July 14, 1902.1
can be dismissed only by similar order, proceed- ing now to the district commanders from the home governments. Whenever it may occur, and not until then, will native officialdom be placated, and the progressive Viceroy, Yuan Shi- kai, make this city again the provincial capital.
FOOCHOW.
The following itoms are from the Foochow Echo of the 5th inst:-
The reaping of the first crop of rice com- menced in the large plain between the city and Kashan this week, and the report of the crop is that it is a full yield of good quality.
Almost all the ladies and children of Foochow are now at Kuliang for the season: the few still remaining at home would doubtless have been there by this time but for the cool weather of the past week.
The reduction of the tea-duty coupled with the decline in sterling exchange appears to have acted as a simulant to the trade, the export to Europe from this port amounting to 5.592.869 lbs. to date against 3.854.412 lbs. at the corresponding date last year.
A most successful concert was held in the Foochow Club on Friday the 27th ult. which showed that however small our port may be, it contains its fair proportion of talent. Although the programme was short, consisting only of eight numbers, the appreciation of the audience was so marked that almost every item was encored,
The rumours enrrent here last week of troubles at Hing Wha were not without foun dation. What occurred however was not at Hing
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
In consequence of this the French Minister has sent an urgent message to Governor Ts'ên representing the necessity of reopening the question, and to-morrow H.E. Sheng Taotni leaves for Peking to see what settlement can be made.
WHO IN TO BLAME?
NORTHERN NOTES.
35
The following items are from the Pƒ&T. Times of the 28th June :----
Admiral Rogers had an audience with the Empress Dowager yesterday,
General O'Moore Creagh, V.C., as Command- ing Officer, has intimated that he is authorised by the War Office to issue arms and ammunition to the proposed corps of Volunteer Scouts when it is formally organised.
We hear from outside sources that our French friends have taken over some of the
It would be quite unfair without full and adequat, knowledge of the whole case to blame either the Catholic priests or the Shansi officials, but while, without express evidence to the contrary, it may be assumed that both priests and officials are upsions to settle the question, the gravity of the situation can hardly be over- exaggerated. If the matter is not settled before elaborate fireworks specially imported from long it is to be feared that there will be another Hongkong for June 26th. The Tientsin resid- general uprising against Christians and foreign-ents will probably have the opportunity of seeing ers, such as the officials will be unable to quell, them on July 14th, the occasion of the French and in that case, in spite of the reported good fête. We hear that four native experts came reputation of the Protestant Christians, it is up from Canton to attend to the display. more than probable there would be an indiscri- minat slanghter.
UNSATISFACTORY CONDITION OF SHANSI. If it were not that Governor Tsén is a
strong mau and rules with a firm hand, life in Shansi would be impossible. As it is the province is full of discharged soldiers, natives of other provinces, who although sent out of Shansi, havo found their way back again, and commit continual deprodations against travel- lers. A few months ago, while an escort was always at our service, we were assured it was not necessary, but now we have been earnestly requested not to go anywhere ont of Taiyuauin without one.
THE DROUGHT
still continues, especially in the southern half of the province, and it is probable that in the
With reference to the McAuliffe-Ryan 2) round boxing contest for a purse of $2,000 in the Gordon Hall next Saturday night, the Committee are still short of the required num- ber of guarantors necessary to put up the parse.
The exodus of ladies and children to Peitaiho continues, and we hear constantly of resolutions to rebuild. A goodly number of British ladies postponed their departure till the Coronation We know of several festivities were over. cases where change of plan has been adopted from the fear of being caught off Chefoo, Wei- haiwei, and the Japanese parts by quarantine regulations.
Wha itself but at Sieng Ju, a city in the Hingantumu famine will be added to our other evils. / whole will be paid, and that the recipients will
Wha prefecture. The troubies arose through discontent about the increased taxation demand- ed by the mandarins, and at one time they were regarded as rather serious. But when
in addition to
It
this increased taxation capitation tax of about twenty cash was levied on every individual passing out through the City gates the people could stand it no longer. The inhabitants of all the surrounding villages assembled and attacked the houses of the gentry, burning down some 60 or 70 of them. It is said that the people in their indignation scorned to take away any of the property or goods found in the houses, but, gathering it all together, made a heap of it and set fire to it, watching it till all was reduced to ashes. does not appear that any of the yamens were attacked, int it is reported that the chief magistrate fled for his life. The reason of the people having attacked the houses of the gontry only, was because it was supposed that the taxes had been farmed by the gentry and that they were endeavouring to enrich themselves at the expense of the poor people. At first the rioters were bent on wrecking the churches and the mission houses in Sieng Ju City, but the majority of the people were opposed to their doing this, and so no barm was done beyond the fright occ sioned to the ladies who happened to be on the spot or were working in the district. After the troubles were over a proclamation was issued warning the people against interfer ing with the missions or the missionaries. The district has now assumed its normal peaceable condition.
TAIYUANFU,
Taiyuanfu, 17th June.
