December 28, 19034.
flowers, and Chinese lanterns were all requisitiou- ed, and combined in rendering a most pleasing effect. Nearly two hundred members were present, and numerous friends, and a most enjoyable evening was spent. For those who did not feel equal to wooing Terpsichore there were card-tables provided. Among the novel features introduced during the evening were Highland reels by Mr. J. Sinclair, Super was provided in one of the lower rooms. The officers who were responsible for the success of the function were:-Chief Inspector Baker, President; Chief Detective Inspector Hanson, Chairman; Inspector P. McNab, Vice-Presi dent; Sergeants Lee, Sergeant Floyd, Sergeant Hill, Police Constables Pitt, White, Cooper and Last, Committee. Sergeant Grant made an efficient MC. The Hon. Sec., sergeant McDonald, in conjunction with Inspector McNab, were indefatigable throughout the evening, and their exertions were well rewarded, the affair being quite up to the standard of any of its predecessors.
HONGKONG.
It is officially notified that Mr. J. H. Kemp, Passed Cadet, has been appointed Assistaut Secretary to the Sanitary Board,
An official notification is published in the Gazette of the King's approval of the appoint- ment of the Hon. Dr. J. M. Atkinson and the Hon. Basil R. H. Taylor as official members of the Legislative Council.
The visitors to the City Hall Library and Museum for the week ending the 20th Decomber were 222 non-Chinese and 41 Chinese to the former, and 73 non-Chinese and 2,139 Cinese to the latter institution!.
The Acting Colonial Secretary informed us ou the 22nd inst that he had received a telegram from His Britannic Majesty's Consul at Batavia to the effect that quarantine sgainst the arrivals from Hongkong has been removed.
H.E. the Officer Administering the Govern- ment has withdrawn the proclamation of the 3rd ult. declaring Nagasaki to be a port at which an infectious or contagious disease prevails.
On the 21th inst. mo:ning the dead body of an European was found on a piece of vacant ground on the Praya. It was identified as that of Dennis O'Rourke, 40 yeas of agan unemployed seaman who had come out of gaol only on Satur- day morning after having been imprisoned for several days for refusing to pay vehicle hire. It is presumed that the deceased had been drinking and lay down on the ground to sleep. Death was due to exposure.
J. 8. Re ben, who has been living at the Waverley Hotel, in Ice House Street, since the first of the month, was found dead in his bed in
No. 12, of room
the hotol on the 21st inst. From enquiries it was learnt that deceased was quite well and cheerful on Sunday, and had a guest with bim to tiffin, going out with him afterwards. He was not seen to return to the hotel, but when his room-boy went into his room on Monday morning with his-coffee he thought the deceased looked very strange, and immediately summoned the proprietress of the hotel, when it was found the man was dead, Information was immediately given to the police, and the body was taken over by them for the purposes of the necessary enquiry.
•
Last Monday morning there were married in -Macao Mr. George C. Valpy, of the Federated Malay States service, and Miss Marian Dampney, daughter of the late Lichard Dampney, of Melplash Court, Dorsetshire. The ceremony was performed at the English Chapel by the Revur. Barnett, obaplain. "Mr. Tason Moorhead, Assistant Commissioner of Customs at Lappa, gave the bride away. Miss Frances Moorhead was bridesmaid, and Mr. P. T. Allen, Straits Cadet, best man. The church was prettily decorated with chysanthemums kindly lent from the Camoens Gardens. After the ceremony had been completed. a reception was held at the house of Mr. Moorhead, at which, as at the wedding itself, a great number of Macao's leading residents were present. Later on, amid general good wishes, the newly married couple left Macao for Hongkong by the 485 Wingchai.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government has been pleased to appoint Arthur Georg Murchison Fletcher, cadet, to act as Assistant Registrar-General, with effect from and including the 10th instant.
Only medical inspection is now in force at Bangkok against arrivals from Hongkong, and the British Minister at Bangkok has informed His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government that there is no present intention of dispensing with such inspection.
488
An Anti-Russian Society has been started in Shanghai, called the Tui Wo Hui, and has already begun its propaganda by the publication of a daily newspaper called the Wo Shih Ching- wen, or "Startling Truths about Russian Matters."
At the Mixed Court, Shanghai, on the 14th inst., Tsao Mao-mow, who was implicated with the gang who g uged out the eyes of another Chinsman on the 28th of April, 1903, was sen- tenced to twenty years' imprisonment and to receive five-hundred blows and at an interval of six months to receive five-hundred more.
The Cricket Club proposes to hold three danoes January 22nd, February 26th (race week), and March 11th, should sufficient inducement
Viceroy Yuan Shi-Kai was on the 5th inst. offer. Members and subscribers are invited to appointed by the Throne, by special wire, subscribe to them on the following conditions: Commander in Chief of the Five Army Corps -Members, $25 for the three dances; subscribers, of the Empire, or all the forces of the Empire, $10 for each dance. Each member or a higher post than even that of the late Yung subscriber to havo the privilege of inviting two La. The Peking and Tientsin Times heartily individual guests, who are not members or sub-congratulates His Excellency on this promotion. scribers of the C.C.
A very decided success attended the annual ball of the institution of engineers and shipbuilders of Hongkong, held at the City Hall од the night of the 18th inst. Greenery, flowers, and bunting were tastefully displayed on the staircase and dancing room; the supper room was in tune with the rest. Those present numbered between 600 and 700 ladies and gentlemen. The band of the Sher wood Foresters was in attendance. Greatest credit is dus to the able manner in which the various committees carried out the arrange. ments. The president, Mr. Donald Macdonald, and Mr. J. Miller, secretary, contributed greatly towards making the function appreciated. Messrs Murphy and Lambert, R.N.N., as M.C.'s did all that could have been desire.l. The president, secretary, and Mr. H.T Richardson, by the way, had quite a task beforehand with decoratious.
