April 7, 1902.7
the status quo and general peace in the Far East, and of maintaining the independence of China and Corea, which countries are to remain open to the commerce and industry of all nations, bave been fully satisfied in finding in the aid Convention the affirmation of the | essential principles which they themselves have on several occasions stated as constituting, and which remain, the lines of their policy.
The two Governments are of opinion that the respect of those principles is at the same time a safeguard for their own special interests in the Far East. However, they also being compelled to foresee the case in which either an aggressive action on the part of third Powers, or fresh troubles in China jeopardising the integrity and free development of the latter Power, might become a menace to their own interests, the two Allied Governments will reserve their eventual action in devising means of safeguarding those interests.
THE LAUNCH " RANGER."
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269
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
informed us that he had been sent by the The officials then asked to see the office safe, British authorities to report upon the country which was shown them and the safe being locked and to conclude a treaty with the Rajah, and Mr. Keswick was then requested to open it. he asked us to give him a "writing," which of He refused to do so, unless ordered. It was course we declined to do. He pestered us a then unlocked by Mr. Riddle, the cashier, but good deal, and at last offered to show us his it contained neither money, shares, stock, nor credentials which, on inspection, showed nothing negotiable securities. The officials then stated more than that he had at one time been a
that as there was no cash or a cnrities they penghulu in the Federated Malay States. It would have to seize the furniture or merchan- may be as well to state that he falsely repre-dise. Mr. Keswick then took the officials to the sented himself to be a certain Tunku Abdur- godown, and showed them the contents thereof hassan, a well-known Malay of good position which consisted of bales of raw silk, flour, and in these parts, with whom my friend was other goods. As the most valuable, the officials personally acquainted. We. however, thought seized six bales of raw silk, valued at Y3,000, it well to warn the Rajah that he would in order to cover a demand of Y1 882.45- thus probably get himself into tronble But, allowing for a very liberal margin. though obviously very nervous, he seemed quit certain that a British Protectorate was bound to come. He begged us not to go up country, as thoro was certain to be danger there, and he told us. amongst other things, that Mr. Skeat was shortly expected, though in what capacity seemed somewhat uncertain. We left the town next day and heard very little of what took place, though some very absurd letters found their way into publication
HOUSE-TAX DISTRAINT IN
YOKOHAMA.
to dis-
The goods were not removed from th› godown. but the seal of the Kencho was placed on them and Mr. Keswick was informed that if the money was paid within ten days the mer- chandise would be restored to the firm. The document authorising the officers train was in Japanose and was retained by the officials, but the distraint order, which was in English, was left with Mr. Keswick, with a receipt endorsed thereon for the six bales of raw silk seized. The officials were exceeding ly courteous in carrying out their unpleasant duties and there was perfect good feeling on both sides.
Messrs. Jardine, Matheson and Co, are now awaiting instructions from their Head Office in Hongkong, and the British Minister, who have been wired to in connection with the distraint.
Distraint was also made on the following house-owners, where in all cases the tax was paid: Mr. A. H. Dare, No. 2; Yokohama United Club; Mr. F. Staniland. No. 2 Blaff; Mr. Alfred Unger, No. 5 Bluff; Mr. B. A. Munster, No. 19 Bluff.
THE TIENTSIN LAND DISPUTE.
The new Coastguard and Transportation steamer Ranger has arrived in Manila. having made the voyage from Hongkong in 3 days, 23 hours, running easy. Two attempts were made, says the Manila Times, to get the boat away from Hongkong, the second proving successful. The first time came near Tho Kobe Herald of the 26th ult, says: -The proving disastrous. For some reason, possibly Yokohama City authorities pushed on with the through ignorance, the engineer had not blocked- process of distraining yesterday, the officers up the air pump according to instructions, aud proceeding to Mossus Jardine, Matheson & Co. when the ship was fully ninety miles off the and several other firms. Some raw silk was land, there was more than four feet of water in seized at Messrs. Jardine. Matheson & Co.'s. A the hold; and as a consequence the fires in the message to the Japanese papers further states furnaces were extinguished. A heavy sea was that some foreigners are alarmed at the action running at the time and the ship naturally fell taken by the authorities and are making enquiries into the trough and wallowed. All hands were at the office as to the amount they have to pay. kept in the hold bailing, while the engineer With reference to the possibility of the local endeavoured to repair his air-pump and stop the authorities distraining, it will interest our leakage. The boat had nearly 1,100 crates of readers to know that even if action has to be potatoes aboard and she was a lit'le top heavy taken to enforce payment nothing will be done It would seem to be the peculiar fate of so that she rolled her rails under and the before the end of the month. There is therefore retrospective rules ever to end in trouble, says crew expected many times she would never no reason to apprehend unpleasant developments the P. & T. Times. Many impartial observers come up again. The Ranger had no jib, no sail during the Easter holidays. A representative thought that in the Consular proclamations by of any description to steady hor in the sea-way, of this journal was informed by the Mayor this which the French, Italians and Russians ex- but by heroic work, they managed to work the afternoon that alt: ough the final notices of the tended or acquired their Settlements in T entsin boat back to Hongkong, where the Chinese City office were dated the 22nd they were not there were the germs of future contention. crew immediately had “cold feet” and quit the delivered until the 23rd or 24th (Monday); reer of course to the clauses which said that no ship. A new crew was shipped and Captain consequently the period of seven days will not land transfers would be recognised which had Taylor started again. This time some of the expire until the 31st inst. Meanwhile the been effected after June 17th. 1900. It was cargo was taken off, for the ship had been top-local authorities do not expect to be compelled obvious to everybody that the object, and a heavy before, and the voyage across was made to distrain, feeling confident that some under-
very proper one, of these clanses was to stop with ut incident. The Ranger was built in standing acceptable to a majority of the foreign bogus purchases and illicit transactions after 1896 by the Kowloon Dock Company, and has perpetual leaseholders will be reached shortly. the acquisition of the land by its new owners been engaged in the West River rua. She What understanding is in view, we are not in a was un fait accompli; no one could reasonably can do i knots easy. Water-tight compart position to say. Possibly a provisional settlement object to a rule which was clearly meant to ments and electric lights are two of her main might be arrived at on the basis of an under-checkmate rogues, but unhappily the prohibi- features. Castle Bros, Wolf and Sons, through standing or pledge given by the Mayor or other tion was worded in such a way as to interfere whom the the boat was purchased. are deserving equally responsible official that the monies with honest as well as with dishonest men and of credit in selecting such a bargain.
