May 24, 1902.]
sent in to the Throne by Yuan Shikai, in which he states that he had already, sent soldiers to the disturbed districts with orders to scatter the rebels and find the body of the marderel priest.
THE POINT OF VIEW
from which the reace-loving. Chinaman in Peking locks upon these doings is interesting. He says that the people, in endeavouring to exterminate the foreiguer and everything per- taining to his religion two years ago, were only obeying Imperial orders, and that having carried them out to the best of their ability they are now rewarded by having to pay enormous indemnities, the largest share of which very often goes to the very officials who were most active in seeing that the Imperial orders were obeyed. Not that the Chinaman obj› cts to pay a fair indemnity for damages done; in every case where a just claim has been made he has paid willingly, but what he does object to, and rightly so, is the opportunity the official takes of filling his own pocket. In one case which came under my observation, the indemnity claimed was Tis. 2,000 but the official made the people pay The 6,000 and appropriated the Tls. 4,000 for himself. This being so, how can it be wondered at if the Chinese, goaded to desperation, rise against such an unjust administration ?
NONE OF THESE TROUBLES
seem to interfere with the Empress Dowager's pleasures. Since her return from the Hunting Park she has been making the time pass by in a round of theatrical entertainments; and not satisfied with the histrionic talent which Peking can supply, she has sent to Shanghai for the Irving of the Chinese stage, the well known Hsiao Chiao-tien:
THE VISIT OF MR. WILKINSON
to Peking on the indemnity question has been looked forward to with interest by a'l who are prospective recipients of the said indemnity. They are glad to find that they were not mistaken in the belief that the payment would be in sterling or the equivalent, as Mr. Wilkinson had given them to underst nd. The date and method of payment are not yet made known, but will probably be settled within a few days.
THE SPRING BACE MEETING
is to be held this week, and from all accounts it bids fair to be one of the most successful ever held in Peking.
A NEW BOMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
One of the chief bui dings of interest going on at present is the Catholic Church in the Legation quarter. This is being erected for the benefit of the large Catholic population, mostly military, resident there, and lies south of the New Club in what used to be ca led Custom's Street, but now figures as Thomann Strasse --N.-C. Daily News.
|
·CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. The cavalry having retired, the artillery soon made it too hot for the insurgents, who finally fled in confusion towards the South. The city of Nankunghsien which had been captured by the insurgents was then retaken by the Govern- ment troops. The insurgents made a very brave and desperate stand, their trenches being choked with dead and wounded before they would flee from the troops. The latter are noW about to attack the insurgents of Kuang- tsanghsien.
NORTHERN NOTES.
The following items are from the P. & T. Times of the 10th inst.:-
•
The Italian reliefs reached the Bund yesterday moning at 11 o'clock in the lighter Peh tung.
The Extension " police force now consist of one Indian sergeant and six constables, with two Chinese sergeants and twenty-five constables.
The Cogill and Sutton troupe at Shanhaikwan gave a scratch entertainment and took $294 clear profit after paying expenses. The show was of course unique for the famous frontier town.
Colonel Chang Ch'an-fa, who led the attack on the Cathedral in Ching Chon, where over three thousand Roman Catholic converts were mas- sacred in three days, has been promoted, and is now Commander-in-Chief in Hupei. We com- mend this appointment to the notice of the Ministers in P、 king.
this week that at a village one third of the way News was received in Peking on Tuesday
between Peking nd Tungchow ten armed men were holding up the place and looting system- atically. The men are said not to be Chinese. They have an interpreter and guide with them of the name of Wang-wei. The messengers sent in by the distressed villagers give most har- rowing tales of the proceedings of these canaille, A party of nine foreigners representing the engineers of the Poking Syndicate and the representatives of Messrs. S. Pearson & Co., left Tientsin on Wednesday afternoon for Lid., the constructors to the big Syndicate, Taokao in Honan. They had a great send off from a large party of friends from the depot on the Russian Bund. Four more foreigners reached the Port just after the first party had left; these gentlemen will accompany Mr. T. J. Bourne in a day or two. Young Tientsin is probably aware their old friend, Mr. James Stewart, Junr., accompanies the party into the interior as interpreter and assistant to Mr. Reid. the chief mining engineer of the pioneers. The party proceeds by the Grand Canal and the Wei River.
CORRESPONDENCE.
401
[We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.] PRIZE-FIRING.ON THE “TERRIBLE.”
CO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS,' H.M.S. Terrible, 20th May. SIR,-Your account of the prize firing of th's ship is, I think, a little likely to be mislead- ing. You say that it is not as good as last year. The captain, in a notice that is put up on board this ship, states it is as good as, if not better than, that of last year. You do not mention the number of rounds that were fired and the hits made, and you do not mention that though the firing this year in point of quantity of hits is not as great as last year, that it is a record, and no other ship in the British Navy has ever touched it. On board we hoped for a higher percentage and should have had it, had not the captain insited in carrying out the practice in such misty, rainy, and squally wea- ther that the target was often almost undiscern- ible. However, the twelve 6-in. guns put on 66 hits out of 109 shots fired and this score up to date (barring our own) is a record, the nearest approach to it being the Ocean with 115 rounds, 64 bits; the Mars with 112 and 62; and the Majestie with 123 and 52, respectively.
