364
PEKING.
Poking. 24th October.
· SIR E. SATOW AND THE DIPLOMATIC RECEPEION,
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of
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
in its nocturnal quietuda. If so, one may fancy him, like Wolseley, saying to his faithful ser- vaut, Ah, Cromwell, I charg the fling away ambition." He has assented, so it is said, to conditions for the evacuation of Shanghai set consulting the other powers concerned, some of dowa by the German government, without
whom consider then foreign to the question. The British sa consider thou, as they affect the prestige of their country in the Yangtsze Valley.-Mercury.
Thy Diplomatic body and the Commanders of the Legation guards peregrinated to the Elysian precincts of the Summer Palace ou Saturday. As is well known, the Court has beau sojourning there for more than a month. entertaining itself with theatricals and with receptions to the representatives of the Lega- tions and other friends, cluding occasional missionarios. A spectator posted on the high- way that connects the City of Peking with the Summer Palace would have seen a curious sight on the morning of 18 inst.. that would have supplied him with entertajument for two hours. And had he taken the time to spend another hour or more at the same spot in the late aft rnoou he would have enjoyed it even more. All the styles of vehicles known were requisitioned for the occasion. The Ministers took chairs. The secretaries took chairs or cariages, besides, caris, traps, hacks, and dhroskas. According to programme the satellites went first and were followed by the ministers, who arrived about a quarter past tea, when all entered the front gite and after brush ing the dust off their boots went into the throne room, where they were received in andience, according to cistom. A breikfist, or tiffin, followed. It would not be right to commit oneself at this point on the question of precisely what the meal was, because there is something said about it in the protocol, aunsx six. This annex says that the Emperor is to be present. Well, the Emperor wis not present. Puzzle, what was the meal? We believe the Dowager said to the gentlemen very cord.al words and hoped they would enjoy the repast. If there was anything at all lacking it was the absence of the Emperor. All seomed to agres to tbat. It Was 8 perfect day,
Indian summer
say in Wales, and the roads and walks had been tended and kept. New trees and slirubs had been planted, numerous bird cages hung from the branches, and little cicadas aud grasshoppers were the only joys that were confined. There are few pleasures in the style of a ramble in the vicinity of the capital more enticing than a kuang-kuang at the summer palace. Since it was by offictili notification closed to the ordinary visitor and globe-trotter last spring, only the few favoured by a diplomatic piss have been able to see it. Now it is a private park whore the outsider is Occasionally tolerated, but it may become entirely shut away from any but Legation mem- bers, and from them except on such an annual occasion as the one last Satur lay. Aside from the British, the Legations were well repressuted. It came like thunderclap from a clear sky that
+1
We
TH BRITISH MINIS ER HAD RETURNED
THE EMPEROR'S INVITATION,
YINGKOU (NEWCHWANG).
The following notes are from the laiveranl Gazette:-
Th Tartar General of Fenglieu succeeded in retaining his present post through the influence of the Russians and is much liked by them as he bends to their will, but at the same time is treated with contempt for his weakness, When the General appears in the streets, the Russiau patrols never sa ute him and when he calls at a Russian yamen, the inmates do not
besides Prince Ching's invitation to a reception, for his son, and the invitations of the Empress Dowager's daughter-in-law, Princess Yung Shou, to the Legation ladies to attend a tiffin at her palace on the 21st inst. The reason given was that the authorities had conspired to shield the real murderers of the Hanan mis- sionarie, Mr. Brace and Mr. Lowis, none other than the officials whom the throne had sent off to other places, while executing a doza ignor- ant and fana ical people! This was a thing done by a minister that makes the heart glad. Ye who have cried out in despair, know ye that there is balm in Gilead. It is also a blessing to know that the host here in the Capital is with the Minister. This was the only thing perhaps that might mar the occasion for the Court There is some speculation on point of whether the throne knew the reason for the absence of the British. The Minister took all precaution possible against misadventure in the com- muniction of the facts to the th one, but in times past it was never certain that the truth got to the throne. Now the case is different, but not fixed. One thing is very certain. Prince Ching scared as he has not been since the sign- ing of the protocol. He has not slept of nights, and it is hoped that sleep will never come to him until he gets those officials, when they will have all the sleep there is
THE SHANGHAI QUESTION.
Another thing has occurred that ought to make the present head of the Waiwapa uneasy
come ont to meet him.
The three Eastern Provinces abound in rich
mines, and the Russians have been haukering after them for a long time, therefore during the recent negotiation, they strongly demanded mining privileges, and it is to obtain these that the troops have not been withdrawu. improbable that China has given her consent. but the Russians are already prospecting and have begun to work thee of the miues.
It is
Sined the return of the railway. English engineers have not been allowed to work ou the line, so the three English engineers who came here before the transference had to return to Tientsin. It is true that the railway is run by chinese, but there are still Russian officials at the two terminal stations who are jealously watching the English.
There are some British meo-of-war at Vladi- rostock, Harbin, and other ports, watching the movements of the Russians, and in consequence the merchan's feel more or less unsettled. In Manchuria. Russia on one side and England and Japan on the other are on anything but a friendly footing. At present a certain Japanese high official is travelling about the province and observing everything, but his morements
are most secret.
