134
CORRESPONDENCE.
[We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.]
ALLEGED ARMS-SMUGGLING THROUGH MACAO.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS,”
Hongkong, 8th August. STE,-In your to-day's issue you stated that a Portuguese reader said "that the official enquiries at Macao did not prove that arms were not so smuggled." I may add that not only the reader you alluded to, but the majority of the Portuguese community believe that to be so, and especially those who are acquainted with the facts and have thoroughly analysed | the so-called official enquiries. The request of Mr. Romauo to contradict the said rumour is entirely out of the question, although he did it at the request of the Macao Government.
Not wishing to take to much space in your columbs, I would only point out first the wording of the official circular from Mr. Lello in the Bolletim, and then proceed to comment on the replies given by the different beads of Departments whom this circular was directed to. The circular says that it is expressly recommended to exercise the greatest vigilance not to allow importation of arms into Macao and that the rumour is current in Hongkong, published in a newspaper, etc. The words in italics will be further commented apon. A careful study of the replies to the official circular will reveal no uniformity of statement made by the addressees: it seems that those who knew of the facts tried to be ignorant of them, as will be seen hereafter; others confined themselves to showing their zeal end obedience to the Acting Governor, by assuring him that strict enquiries have been mads to find out the truth and so on. Wonder- ful, indeed, it is how the strict enquiries were carried on within a few hours and how the replies came back like a flash! In fact, docu- men's of this sort I would call au "improvised combination" and far from being reliable. The third is the only one document, amongst the lot, reliable, short and sweet, which reveals the truth of the facts. It says that since the 15th October, 1901, no armis were imported thither which implies that before the said dato they were actually imported. If any doubt is entertained on this matter, an application to the Harbour Department for the date of the licence granted to the Macao Government to im- port arms, will soon elicit the whole truth.
The rumour that has been going on about the smuggling of arms in Macao, originated in Macao itself, and not in Hongkong as the cir- cular incorrectly says. For the sake of truth both the official circular and its replies were nothing but a farce in the eyes of the public, Now you see, Mr. Editor, that the Portuguese reader was quite right to say what you have stated to-day.
I have no reason to state that the rumour in Macao as to the smuggling of arms is quite well founded. My principal object is that the documents published in the last Macao Bolletim did not convince the public of the false rumour of the alleged smuggling; on the contrary, it gives occasion for further comments. Yours, etc.,
VERITAS.
PROCEDURE IN THE COUNCIL AND ELSEWHERE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.
Hongkong, 8th August. SIR,-In your report of the proceedings of the meeting of the Legislative Council a curious incident took place which appears to me to be contrary to parliamentary rules:It is the following:-
HON. R. SHEWAN rose to a point of order He said-No. 4 does not seem to have come up.
it.
46
The COLONIAL TREASURER-I explained
"Hon. R. SHEWAN - Excuse me, I ain addressing the President of the Council."
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND:
Why the hon. member refused to accept the Colonis! Treasurer's reply I fail to understand. Is it not a recognised iule of debate that
although questions are invariably put to the Chair the replies are given by the head of the department concerned?
August 16, 1902.
FRENCH INDO-CHINA
The Paris correspondent of a London even-
The same hon, member, in withdrawing his amendment on the "pensions to widows and orphans said that he did not think it right tong paper states that "The election of M. Boan vote away public money without knowing bow much he was voting. This is a proper perform ance of his duties for which he is to be highly commended. It would, however, be interesting to know what the shareholders in the China and Manila S. S. Co. who were present at the last annual meeting think of the hon. member's present attitude as compared with his action as chairman of that meeting, when they made the futile attempt to be eulightened on the financial position of the company.
The contrast is at least instructive.-Yours. etc..
WINK TUTHEREYE.
HONGKONG CHESS CLUB.
The remaining cable game with Singapore has now reached the following slago :-
White.
RUY LOPEZ.
Black.
White.
