuang :
Your telegram is hereby respectfully ac
That a weak country should at- knowledged. tempt to oppose itself to a dozen or so powerful nations is to court instant peril and destruction. When two nations are at war it is not right to seek reveng) on the person of the Ambassador of the opposing nation; indeed this rule has been one which has always obtained from until now. Alas, that an ancient times Empire established under such difficulties by our ancestors should be made a stake of by evil-minded - desperadoes under the guise of religion, and as it were gambled away by the cast of dice! It does not require a wise man to ask for explanations in regard to all this. I assure your Excellencies that I have repeatedly used my feeble efforts in the attempt to turn back the tide of fanaticism, but alas! I bare been unable even to do a tenth part of what I hoped for.
Subsequently, I fell ill and could not get about; bat during my leave of absence from duty, weak and ill as I was, I drew Majesties soven up and sent to their successive memorials strongly exhorting them
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