towards brightening the Cathedral services, and, he could assure them that no alteration was in- tended in their services,
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Mr. CUNNINGHAM moved a vote of thanks to the Bishop for presiding, and on behalf of the Choir thanked him for his kind apprecia- tion, and said the Choir would be glad to learn that their musical services, instead of being discouraged, would rather be encouraged.
The meeting then dispersed.
HONGKONG BENEVOLENT
SOCIETY.
SUBSCRIPTION DANCE.
On Friday night a subscription dance in aid of the funds of the above Society was held in the City Hall. As its title indicates, the Society has for its purpose the distribution of charity—" the noblest of all the virtues”- amongst the Colony's destitute, more esp. ci. ally amongst those placed in that unhappy position who actually live in the Colony. Narrow-mindedness, however, can never be charged against the Society, and frequently it has paid the passages of those who, destinte here, are certain of finding employment and friends elsewhere. In former years it was the practice of the Society to maintain its position in the mind by giving concerts, and the dance last evening is an entirely new departure--happily, two, a successful one, on which the promoters are to be congratulated. To Mrs. Hawkins first occurred the idea of substituting a darce for the annual concert, and in the arduous work connected with its organisation she was ably assisted by the other office-bearers and mem bors of committee. Altogether 450 tickets ware sold, and the large attendance necessitated the throwing open of both S. Andrew's and S. George's Halls for dancing. The stairways and the various rooms were profusely decorated with potted plants. set off by a number of Chinese lanterns. The band of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, under Bandmaster Moir, supplied the music with their wonted efficiency, and a most enjoyable social evening was spent. The following are the Office-bearers of the Society: Miss Anderson (president), Mrs. Siebs (vice-president), Mrs. Poate (hon. secre- tary), Mrs. Robinson (hon. treasurer). Committee Mrs. Hoare, Mrs. Dickson, Mrs. France, Mrs. Goodman, Mrs. Atkinson, Mrs. Hawkins Mrs. Forbes, and Mrs. Master.
PEKING.
Peking, 7th January. THE COURT RETURNS.
To-day, the first Tuesday in the New Year 1902, January the 7th, must be put down as most memorable in the history of the Manchu dynasty. The Court has actually returned to its capital-the Court which includes both the Emperor and the Regent Empress Dowager. They have dared to come. The Powers have cared to permit them. The Government is reinaugurated and reunited. International relations have been opened. Oriental splendour, as of the entrance of a conqueror, shone forth to-day as few have seen it before in this ancient capital of an ancient Empire. There was nothing to mar the occasion or hamper the procession, unless we except the cold north wind and the dry dust of busy thorough-fares.
MILITARY DISPLAY.
The
The military reception began as far back as Lukochi'ao, extending along the railway past Peng tai to the station at Machinp'u. soldiers were the well-dressed, well-trained men under Generals Chiang Kuei-ti and Ma-Yu. kun. Thess Generals, with Prince Ching, who returned yesterday from Paotingfu, Vice- President Na Tung, and others awaited the two Imperial trains at Machiap'n
The stahon was a newly erected one, made of yellow cloth or satin arranged as tents, and pavilion for the Imperial Majesties to pass Leneath, while waiting for the final march into the city.
THE ORDER (F MARCH,
By noon the great procession began to move. Prince Ching was the first conspicuous man to lead the way. Than followed soldiers on foot and on horse-back, eunuchs and other attend- aals, likewise on horse-back, the red carts of nolles and ordinary carts, yellow-covered sedan
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND chairs with the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, the Empress, the concubines of the Emperor, | the concubines of the former Emperor Tung Chib, and others, with yellow salin pillows, and a fine company of high officials and nobles with yellow jackets. Banners with beautiful deco- rative honours were here and there carried by gaily-decked attendants. The whole procession required nearly two hours to pass.
FEW SPECTATORS, ¦
On either side of the broad street in the city were lined the soldiers of General Chiang, who presented & fine appearance, making this procession better than any that Peking has witnessed. Behind these Chinese soldiers were officials, gentry, and the Manchu troops and city police, dressed in all the colours of the rainbow. The people, who first crowded the street, were driven into the shops or into the side alleys behind the mat curtains. As the yellow banners appeared in sight, and the Emperor drew near, every one knelt on the ground. Here and there a foreigneer might have been seen standing with hat lifted, though the Ministers at the request of the Foreign Office hed directed all foreigners to remain off the main street.
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PRIVILEGED FOREIGNERS.
* January 27, 1902. NORTHERN NOTES.
The following items are from the P. & T Times of the 11th inst. :-
The L.gation students gave a dance on Monday night. The peculiar social conditions of Peking were curiously reflected in the atten- dance, seven ladies and close on seventy men.
Football is going extremely strong in Peking just now, and new “sides' are seen in every match. The Americans beat the Welsh Fusiliers and then challenged the British officers, but only to suffer defeat in turn. The French are developing great partiality for the game, and play "big" sides among themselves. The Austrians are now about to begin. All find abundance of room either in or adjoining their Legations. A piece of ground near the Austrian Logation is being prepared for Polo.