collected will be immediately refunded if the therein it was both unjust and oppressive, and result of arbitration is a decisou upholding bound to lead to trouble. the foreign view.
I
THE RAJAH OF PATANI.
A correspondent writes to the Malay Mail:-
ני
For some time we lived in a house next to tho Rajah of Patani's compound, and so came into intimate contact with him on numerous occa- sons, and he frequently discussed his position with considerable freedom. He is a man of about twenty-seven years of age, of pleasing manners and very considerable intelligence, and at the time of our arrival was busily engaged in learning to speak English. His principal grievance at that time was that the Siamese officials could not speak Malay and were, in many cases, not "** orang Siam betul but merely Singora Siamese, for whom the Malays have a fire contempt. From what he then told us, he would have been perfectly - satisfied if the country had been nominally governed in his name in the same way that Perak is, as be expressed it him. self Later on we proceeded up-country, and the Rajah paid a visit to Singapore. We did not spend any considerable time in Patani until September, but, while still in the interior, we heard the wildest rumours, and it was evident that the minds of the Malays were in a very disturbed condition, a very general impression being prevalent that a British Protectorate would shortly be proclaimed. On our return to Patani, a certain Malay visited us and
:
The Yokohama papers give particulars of the proceedings of the Yokohama authorities on the 25th alt. when distraint was carried out on the property of several foreigners held liable for the House-tax.
The Japan Gazette says the amounts collected were approximately as follows:- No. 1, Former Settlement--Jardine, Ma- theson & Co., for 1,882 455 Yen raw silk amounting to 333 kin (about 3,000 Yen in value.)
No. 1 Mr. William Keswick, 78,733 Yen No 2-B Mr. A. H. Dare, 74.937 Yen No. 3 Mr. R. D. Robinson, 235.927 Yen No. 5.A. Y'bama United Club, 241,286 Yen No. 2 Bluff, Mr. F. Staniland, 73,000 Yen No. 28 Bluff, Mr. Alfred Unger, 25,000 Yan No. 19 Bluff, Mr. B. A. Munster, 20,000 Yen
The total amount is stated at 2 634,338 Yen The Japan Herald gives the following details:-
At half past ten th's morning, (25th ult.) the Secretary of the Kencho, accompanied by two municipal officers, and several bailiffs, entered the premises, No 1, owned by Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co. The Secretary, through an interpreter, requested Mr. Keswick, the repre- sentative of the firm, to pay the amount of the House-tax, and exhibited his authority from the Mayor to distrain. Mr. Keswick formally refused to do so, and replied that the officials would have to proceed to distraint.
We
We need not
There are several cases in which foreigners immediately after the 'troubles' made bona fide purchases of land from natives, who either from distress or fear were eager to sell.
The pro- cedure was regular in every way but one, and that one impossible to obviate the sale could not be registered at the land-transfer office of the Yamên for the simple reason that such office was closed, and the Provisional Government was unwilling to start another. point out to our readers that the essence of a land purchase consists in the payment of the money and in the transfer of the title deeds, and not in the registration, which at best is but official and collateral proof, In Chinese land- jobbing, the chief function of registration 18 that
the it gives buyer additional
the security that
seller is the proper and that the land is in the position it is asserted to be. In the case of fraud, registration makes the seller more easily open to conviction. No consul has the faintest right to proclaim a perfectly legal transaction wrong or informal by his ipse dixit. The only conceivable defence for the procedure followed would be "right of conquest" anterior to the purchase, and though the French local an- thorities have not hesitated to put forward this claim informally, we have every confidence that it is not upheld in Paris, and that it will not be available. The claim as made is both a violation of law and morals.
owner,
If a German or an American in good faith,
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