NORTHERN NOTES.
.
·
November 8, 1902.
CORRESPONDENCE.
We do not bold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.]
A SUGGESTION TO PONY-OWNERS.
*
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS.
Hougkong, 1st November.
old SIR-It may not be out of place for an haud to make a suggestion to local pony owners through the colums of your paper re the improvement of the local track. This track is either as hard as a macadamised road, or, as it was this morning, so slippery as to be positively dangerous. To endeavour to get a thorough- bred pony into racing condition on this track, as it now is, is attempting the impossible, as in nine cases out of ten when you put him into fast work he is liable when the course is in its
dry state to get shin-sore, "foot-sore," or
"start a tendou,” and when the cour:e is wet, he will probably suffer from "strain of the shoulder, back, loin, or thigh-muscles.
Now exactly the same ground conditions pre- rail in other parts of the world. I refer more particularly to parts of Australia and South Africa, countries where notwithstanding the excessive hardness of the ground a great deal of first-class racing takes place. In these countries horses are brought to the post fit by being prepared on artificially constructed tracks, and astan, which is the best material for this purpose, is in most districts as unprocur- able as in Hongkong, its place is taken by a very good substitute, riz.. sand, ordinary
fiver or scashore sand. The modo of construction is quite simple, and comparatively inexpensive, it bing merely necessary to lay the sand down evenly, about thee inches in depth, and keep it dump. The only objection to training horses on saud tracks is that an animal doing all his work on it will in time lose
foot "-in other words you cannot get as much pace into any giren horse on sand (or tan) as you can on turf, but this objection cannot hold good in Hongkong, where a good turf track is opeu a week for those who desire to do fast work on it. I would therefore suggest that the Hongkong Jockey Club gives the sand track a trial, when I am sure they will find it both cheap and satisfactory in every way.— Yours, &c.,
AN EX-TRAINER.
The following items are from Tientsin papers NEW CUSTOMS RATES AT FOOCHOW. down to the 27th ult. :-
Shen Tun-ho has returned from Kalgan, and it is possible that the Empress Dowager will put him in charge of the Tartar troops.
Capt. Young. D.A.Q.M.G., of the 4th Gurk- lias, aud Mrs. Ragsdale, junior, were married at Tientsin on the 20th.
No posthumous honours, says the P. & T. Times, have been awarded the late Viceroy Tao Mu, as he was on the Court's black books for uring the ourt 1 st year to discharge useless officials. This omission is really an honour to the late Viceroy.
Viceroy Yuan Shikai gave a great farew 11 banquet on the 21st ult. to all the notabilities of all nationalities in Tientsin.
Prince S is contemplating a trip round the world.
Yung La's underlings took fees to the amount of Tls. 390,00 at the recent marriage: of his daughter to the Emperor's brother.
The expense of the Court's residence at the Summer Palace is said to run into fabulous figures dily.
From
another source it is reported that in spite of persistent complaints of the condition of the Imperial exchequer, the Empress Dowager is still living in an extray- agant mannor at the Eho Park. The Park is fraished with every luxury and has an army of attend ints. Hor expenditure is said to be something like Tis. 10,000 per diem.
Although the railway is running, fifteen courier-stations. with a staff of 1 monated couriers, have been established between Pao- tiugfu and Tientsin.
The German officers at Tientsin were to hold a race meeting on their parade ground on the 26th ult.
The Royal Welsh Fusiliers left Tientsin on the 24th alt., being relieved by the Sherwood Foresters [the same that recently parsed through Hongkong),
!
TO. THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS,'
Fooch w, 25th October. SIR.-Ou the 24th inst. the Commissioner of Custome issued the following: “ Beginning on the 31st October, current Duties ou Imports will be levied at the New Rates given in the Revised Import tariff for the Trade of China which has been drawn up in accordance with Article VI of the Peace Protocol of 7th September, 1901. Copies of this new import tariff may be bought at the Custom House, price one dollar each."
Ou looking the said Tariff, I regret to see that the lekin is not to be abolished, owing to the objection of some European Powers in agreeing to the 12 per cent, import duty. which to my opinion is much to be regretted as finishing with the lekin will be a benefit both to trade and to the Chinese Government. The foreign Powers ought to take into ecnside. ration the heavy indemnity which the Chinese Government has been called upou to pay. The lekin duty as a well known fact is most detri mental to trade, as no one knows what the lekin will come to on such and such goods until And I their arrival at the port of destination. am sure that not one third of th· lekin revenne ever reached the Imperial Treasury; it is simply a means for pettifoggers (merchants as they style themselves to pass a lot of goods for the Chinese for the mere sake of 20 to 30 cents per bale commission under the system of transit pass.
As the 12 per cent, on import daty cannot be arrived at to the mutual consent of some Powers, the Chinese Government should insist that the transit pass system b restrict- ed to merchants hongs only, not to Pettyfog- gers, unless they produce the invoice to the Consul proving that such and such goods are really their own importation.
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