Col. Salsa and the Italian officers celebrated the birthday of the Queen of Italy on Tuesday last by giving a concert at Headquarters. The proceedings terminated with a dance of which a fine cotillion was the chief feature. Bignora Denti received the Indy guests. The whole function was heartily enjoyed by the apprecia. tive visitors.
7
We have great pleasure in stating that the The Foreign Office had made arrangements Tsar has presented Captain Munthe of the for the foreigners to witneess the procession. Imperial Maritime Customs (detached) -with Three large shops had been set apart for people the Cross of St. George in recognition of his of the Legations and a few invited guests, valour in saving the life of a Russian staff-officer They were able to sit on an operi porch on the on the march to Peking. The incident referred second floor, in full view of the distinguished to occurred outside the gates of Peking, and rulers of the land. The Ministers themselves thanks to the modesty of the gallant Norwegian did not avail themselves of the courteous offer, ex-cavalryman has until now been unknown to but there were plenty of others. The Emperor his most intimate friends. himself did not show his face or notice either
One of the most unexpected incidents of the his own officials or the foreign visitors. The return of the Court was the audience to which Empress Dowager, however, as she caught sight Mr. Foley of the Imperial Chinese Railways of a foreigner, held back the curtain of her was summoned at Feng-tai. The Dowager chair and bowed, Several times she smiled, and sent for him, passed the usual complimentary in one case, Bs she
saw the wife of a questions as to his age, country, service, &c., Foreign Minister, whom she had once and then calling the Emperor, herself presented admitted to audience, she pointed her the Traffic Manager to His Majesty. The finger in recognition, and bowed smilingly. incident may serve to show how the Court At the open court in the Chienmen gateway zephyrs are blowing at the moment, and is in both the Emperor and Empress Dow-strict harmony with the courtesy described by ager dismounted from their chairs and went in- our Honan correspondent at Chung-teh-fu. to two little temples to burn incense to the We understand that M. Sadot of the Lu-han tutelary spirits of the city. The circular wall of the great city gate was lined with many other foreign spectators, and the Empress Dowager as she gazed upward to the throng, smiled and shook her hands in respectful recognition. The Emperor here also noticed no one.
SMILES AND SYMPATHY.
railway was treated similarly to Mr. Foley, and was father decorated with the Double Dragon, Kwae awkehsia, hsia," ("Bow the knee") and, to quote the langauge of Thackeray, instantly the lieges were in the mud, but observe that for the first time on record they were not abasing their heads, but intelligently looking at the Imperial travellers.
in
The almost general exclamation of the foreign spectators was in honour and to the favour of 'The chairs were in their usual state of gor- the Empress Dowager. A smile scattered all geousness, and were borne by eight men; feelings of disgust and displeasure. She enter- addition to a large accompanying body of ed the palace as captor of the sympathies of all relays, there seemed to be infinite numbers of foreigners. And yet, it may not be wise to bearers en route. The men had long coats of totally ignore the crimes and cruelty of the red and purple silk with the character for past and accept the interpretation that she is longevity largely imprinted or embroidered, innocent of all wrong. The calamities of the white trousers and black boots. The colour of Empire rest at her door for permitting her the five great chairs was Imperial yellow, while advisers to rush forward into a carnival of it was red for those of the lesser folk. We blood, terror, and fanaticism. Once, and only tabulated the order of the procession as follows, of that tawdry shoddy a few months ago, the Foreign Ministers in but the whole was discussing the question of compelling the character that Chinese "shows" usually present abdication of the Regency of the Empress to occidental eyes. Dowager, remarked that that matter could be 1. Extra chair-men with Torreador-like bats.
"Of course 2. Ma's cavalrymen on white unkempt horses, left to the time of actual retu n. she will never be allowed to again exercise 3. Yuan's cavalrymen on foreign bay horses authority." But here she is, chief factor in
(apparently ungroomed since their pur chase). the procession, real ruler of the palace and the Empire.
WHY NOT?
4. General Ma in an Imperial yellow jacket, 5. Viceroy Yuan's infantry. 6. Umbrella men.
It may, indeed, be best to allow her to con- tinue to direct the affairs of State at this 7. I, M. Kwan Ssu with his body guard. critical juncture, for she certainly has the 8. Infantry soldiers. commanding will and the matchless mind. The General Ching-Kwas-Tai.
(An interval.) Emperor seems to be incapacitated. But one thing remains. If it is not the business of 10. More of Ma's cavalry. other Powers to concern themselves with 11. More of Yuan's cavalry. Court intrigues; if the Emperor has pro forma 12. More of Yuan's infantry. requested the Empre s Dowager to resume the 13. Regency (September, 1898), and if she is de fact, Sovereign, why should not the Foreign 14. Ministers have their audiences with her, and at 15. once openly begin to have dealings with her concerning all that pertains to the improved relations of China with the world ? Why leave it to their wives P-N.-C. Daily News,
A fishery convention between China and Corea is about to be signed.
16.
17.
The Viceroy Yuan-Shih-Kai with two men
of huge stature acting as esquires. Banners and umbrellas galores The Dowager Empress in a chair with trappings precisely like those of the Emperor.
A ta-jen who was said to be Yung La, bat
whom we did not recognise as such. Three yellow chairs bearing ladies (? The Empress and those women who con- tribute to the glory of an oriental king).
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