May 15, 1905.]
MOVEMENT FOR THE ABOLITION OF JUDICIAL TORTURE IN CHINA.
We mentioned some Lime ago that the Chinese papers in Canton and Hongkong were publishing articles translated by the Italian Consul General, Mr. Volpic-lli, against the practice of judicial torlure. We are now informed that this was but an incident of a much larger movement. i
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
YAMEN UNDERLINGS AND THEIR INTRIGUES.
centuries, were
When a few months ago an Imperial edict was issued commanding the abolition of the Director Generalship of Grain Transport, whose headquarters are at Tsingkiangpu, the three or four thousand underlings belonging to that official and his subordinate officers' yamens handed down from father to son for several were greatly excited since their vested interests,
strokes of the
thus swept away by a few vermillion pen. Then came huai, with Tsingkiangpu as the capital, and the the edict creating the new province of Kiang- retiring Director General, En Shou, as the Governor of Kianghuai. This proposed new régime, of course, brought joy into the hearts of the yamen underlin 8, for natur- ally they expected to be retained in their old
I
TROUBLE IN A SHANGHAI COTTON MILL.
307
At the Shanghai Mixed Court, on 29th April, an unemployed native was charged with being concerned with others in creating a disturbance and assaulting a Police-sergeant while in the execution of his duty, at the Chih-shing Cotton Mill, thereby endangering the peace and order of the Settlement. Another unemployed native was charged with assaulting an Indian Police Constable under similar circumstances at the same date and place. From the evidence, it appeared that at the cotton mill there was an
overseer who, the native employees alleged, was continually squeezing and frequently assaulting
At the beginning of last December, Mr. Volpicelli started the movement for the aboli- tion of judicial torture in China, and he readily found representative members of our community to assist him in his good work. Committee was formed by Sir Henry Berkeley, A preliminary Chief Justice Rev. De Maria, Pro-vicar Apostolie, Mr. E. A. Hewett, Superintendent of the P. & O., Bishop Hoare, and the Hon. Mr. E. H. Sharp, Attorney General. The first meeting was held on the 12th 1'ecember, 1904, in the Italian C. nsulate General under the Presidency posts. Their joy, however, has not remained assembled at the mill on the 29th of April,
long, for, as we know by the Imperial edict last week. the decree creating the new province of Kianghuai has been cancelled and the new Governor ordered to go up to Paking for an audience.
Now come the intrigues. The underlings first tried the dodge of getting the merchants and members of the various trades of Tsingkiangpu to present the Governor (En Shou) several tens of tablets inscribed with
of H. R. H. the Duke of Abruzzi, who graciously consented to give his support to the movement. Since then a good deal of quiet work has been done. The provincial authorities of Canton have been sounded and found .ot only not adverse to the movement, but on the contrary strongly in favour. A member of the Diplomatic Corps at Peking was consulted on his way through and promised his support. The chapter of Beccaria's famous work concerni gadulatory phrases, and it is stated that no less torture, has not only been (as we have already th n a hundred "Wan-min-san," or Myriad- stated) publishe in Chinese in the principal papers of the colony and of Canton, but it has been printed in pamphlet form (at the expense of Mr. Volpicelli) and 500 copies are now ready for distribution amongst the metropolitan and provincial authorities of the Chinese Empire. As the blocks are cut, any further copies can be readily printed off. These publications have already produced effect as Mr. Volpicelli has received Chinese letters of enquiry on the subject.
The movement has now reached the end of its preliminary stage, and we hope it will spread to other places in China, growing in strength as it spreads.
names
Umbrellas
contributed by the in. habitants, were also given his Excellency, to which were
also attached satin and silk ribbons with adulatory phrases. Following this inhabitants of the city-also the work of the came petitions signed by thousands of the yamên underlings-praying his Excellency to remain in Tsingkiangpu and declaring that his "children" would die if he left them to the tender mercies of bis successors, whoever they may be. The sarcasm of it all was that no Director General of Grain Transport bas been known, within the living memory of the inhabitants of Tsinkiaugpu, to have allowed more latitude his yamen underlings to squeeZA and oppress the people than this very official.
ROBBERY AT THE H. K. & S. BANK Finally when it was found that the latest
AT KOBE.
SMART WORK OF THE POLICE.