Black.
as successor to M. Doumer continues to cause 'a considerable amount of agitation in the political world. The fact is that M. Doumer, who is an extraordinarily able man, possessed of enormons will power, and oratorical powers of a high order, managed during the time that he was Governor of Indo-China to rub the Foreign Affairs people the wrong way. M. Doumer's methods, although he did not actually say so, were modelled on those of certain English colonial administrators of his acquaintance for whom he did not attempt to conceal his hearty admiration. Now a man of real initia- tive always has a hard time of it in France and M. Doumer, who pushed a line of policy entirely his own in Indo-China, did not, of course, escape the usual censure. That be left the colony in a mach more pros- perous condition than that in which he found it is incontes able. His worst enemies admit it.. They accuse him, however, of extravagance, of dealing in a not too tactful manner with the atives, &c. The man's enormous virility impresses one strangely, and virility iu a colonial administrator being exactly what the French are always crying ont for, it seems u pity that a man possessed of that quality cccupy- ing an imporant colonial position should be 24 Ktt. BP Q-B4 ch immediately hounded down for personal and party motives. Why the nomination of M. Bean has been construed into a political blow for M. Doumer is that M. Beau has "Quai d'Orsay" stamped all over him in large letters. He is an intimate friend of Delcassé, under whom he served for some time, and it was exactly M. Delcasse who had always disapproved of the colonial policy of M. Doumer; so that his protege's nomination looks very much like a disavowal on the part of the Government of the latter's policy in the Far East. The Quai d'Orsay people, on the other hand, declare that the nomination of M. Beau is no reflection on M. Doumer whatever, that M, Pierre Baudin was first offered the post."
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CONFUSION AT PEKING.
lu is Notes on Native Affairs, the N--C Daily News says
*
the lains
A high official in Peking, writing to friend in this port on the subject of desele, mineral resources of the Empire, co that "everything is topsy-turvy in the Capital. The Head Office of the Department of Railways and Mines (Lu-K'uang Chung-chi) has no power or sap at all in auything relating to questions of which it is nominally the head; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs usurp every- thing. Whenever anyone presents a petition for permission to open a wine or construct a railway, the latter has never yet failed to pick such petitions to pieces or impose such heavy
and absurd couditions that no sane person would consent to them. In fact these petitions rarely get as far as the Head Office of Railways and Mius, the documents being almost always squashed the moment they enter the Foreign Office! Chang Yen-mao (now an expectant Vice-President of one of the Six Boards) who is, nominally, Assistant Director-General of Railways and Mines and stands third in the Department, with all the goodwill in the world is but a mere figurehead, with permission only to draw his salary and keep quiet. Although Tantai Shen Tun-bo, who was recently specially applied for by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the Governor of Shansi to come to Peking to join the Department of Railways and Mines as an adviser and councillor, has arrived at the Capital, he is given neither power nor opportunity to exercise his talents, merely because the old fogies at the Foreign Office put a stop to all applications getting to the Depart- ment. That is the sort of reform we are getting in Peking !"
Jen Tac-yung, Governor of Chekiang. by advice of Taotai Hsu Ting-kan, Commis-ioner of the Chêkian Bureau of Foreign Affairs at Hangchow, has decided to make a general | topographical survey of the province to locate the various coul and mineral resources in it for fature development. The Chinese Minister at London has therefore been asked to engage a first-class mining engineer and mineralogist, who is expected to arrive in Shanghai by the beginning of October 'next.
This is interesting but evidently a very artial statement.
THE TRANS-SIBERIAN ROUTE.
The services
Some time ago we indicated generally the intention of the Russians to connect the Trans- Siberian Railway by steamer, not only with the chief ports in China and Japan, but also with the main lines to Europe, America, and Australia, and thus, in a sense, alter the position of the centre of magnitude of the carrying trade of the world. hitherto carried on are (1) one from Vladivostock to Shanghai via Kiaochau, Chefoo, Port Arthur, Jinsen, Nagasaki, Fusan, and (2) from Vladivostock to Port Arther via Nagasaki. Henceforth there will be five services-namely, (1) Port Arther to Vladivostock via Nagasaki; (2) Shanghai to Vladivostock via Port Arther, Jinson, and Nagasaki; (3) Shanghai to Vlidi- vostock ria Nagasaki : (4) Shaughai to Vladivostock via Port Arther, Nagasaki, Fusan, and Yuensan; (5) Dalny (Talien- wan) to Chefoo via Port Arthur. The rates for passengers from Vladivostock to Shanghai will be 55 roubles first class and 15 roubles second-class, and for the other ports in proportion. The steamers will connect at Nagasaki and Shanghai with the main lines of steamers to Europe, America, and Australia, so that the Trans-Siberiam Railway has opened a new outlet for all parts of the world. Dalby is rapidly becoming a place of commercial importance, and its population is increasing greatly. It is very mixed, but many Russians are now taking advantage of the quick communication, with Europe, and are at the port in large Lumbers. The publication of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance created no
ensation among the natives and residents of place. It is stated that a branch of a Japan-China bank is about to be established, so it is evident that the Japanese mean to claim their share of whatever trade is going.- Engineering
Port
Russian
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