170
ABOLITION OF SLAVERY IN THE PHILIPPINES.
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"The emblem of Liberty, Justice and Right," exclaims Manila Times, that now floats over the Philippine Archipelago, that flag that was so rudely tattered and torn and stained with blood to eradicate slavery in the homeland. will not smile on the traffic in human flesh and blood in the Philippines. Slavery in these islands will not be tolerated, even though con. doned by ancient religion, law and custom. The authorities at Washington have decided that the traffic in human lives in these islands must cease. That neither slavery, nor in voluntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist in this Archipelago.' Such is the declaration of the Lodge Bill, passed at the recent session of the United States' Congress, and now proclaimed by the Governor of the Philippine Islands as,the organic law of
the land."
Less ecstatically our contemporary goes on to _comment:-" A communication has been re. ceived from Washington, directed to the military authorities in general and the Com- manding General of the Moro country in particular, instructing them that the slaves of the high men of the tribes must be released, where they request or demand it, and that in no case, no matter what means are required or necessary to prevent it, must the Dattos of the various tribes be allowed use crnel or inhuman treatment toward their subjects.
to
THE CHINA MEDAT.
The P. & T. Times writes:-An application has been forwarded by the military authorities on behalf of the British members of the Shanghai Volunteers as recipients for the China medal: we believe there is a confident hope that it will be granted. If it be, the favour will be a deli- cious satire on Its refusal to the gallant youngs- ters of the Consular, Customs, Bank and other "services who acted the parts of heroes in Peking. We have no hesitation whatever in assigning some of the blame of the shameful action of the War Office in this matter to the
17
discreditable inactivity of Sir Claude Macdonald; had he as a soldier refused to accept the honours he so richly deserved unless his gallant civil comrades-in-arms were duly recognised, the War Office in very shame would never have dared to refuse. We beg to remind Sir Claude of Roberts's attitude when the War Office tried to refuse the Victoria Cross to Parson Adams : "Bobs" said if this non-combatant were denied his due honours, he himself would accept none. Sir Claude's influence at the Foreign Office could easily have been brought to bear on the War Office. He is distinctly in our opinion stultified by the present p'sition of affairs. "Lest we forget" indeed: Sir Claude seems himself to have forgotten soon enough. As a quondam admirer of Sir Claude we grieve to sing the monody:
Blow, blow thou winter wind; Thou art not so unkind
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
As man's ingratitude. The grievance against the Minister is not that he did not apply for some recognition; we feel certain that he did: the indignation is wholly because he did not insist on it, and stand staunchly by his gallant followers.
GOVERNOR TAFT ON THE PHILIPPINES.
(August 30, 1902,
HONGKONG.
Among the passengers expected here by the Governor of Samoa. Prinz Regent Luitpold is Dr. Solf, German
The Commissioner in the Far East and Austr.lia of the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition. Mr. John Barrett, arrived in Hongkong by the
The visitors to the City Hall Library and Museum last week were 200 non-Chinese and 44 Chinese to the former, 79 non-Chinese and 1723 Chinese to the latter institution.
Interviewed by the Singapore Free Press before he left for Manila, Mr. W. H. Taft, Governor of the Philippines, was naturally reticent about the mission to the Vatican. However, in view of the various reports as to the success or failure of his mission, he statedlynesien on the 25th inst authoritatively that no decision has been arrived at at Rome, but the negotiations there were more of a preliminary nature than anything else. The only actual result was that an Apostolic delegate to the Philippines is to b: appointed who will proceed to the Islands in a reasonably short time and as the result of his investigations there and consequent recommendations to the Vatican & settlement of the trouble:ome question may be confidently expected.
The R. W. Fusiliers were awarded the tie-in 'The Government of the Philippines is purely a Civil one at the present time, said Governor the semi-final round of the Hongkong Water Taft, the pacification of the Filipinos is practi- Polo Association Shield Competition at the cally complete and the Is.ands are free from the V.R.C. on Thursday their opponents, the 62nd Co., R.G.A., failing to put in an appearance. military régime. The Civil Commission as a governing body was formerly under the Com-To-night the V.R.C. "A" team are due to play mander-in-Chief of the Philippines but now this the Naval Depot.
His Honour A. G. Wise has been appointed Chairman, and Mr. F. J. Badeley member of the Squatters' Board. The other members are the Hon. W. Chatham, Mr. C. McI. Messer, and Mr. J. H. Komp.
At the Magistracy on the 23rd inst., Mr. F. A. Hazeland, Police Magistrate, gave his decision in the enquiry held by him into the circumstances attending the recent fire in a medicine-shop at 293, Queen's Road. His Worship decided that the evidence adduced did not justify the issne of a warrant against the proprietors.
