January 9, 1905.]
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ality and showing neither fear nor favour. memorial should be addressed to the Throne
to
ав an
requesting the Imperial sanction the enforcement of a mandarin tax. If Jung Lu's and Li Hung-chang's families could be made to contribute a million iaels each all the other provincial example, officials might be made to contribute in propor- tion to the value of their posts. At least 40 per cent. of their incomes should be contributed to the Government. In this way millions of At taels could be raised without difficulty. first it would be a great surprise to the public generally, but the people will be pleased. If the people are pressed much more they will rebel, but pressure on the officials is no hardship and no fear of their rebellion need be entertain ed. The way in which the Japanese have come forward to float their loans has impressed the whole world.
Another scheme which I beg to lay before you is to remit only half of the money so raised to Peking, and distribute the remainder among the commercial bureaux in the provinces. An order should be issued encouraging men of ability to invent and improve upon various implements and tools which should be on view and be re-
warded with the sole rights of their inventions ́and a grant from the official contributions as a working capital. This capital can be repaid in instalments together with a royalty which must be decided by the merchant's own conscientious- ness in the matter. In this way the spirit of the people may be roused, and the resources of the country developed while millions of taels should be available for the government
The drilling of troops in fo:eign countries is largely to protect trade, and commercial pros- perity is at once the strength of the people and the support of the army. Foreign nations never oppress and exhaust the vitality of the people or drain their livelihood in order to raise troops. Bat for this purpose the real wealth of the country should be tapped. If sufficient troops are drilled, and every man becomes in some degree a soldier, we need no longer fear any invasions, but will certainly attain victory. I trust my humble suggestions may meet with
your approval.
The memorial has been sent up to Paking by Tieh Liang and the memorialist has already been summoned to an audience, his suggestions baving won approval.
FIRE AT KOWLOON.
FOUR HOUSES IN ELGIN ROAD GUTTED.
Fire broke out at No. 48, Elgin Road. Kowloon, on the morning of the 3rd instant. The fames took a firm hold on the building and spread to the next house, No. 49. Both Nos. 48 and 49 were occupied by Lee Hing and Co., furniture dealers. The Kowloon members of the Fire Brigade arrived at about four o'clock, but, no water being available, were helpless for some time. The Yaumati engine was next on the scene. The locality of the burning houses, however, being so far from the sea, the force of water was quite insufficient for the purpose required. The jets, in fact, would reach no higher than the second storey Tongues of fire protruding from the back of the building set a matshed in the rear alight. This made a great blaze, and, in turn, passed the fire on to houses Nos. 45 and 46 (Mr. Ruttonjee's bakery and the barber's shop opposite the Occidental Hotel). The strangest thing about the whole affair was that House No. 47 (the Dairy Farm Co.'s branch, and Weismann's Bakery branch) escaped, or nearly so, for the upper storey alone suffered. The fact that two houses were burnt down on either side this one has caused the Dairy Farm Co., Ld. to notify, by express, their customers in Kowloon that the fire in Elgin Road, having in no way affected their premises, deliveries of their supplies will go on as usual. The Occi- dental Hotel had
à very narrow escape, the great width of the road alone saving it. At about a quarter to six, the fire then having practically burnt itself out, the Brigade had mostly to confine their energies to preventing it spreading. Engines arrived from the Kowloon Godowns and the Torpedo Depot. About that time a good force of water was obtained by the fire float pumping into a tank from which an engine took its supply.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Damage to No. 48 is estimated at 814,000, covered by insurance as follows:-$9,000 in the London and Lancashire; $5,000 in another com. pany. Damage to the second and third floors of No. 49 is estimated at $7,000, but no in- surance had been effected. The barber's shop and other premises were partly insured.
EXTRA-TERRITORIALITY.
We were very glad to see the following letter in the N.-C. Daily News :—
15
gentry and notables here, the Waiwupu has
sent down instructions to the former to make a strong demand on the Russian Consul-General
for the persons of the two Russian sailors of the cruiser Askold guilty of the murder of Chou The Shanghai Sêng-yu on the 15th ultimo. Taotai is also instructed to state that, if the Russian Consul-General still continues to shield the guilty sailors and refuse to hand them over for trial according to international law, the Chinese authorities must take such action to be a deliberate attempt at violating Chinese neutrality on the part of the Russians, in which case China cannot undertake the responsibility of protecting in future Russians fleeing for safety into Chinese jurisdiction. Furthermore, that if at any time anything should happen to the Russian ships now interned in Shanghai the burden of responsibility must rest on the Russians themselves, and not on the Chinese authorities. A similarly strongly worded des- patch, it is stated, has also been handed to the | Russian Minister in Peking by the Waiwupu.
SIR, The ersistent demand that is being made by the Chinese officials and gentry of this place for the surrender of the Russian sailors implicated in the recent homicide on the Bund is full of interest to all foreign residents in China and should be watched very carefully, as it is a covert attack on the one principle that makes life possible for foreigners in China, namely, that of extra-territoriality. Unfor- tunately, the treaty between Russia and China affords a slight pretext for this demand, and in this respect it differs from that signed between | THE RECENT EMEUTE AT HANKOW-
China and the other countries.