Imperial decree was to stand, and no more chance left to the underlings to "squeeze offloially" they made the unlucky tradespeople ten days ago call a strike and close their doors to business An incident occurred on Saturday morning, and declare that they would do no more trade or April 29th, at the Kobe branch of the Hong-work unless the new Governor was retained and kong & Shanghai Bauk which, the Japan the new province of Kianghuai remained. But Chronicle says, may act as a warning to those when his Excellency the same day made a show who have business at the bank, and furnishes of exhorting his " ́ beloved subjects to reopen an example of smart police work. It appears their doors to business, the alacrity to obey him that during the morning a foreigner visited was ludicrous, thus putting to naught the the bank and presented a cheque for 1,500 yen. intrigues. But strikes of this nature are looked One of the Chinese compradores received the upon in strict Chinese law as rebellion, and so amount from the cashier in a hundred 10 yen. when Viceroy Chou Fu heard of it his Excel. notes and a hundred 5 yen. notes. The com- lency considered matters to be serious enough pradore returned to the delivery counter, but to call for his personal presence at Tsin kiangpu. was unable to see the foreigner to whom the Hence we learn of his leaving Nanking for notes belonged. He then returned to the that city on Saturday last, and we understand casbier and asked for a description of the owner that the Viceroy is determine to probe the of the notes having, however, incautiously left whole matter through.-N. C. Daily News. the money on the counter, which was protected by the usual wire netting. When the Chinese returned, the money was gone, but he believed the owner had received it and for the moment nothing more was thought of the matter. Shortly afterwards the foreign customer presented himself and asked for his money, when the discovery was made that the money placed on the counter had been stolen.
The police were communicated with by telephone, and in a few minutes Superintendent Akahani and two policemen were at the bank investigating About twenty-five persons were at the counter when the money disappeared, which rather increased the difficulties, but the police learned that a billiard boy, Tanaka Taizo by name, thirty-five years of age, was among them. Tanaka had received 500 yen from the bank on behalf of the Kobe Club. He had the
disadvantage of being "known" to the police, who quickly framed a theory and sent detectives on his track. Not long afterwards Tanaka was arrested when on the way from his father's house to the olub, having, it seems, called at his home before delivering the 500 yen to his employers. The man's lodgings were, of course, searched, when the 1,500 yen intact was found concealed in a futon.
THE RECENT PAN-ASIATIC
TREMOR.
If it is true, as legend has it, that Japan rests on the back of a fish, then Leviathan was greatly di-turbed on Thursday evening, recently remarked the Japan Advertiser. ́e made a desperate attempt to scratch his right ear with his left hind hoof and be succeeded in hitting somewhere just below Yokohama. It was no boy's size earthquake that disturbed the torpor of this peaceful village and they who have lately come to Japan are beginning to look up the schedules of steamers back to lands of more secure underpinning. But the playful twister was attended by serious consequences. In the Japanese town one house was so badly tilted out of plumb as to necessitate its being torn down, On the Bluff several chimneys toppled over and plaster ceilings were badly cracked
One German gentleman who has a priceless collection of porcelains and Satsuma ware counts his loss Several of the curio stores and
very severe.
porcelain shops of the Japanese also suffered from toppling shelves and falling china.
them. The men refused to continue work unless this overseer were at once dismissed.
The manager refused to dismiss the overseer, and in consequence some 4,600 employees refused to continue their work, and demanded A riot payment of their wages up to date. ensued, in the course of which the mob did Tls. 1,500 worth of damage to the
etc., machinery,
at the mill. windows, There was a large mob outside the mill gate. While facing the gate and trying to keep the mob in order, the Indian was struck on the back of the head with a stone. He turned round
some
quickly and saw the man who had thrown the stone-one of the prisoners-running away He chase and caught him and took him to
gave the compradore's room at the mill. There the prisoner took out a knife and released himself by cutting off his queue, but was arrested by another constable. He threw the knife away into the midst of the crowd. When the Police-
sergeant arrived on the scene, the mob was already inside the yard and the damage had been done to the windows and machinery. While the sergeant was in the mill yard, the second prisoner picked up a stone and threw it at the sergeant, hitting the latter on the side of the beal, his helmet alone saving him from serious injury. The prisoners were sentenced to 200 blows and one month's cangue each.
THE MACKAY TREATY.
EL
11
It begins to look as if the British Government is not always solely to blame for its ignorance of conditions in China, We thought Mr.
specific E. S. Little's complaints were enough; but our Minister at Peking seems to Vide the following letter sent think otherwise. to the North-China Daily News: Sir-Referring to the telegram to the Foreign Office, I for- warded the same to Paking through the British Consul here, asking the Minister to be good enough to forward the same to Lord Lansdowne. Late last night I received a reply that the Minister regretted he was unable to be the channel for forwarding this message to the British Government, and further informing me specific complaints from British subjects would receive the attention of himself and His Majesty's Government.
Since British authorities are unwilling to forward a telegram from British merchants, I have this morning dispatched the same direct to Lord ansdowne. The telegram which was signed by more than seventy British merchants, is worded as follows:
British merchants draw Government's attention to fact China ignores Mackay Treaty In most essentials rendering same ineffective. China actively opposes currency, mining, taxa. Beg British tion, navigation stipulations. Government insist on Treaty being made immediately operative."
The publio will probably be interested to know that the same telegram has been forwarded to the China League with the special request that Members of Parliament, who are also members of the League, will urge the question on the Government in the House of Commons.
I understand also that the Chins Association has wired to its London Committee, requesting them to back up this telegram.
It is also being forwarded to the London Press.
By these means every possible effort is being made to compel the Government's attention to this now burning question. I am, etc.,
EDWARD 8. LITTLE.
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