The Universal Gazette hears that the Go- vernor of Kwangsi bas telegraphed to Peking, denouncing Viceroy Shum. The text of the telegram is such as has never been seen before, to the utmost surprise of the reader-whatever that may mean. The same paper also learns that Viceroy Shum recently wired to the Thron, that the Kwangsi rebellion is virtually. suppressed and requested the Empress Dowager not to have any anxiety over the situation in Kwangsi or Kwangtung, and advised her to resist Russis by all possible means.
Owing to the more determi el stand taken by the Chinese Government in regard to the Manchuriau question, says a Peking despatch quoted in the N.-C. Daily News, the Russians at Moukden have resumed their high-handed manner of dealing with the Chinese officials there, which a short time ago had been much relaxed. The Tartar General Psêng Chi, it is now reportad, is ag in circumscribed as to his liberty of action and has been refused again the us of the telegraph. In consequins of this the Peking Government was not able for two days to hear from Tseng Chi, although he was repeatedly asked to telegraph.
Financial retnrus published in the Govern menl Gazette show the revenue of the Coly from January 1st to 31st October to have been $1.301.6 18. A comparative statement of the revenue shows that under all the principal headings, with but one exception, the receipts were larger than for the same period of last. On the 14th inst. the 133rd performance of year, the total of the increase being $405,198. the Shanghai.A.D.C, was given at the Lyceum A decrease of $35,322 is shown in miscel Theatre, the play being Mr. H. V. Esmond's laneous receipts." On the expenditure side One Summer's Day. The vast was as follows, we may note that the expenditure on the the assumed name of the amateurs (whom no Sanitary Department had amounted at the end doubt some of our raders will be able to trace) of October to $363,059 as compared with being put in brackets: -Major Dick Rudyard $173.022 for the same period last year, A(Mr. V. de Mair), Phil Marsden (Mr. Egidius), substantial increase in expuditure is to be | Theodore Bendyshe (Mr. C. H. Philpott), Robert noted also in the medical departments, the Rodesden (Mr. George), Tom (Mr. Leslie), figures being $190,132. as compared with Seth (Mr. George Prince), The Urohin (Misi $124, 143. But next to the Sanitary Department the biggest increase ($133,975) appears under the heading "Police, Fire Brigade, and Gaol." The cost of "miscellaneous services" decreased by $629,940.
MISCELLANEOUS
A telegram dated Seoul, 11th December, says The diplomats here believe that the Yala district will be divided between Japan and Russia. Negotiations on this point are now progressing." Evidently Coras can entertain little doubt of her own fature as a State.
Dorothy Clive), Irene (Miss Jollyboy), Maysie (Miss Grace Thompson), Mrs. Theodore Ben- dyshe (Miss Violet Woodhouse), Bess (Miss E. Weatherby), Chiara (Miss Clara Cole).
With reference to the secret orders promul- gated by the Throne, to the various Viceroys and Governors of provinces to report how many modern-armed and disciplined troops couldbe. sant up to Peking in the event of war with Russia, the NC. Daily News says a recent letter from the capital reports that replies have been received by the Grand Council from the high authorities of the following provinces : Liangkiang (consisting of three provinces). Min-Chê (two provinces). Kwangtung, Hunan, Shantung, Shansi, Szechuan, Shensi, and Ha- On the 1st day of the December race mesting knang (two provinces), and that the total number at Bangkok on the 8th inst, the King's Gold of first-class troops from the above provinces Cup was won rather easily by Mr. W. A. Gready to go up to the North aggregates 90,000 Tillake's Daisakorn, Mr. Kasooji's Wong Waima. being second, and the Siamese Crown Prince's The Kobe Chronicle writes that in the latter Oothai third. The totalisator yielded 6 ticals. half of this year the trade of Japan has H. M. the King was an interested spectator of continued in favour of exports, the excess of the race. All seven races in the first day were imports over exports having decreased to won by the same stable, Mr. W. A. G. Tilleke 28,210,000 yen from 46,000,000 yen in August securing 6, and Mr. R. H. Gibbins one.
last. Specie has begun to flow out of the country of late, notwithstanding that while the excess of imports over exports at one time exceeded 20,000,000 yen it has now fallen to 11,520,000 yen. The amount of specie in reserve at the Bank of Japan, which continued to stand at 116,00 1,000 yen until the beginning of last month, has dow decreased by some 4,000,000 yen a condition of things which may be due to the large excess of imports over increase during the first half of the year, and to the fact that the money realised by the sale of Government bonds in London has now all been drawn. If the increase of exportsover imports in the country. à trade be continued it is thought the exodus of specie will probably cease before long.
In view of the present war scare it is of interest to note that the new Japanese Infantry weapon, the Arisaka rif, is very similar to the Mauser rifle. The reduction of, the bore-the rifle's calibre is only 6.5 mms.-has admitted of a reduction of the weight of the weapon, without the bayonet, to 3.9 kilograms, which, in view of the short stature of the Japanese, is a decided improvement Inelading the bayonet, the blade of which is 55 centimètres long, the rif, weighs 4,085 kilograms, and is 1,606 mètres long. The hardened lead bullet has a velocity of 720 mètres. The bore has six riflings, and the weapon is sighted from 400 to 2,000 mètres.
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