Yours, etc.,
J
"THE DOTTER
A PLEA FOR SECULAR THOUGHT.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS,'
Hongkong, 21st May. SIR, Yay I, through the medium of your paper, make the suggestion that a society be formed in Hongkong for the propagation of secular thought? Surely in this Colony there must be at least a few who are not content to abide by the religious and scientific superstition willing to join in forming a society whose aim of our forefathers and who would be found would be to promote the application of rational thought to the explanation of things and so bring nearer the glorious "Age of Reason.”— Yours, etc.,
AGNOSTIC.
THE WATER SUPPLY.
}
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS
22nd May,
SIR, The good people of Hongkong are now Report, more or less credible, has it that happy because rain has come at last and a there was a s rious accident at Ning-yuen- plentiful supply of water is to be expected. chow, two-thirds of the way out from Shanhai- This is indeed a blessing at this time of the kwan to Chin-chow, on Thursday. The state-year, when water is indispensable both for bath- ing and general cleansing purposes, and judg- ment is that a bridge collapsed under the rear of the train, and two Russians and four Chinese ing by the force of the water running to waste were killed, besides a considerable number badly down the streams and nullabs in different parts of the Colony, the reservoirs ought to be pretty hurt. We are disposed to think the above
full by this time. Residents at the Belilios is correct, but we feel some doubt es the news came down to Shanhaikwan by natives au they Terraces are, however, debarred from participat- are often incapable of giving an account of a ing in this general rejoicing, for in the midst railway accident with accuracy in detail. For of this abundance they have not a drop of water example, they said that the end of the train from their taps np to now, and have still to get went through, and then pulled the front part water from outside sources. The reason why This is all there is still no water at the Belilios Terraces of the train down on top of itself.
is a wonder to me, and the only person on whom but a physical impossibility.
I can rely for an explanation is the Water Authority. Belilios Terraces are rather high up, but surely if people living up at the Peak can get water from their taps every morning I do not see why we cannot. I understand that not only at Belilios Terraces but even lower down, at Woodlands Terace, people get no water. There is decidedly something radically wrong, which it behoves the Water Authority to enquire into. Perhaps after this bewailing from me ia ratepayer) the Water Authority-or perhaps H.E. the Acting Governor, who always has the interests of residents at heart-will see that we get at least enough water in the morn-
—Yours, etc., ing for our daily ablution and potable purposes.
THE CHIHLI INSURRECTION.
The local mandarins received yesterday, says the N.-C. Daily News of the 13th inst., a tele- gram from Paoling dated night of the 12th inst., reporting several successes obtained by Viceroy Yuan's troops ¡who had been sent to reinforce those defeated in the earlier part of the operations against the insurgents. The Viceregal reinforcements numbered 9,00 men, consisting of 6,000 infantry, 2,500 cavalry, a battery of field artillery, a mountain battery. and a detachment of sappers and miners. The last_battle was on the 9th inst., in the vicinity
We note that the Japan Mail is the author- of Nankunghsien, Ch'iohoufu prefecture, the insurgents in this battle numbering some 22,000 ity for the statement that the Japanese medal men, and Viceroy Yuan's troops nearly 12,000 is to be given to all the foreign troops that of all arms. The fight lasted over seven hours. fought side by side with the Japanese in North The insurgents left the security of their trenches China in 1900 The spirit of this decision is and camps, which were protected by low mud truly admirable, but if the example is followed walls, breast high, and marched out in line of by the six European countries it may possibly battle as soon as they saw the distant, approach-end in ridicule. Seven medals for one campaign ing troops - Then the former rushed forward will, we think, make a record in the difficult bravely, but rashly, to the attack, but were stopped half way by a stream of bullets, shot and shell from the troops, who had halted and taken advantage of every cover at hand. Then there was a faltering in the insurgent ranks, who seeing a cavalry brigade deploying to take the flanks -wavered, broke, and fled, n.aking for their walled camps, but the cavalry was on them before half of them had got within 300 yards of shelter and a regular massacre ensued. Those who had got into their trenches and camps however, rallied, and by their fire drove off the cavalry and covered the retreat of their surviving comrades.
them on
art of military honorification; and even then we omit the austere republicans of America. We think our own suggestion a better oue, viz., a seven or eight pointed international medal, each Power to be exempt from the charges incurred by giving it to its own soldiers. This would be a unique and highly valued decoration.
A skeleton programme has been adopted by
BELILIOS TERRACE RESIDENT. In accordance with the Trees Preservation the Coronation Celebration Committee at Kobe, including (1) a Church service in the morning; Ordinance, an additional rate of 4 per cent. (2) a tiffin; (3) a children's fête in the after-per annum is to be levied on the villagers of Tai noon; (4) illuminations and a promenade | Hang in consequence, of the destruction of trees
in that place and its neighbourhood. concert in the evening.
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