H.M.S. Rinaldo came out of dock on Thurs- day and proceeds to Weihaiwei to-day. While in Tytam Eay on Saturday she ran aground and had to be towed into dock for repairs. It was found that the bilge keel was slightly damaged and two copper plates on the starboard bow were The Rinaldo having taken on battered in.
has all been altered and, the U. S. forces at present in the Island, numbering 18,000 offic rs N. C. O.'s and men, are under the command of a Major-General who commands them as a division of the U. S. Army. The Civil Commission is empowered to administer the Government ac- cording to the President's instructions, Gover- nor Taft at its head, with additional powers conferred on him. All important measures are subject to revocation by the U. S. Secretary for War, but in minor matters the Governor and Commission are paramount. The Commission
authority to sell bas
public land, to grant mining rights and concessions, to grant corporate franchise rights for rail-board stores and ammunition, there will be no roads and in short to a t in every way desirable delay in her departure. for the public improvement. A new era is confidently looked forward to despite the vigorous opposition of a small section of Anti- Imperialists in the United States. After two years a census of the islands is to be taken and then, if in the opinion of the President of the U. S. the step is justified, there will be created a Lower House consisting of from fifty to a hundred representatives chosen from the people, whilst the present governing body will con- stitute an Upper Chamber, similar to the political representation in the Mother Country. Nove would be excluded from the Lower House on racial grounds; a Filipino, Spanish or Mestiz U. S. subject if properly elected, would be able to take his seat in as regular a manner as an American and in this way the voice of the people in the canse of its own government would be distinctly heard.
unsettled. The
A dangerous and annoying practice with regard to which several complaints have been made of late is that indulged in by some persons of throwing things from house-verandahs at people passing on the streets below. On Friday two Europeans were at midnight while walking up Wyndham Street on their way home, one of them was bit on the head by a mango thrown apparently from the verandah of a boarding-house there, kuocking off his straw hat and bruising his temple. The seriousness of this offence can hardly be too much insisted upon: the European in question narrowly escaped a possible injury to his
Sunday night, again, 00 eyesight. European occupant of a ricksha was struck in the mouth by a stone in Winglok Street, and no policemen could be found anywhere near the spot where the outrage occured.
the
The silver problem is
Instances of cruelty to animals continue to Commission which was appointed to enquire be remarkably apparent in Hongkong, and one wonders when a branch of the S.P.C.A. is into the matter recommended a gold standard, like that of Japan, that is, that a silver peso should going to be set up locally: it has been be coined which should be worth fifty cents promised so long but has never taken form. There has been in this respect a great gold or silver and which should be kept on a parity with gold by a limited coinage, similar to improvement noticeable in the Market of late, the rupee in India. The House Committee of thanks mainly to the vigilance and energy of the House of Representives approved of this re-
Inspector McEwen, bat in the streets and in commendation and embodied it in this Bill, which private shops one often comes across cases of was passed, but the Senate Committee was afraid animals and fowls being thoughtlessly tortured, that it was too radical a measure for the Orient, It is nothing uncommon to see fowls hanging where there was so much free silver coinage in by the feet from nails stuck in walls, a position in which they must have remained for many the shape of British and Mexican dollars. As the two Houses could not agree on the sub-hours. And in the handling of pigs being ject, nothing was done except that authority put ashore from boats from the mainland the was given for a subsidiary coinage. The main
same cruelty is to observed on the part of many A Bangkok firm received a telegram from Raheng, Northern Siam, on the 10th inst. stat-issue, however, will continue in abeyance until of the Chinese. Another customary sight is the ing that all the Europeans, with the exception Congress meets in September next; at present Chinaman carrying home for his evening meal of Capt. Jensen and Mr. Leonowens, left there has been no decision one way or the other. suspended by a bamboo string, gasping, live fish. In Queen's Road the other day the passers-by Lakon Lampang on the orening of the 5th inst.
were astonished to see a huge fish leap out of to make their way down to Raheng. This news
one of two baskets that were being carried on was telephoned from Lakon to Raheng. When
the shoulders of a coolie. He unconcernedly the telephone message was sent the town was still safe, and was being held by Capt. Jensen
gripped the wriggling victim and thrust it once more into tortured captivity. and his Gendarmerie. According to another report, of uncertain origin, the above is correct but apart from those mentioned there are very few others in Lakon. When Capt. Jensen got 'back from his pursuit of the Shans he found the place deserted. There is now placarded along the streets of Bangkok a Government proclamation with regard to the trouble in the North. It is termed a proclamation bidding the people not be afraid on account of the many rumours, and is issued by the Minister for Local Government.
Among the recent arrivals in Shanghai from San Francisco is Dr. S. A. Ransom, of the United States Public Health and Marine
Hospital Service, who has been sent to Shanghai
for the purpose of conducting a branch of the Government Quarantine Service, the object being to inspect thoroughly all vessels, which have been cleared for American ports, and to issue certificates, duly signed to that effect. Similar stations have been introduced at Yoko- hama and Hongkong, and have proved success, thanks to the co-operation of the shipping people. At Kobe and Nagasaki medical agents of the Government have been stationed to act in the same capacity as the doctors of the larger shipping ports of the East.
The first-class c uiser Blenheim arrived carly on the 21st inst, from Weihaiwei.
H.M.SS. Wipern and Taku are in dock at Kowloon,
The British second-class oruiser Arethusa and the American transport Bufalo arrived from Shanghai on the 23rd inst.
The U. S transport Buffalo, which arrived on Saturday from Shanghai, left yesterday for New York. The U. S. flagship Rainbow arrived on Sunday from Manila,
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