Probably, without exception, the latter pro-
vide that all offences committed by their nationals in China shall be tried by a tribunal of that nation to which the national belongs. In most instances, the trial takes place at the nearest Consular Court where the offence is in the case of
committed, and in
some.
FLS
With reference to the recent trouble (which
are
nearly rose to the importance of a popular emeute) between a large number of Chinese hongs, dealing in skins, hides and other export products, in Hankow, and the two German firms of Arnhold, Karberg, and Co., and Carlowitz and Co., wherein the native hongs demand over Portugal and Japan, the offenders guilty of the Tls. 130,000 from the German firms for gcods more serious offences are sent either to Macas supplied them, through their respective com- or Japan. The Russian treaty, however, pro- pradores, one of whom had committed suicide, rides that in offences of a certain grade, a
while the other had absconded, as already preliminary hearing shall be held before a Mix-reported, we now learn from Hankow that it is ed Tribunal consisting of Russians and Chinese,
reported-with.what amount of truth we and that if the presumption of guilt is such that unable to say-that the German firms in ques the prisoner is committed for trial he is then
tion have consented to pay Tls. 100,000 on the sent to Russia for trial by his Home Court. It understanding that bygones be bygones and is this latter provision which gives the only trade, so far interrupted, is allowed to continue colour of right to the contention of the Chinese in its normal course. We also understand that in the present instance, as this hearing was not in reply to a petition, conjointly signed by over held with a Chinese Assessor present. Even
one hundred Chinese hongs, setting forth their this, however, does not justify their demand-side of the case, Viceroy Chang Chih-tung wrote if the translations appearing in the Press are in his Rescript that "siuce in all cases where correctly made that the trial shall take place foreigners have been plaintiffs the Chinese before a Mixed Tribunal and that the person of authorities invariably do their best to force the prisoner shall be handed over to the Chinese. the Chinese debtors to pay what they owe to
No principle should be more strenuously
the foreign plaintiffs, he (the Viceroy) insisted upon than that no foreigner-absolutely sincerely hoped the Consuls of all foreign firms irrespective of his offence-shall be brought would also do their best to see justice dealt ont before a Chinese tribunal, nor should they to with impartiality and Chinese creditors get any degree be permitted to interfere in matters their dues, thereby wisely directing the channels of trade to flow smoothly, without check or hindrance." His Excellency also asks in his R-script, if foreign firms be allowed to decline to be bound by their compradores' contracts with Chinese hongs, what is to be done in the future when Chinese are debtors of foreigners ? Finally, the Hankow Customs Taotai, Shang, is instructed to convey his Excellency's senti- ments as quoted above to the German Consul at Hankow, with the earnest hope that the matter under review be impartially and justly settled without delay.-N..Ü. Daily News.
of this kind.
The present situation is a difficult one owing to the apparent conflict of the international procedure in matters such as the interning of the Askold, and the extraordinary conditions brought about by the presence of the extra-ter- ritorial jurisdiction of the foreign Powers in China. These last rest on treaty, and as such are supreme law, and under these treaties China
is especially prohibited from having jurisdiction over any offence of this character.
Both -existing treaties and considerations of the highest expediency demand that these disabilities of extra-territoriality be imposed upon China without the slightest relaxation.
80
SHIPPING FATALITY NEAR HONGKONG,
A RESCUE BY THE 8.8. "DOMENICO." Capt. J. E. Watson, of the as. Domenico,
If, as seems to be the case, from the article in your issue of this morning, there are covert threats of disorder or rioting, this should not be allowed to cloud the main issue that no national of a foreign country can be made sub-reports that at 8.15 p.m. on the 29th December, ject to Chinese jurisdiction. The International Law which the Chinese urge ia the present instance is only applicable to them in so far as it does not interfere with existing treaties.- I am, etc.,
44
30th December.
6
CAUTION."
Our contemporary added this comment: The contention of the Chinese is, and it is not an entirely ill-founded contention, that these Russians are prisoners of the Chinese Government by their own act, and have thus forfeited for the time their extra-territorial rights."—If that is what internment implies, it becomes a duty to oppose the internment of any foreign soldiers or sailors in Chinese ports again. The very phrase "prisoners of the Chinese," when applied to foreigners, sounds objectionable.]
The N-U. Daily News says it is reported in Shanghai mandarin circles that as a result of the appeal of the Shanghai Taotai and Ningpo
when about three miles 8.S.E. of Song-Yiu Point, he picked up six of the crew of the junk Sun Hung Shing, which was run down by a steamer while voyaging from Sa Pa (Cheknam) to Yeong Kong (the Hongkong agents of the ~ vessel are the Wan Yuen). It was quite dark at the time, and the men attracted Capt. Watson's attention by their ories for help. They were, with the exception of one, in the water clinging to pieces of bamboo and other wreckage-they had been half an hour in the water, and some of them were very nearly a three The junk had been | exbansted.
masted craft, with a orew of sight all told. but although Capt. Watson cruised around for an hour he could not find the missing two. When the cries were first heard the mate took charge of one boat, and a sailor was told off to cox another. The mate's boat picked up two men, and the other a third.
The boats were
them hooked on to the falls and hoisted clear of the water. Yells were then heard from the gloom
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