VERY GRAVE NEWS
has reached this city of the disorders in the Kueihwach'êng district, outside the Great Wall. It seems that the Roman Catholic converts are very numerous, and as they have not yet re- ceived the sums allotted for compensation, indemnifying themselves at the expense of their neighbours. There are no fewer than 600 law suite unsettled and they are increasing con- tinually. To all attempts to pacify the Catholics, the answer is: "Where is onr in- demnity? It was promised two years ago and we have not got it yet; we are hungry and naked, and if our indemnity is not paid ve must indemnify ourselves." To make the matter more serious the Roman Catholic priests com- plain that the amount agreed to for compensa tion is by no means adequate, that ins'ead of Tis. 200,000, the sum which has been agreed to, a sum of a million taels is really necessary.
A FIRM GOVERNOR.
To-day two of the missionaries were on the street, and noticed a small crowd. Some police, armed with rifles, were standing there and shouted to the people to stand back, which they did most respectfully. On their return the missionaries An discovered the cause of the excitement. execution had taken place outside the West Gate, and the head of the victim was lying on the ground, previous to being suspended in a cagc. was a servant in the The unfortunate man telegraph office, and it was asserted that at the Dragon Festival, on the 5th day of the month, h had sought for presents from certain merchants who habitually used the telegraph. It is not credible that this was the only fault, but, what
ever the causo the man had been treated with great severity, and his execution had been so prompt and summary that his father, who happened to be on the street, did not know it had taken place, although he knew his son had been arrested. This illustrates the firmness of the Governor's rule, and it cannot be said to be unnecessary.
A PARTY OF SWEDISH MISSIONARIES
passed through here two days ago. They had been robbed, and one of the party wounded, near II wailu in Chihli. The escort which should have accompanied them had followed them and taken another rod, so that they were defence- less. In the present state of Shansi it is better
to suffer some delay than to start without an escort, and would it not be wiser to wait a little longer before ladies and children enter this province? This advice may be distasteful to ome, but those who are sending ladies and shildren here are accepting a very grave respon- cibility, and it is mistaken kindness to conceal she dangers that undoubtedly exist.-N.-C. Daily News.
During their stay at Kobe, the officers and men of the Talbot made themselves particularly welcome to the community. and especially to the children, whom they succeeded in pl asing so well in the entertainment on the Recreation Ground. A purse containing £6 108. was pre- sented by the British ladies of Kobe to "the sailors of H.M.. Talbot to be compete for in any port under conditions to be arranged by the Commander, it having been impossible owing to the short stay of the ship in Kobe to institute the races originally intended. Another pre- sentation was made in the shape of a vase presented to the ship by the Coronation Committee. Altogether the Talbot will soon be known in the squadron as Kobe's Pat," the Kobe Chronicle says.
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1
We are informed that our German neigh bours Lave official notification that the first instalment of their indemnity will be paid in July. It is stated that 40 per cent. of the
have the option of taking a bank cheque in marks. jayable at sight in Berlin, or of accept lug the equivalent sum in local currency in China at the exchange of the day. We heartily congratulate our friends on this arrangement; although absolutely not all that it might be, it is relatively a great improvement on the British method of settlement.
Some of our readers who remember the
beginning of the troubles in 1930 will recall that the first missionaries to suffer in this pro- vince were Messrs. Norman and Robinson of the Church of England Mission at the district town of Yungebing, some fifty miles from Tientsin.
We have more than once inquired if the murderers or any one of them had been brought to justice, and until a short time ago we had no satisfactory answer. We are glad
now to be able to state that the worst of the
gang responsible for the cruel death to which Mr. Norman was subjected has at last met his reward: he suffered the death penalty a few days ago, on the second anniversary of Mr.
Norman's death.
Our City correspondent writes-Chen P'i, the Governor of Peking, is posted to the Foreign Office.
is dead of cholera: that is the first we have We hear that one of Prince Kung's servants heard of the disease in Peking. On dit that the Empress has ordered an isolated hospital f、r infections diseases in Peking.
In S. W. Chihli grest efforts are now being made to capture Ching, the leader in the recent troubles. With his seizure the necessity for soldiers will disappear.
The orusade of the T. P. G. against the men with big pig-tails (they are usually made of false bair) on the score of health is causing some concern in the City-where the honest people would like to sea them attacked on the score of "morals." The well known Tientsin rowdies (hun hun) affect this fashion of fat queues, and such a tail got to be the mark of a swashbuckler; recently they have been less evident.
The cholera scare has abated for the best of all reasons, viz. an actual decrease in the number of victims, and less virulence in the attacks, but we fear that the disturbance of the labour market ensuing on the sanitary regulations is as marked as ever. We also hear that the humbler classes of natives are under the false terrors of panic- stricken lies as to what may happen to them if they come under the foreign health adminis
tration.
We grieve to chronicle the death of Mr. Wm. Scott, the first officer of the China Navigation Company's 5.8 - Min. Mr. Scott died at sea on the voyage up
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