December 30, 1905.]
nothing on the Municipal Council; well I have served for mɩny years--
Mr. BUTLER Not recent years. Mr. MCLEODI was Vice-chairman of the Municipal Council only three years ago and I have served not one but for five or six years. It is absolutely indifferent to me what remarks you make about me.
Mr. BUTLER then left the room.
The resolution was then put and carried. Mr. HANSON proposed and Mr. E. R. MORRISS seconded the re-election of Mr. Wingrove as auditor.-Carried.
The CHAIRMAN announced that dividend war- rants would be posted on Monday, and the meeting terminated.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADÊ REPORT,
CHINESE MILITARY -MANŒUVRES,
459
coffers, the Treasury officials have asked the in that settlement, and left last week after Yu Yuen Lottery Co. to advance the sum of ||docking at Aberdeen Dook. $500,00. This the Company repeatedly refused, but has finally decided to advance $300,000. This Lottery Company is in a flourishing condition as it is supposed to make an average monthly profit of $90,000 in the handling of the Po Pin lotteries and another $10,000 monthly on the San Piu lotteries. The Company has revenues from other minor lotteries.
27th December.
KOWLOON CANTON RAILWAY.
It is reported that the Wai Wu Pu has sent a despatch to Viceroy Shum urging him to start a subscription to raise funds for the
WEIHAIWEI GOLD MINING CO., LD. construction of the Kowloon-Canton railway
Mr. W. Denham Versohoyle, the retiring manager of these mines, has just presented a long report, and some calculations to show that the profit on every hundred tons of ore treated by outside smelters should be $145.05. He recommends the new management to cut down every cent of unnecessary expense and to work the lowest grade ore that will yield a profit. He says:" In conclusion I would say that whilst I have been unable to give the full details that would be possible in another three months, I think that sufficient has been written to show that I have confidence in the future of the mine. There is rich ore in the mine but as a whole it is a low grade proposition and must be handled as such. As to reserves it is well to remember that whilst they are still small, nine months ago there were none at all, and the work which is necessary to open up more is already well advanced.'
The Chairman (Mr. E. S. Little) said :-- Some shareholders had said: If the mine is going to be a success how is it that Mr. Verschoyle is going to leave when it has reached its most prosperous time? The answer to that was perfectly simple. When Mr. Verschoyle accepted the position of mine manager he said he did not care for the ham- drum work of mining, but, like a Doctor, he was interested in the case until he had brought out the mystery of it and then he was less interested in the work. That was how Mr. Verschoyle approached this mine and how he felt over the matter now; he did not care for the humdrum work of milling. There had
been a mystery in their mine, which mystery he had brought to light and he proved that they had every reasonable chance of success.".
CANTON.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Dec. 24.
CHINESE BOYS' BRIGADE. The educational department has notified all the local military and civil colleges that they are to send their scholars to the parade ground near the Koon Yum Shan on the first of January, 1906, for a grand parade. All the schools were practising drill to compete for prizes. Some Chinese Kipling has perhaps urged the desirability of teaching the young
idea how to shoot.
PROPOSED BRIDGE ON THE CANTON RIVER.
A merchaut recently memorialized Viceroy Shum asking for the privilege of constructing a bridge across the Canton river. He sets forth that owing to the reclamation works, the river has been considerably narrowed and the currents have consequently become stronger. Ac- cidents are numerous and the petitioner believes that the bridge would be largely used by the public. A plan has been submitted to the Viceroy showing that the place selected is at the rocks near Hoi-chi (Dutch folly). These rocks would offer excellent foundations on which the support- ing pins could be erected. The Viceroy has not yet given a reply.
CANTON-HANKOW RAILWAY, The Canton-Hankow railway having been resumed by the Chinese Government, funds for its construction are reported now to have been raised in the three provinces of Kwang-tung, Hunan, and Hupeh. Work is expected to be soon resumed on this important line.
A WEALTHY CORPORATION: FOOLS' MONEY.
Owing to scarcity of funds in the Provincial
that British and Chinese may simultaneously start work on their respective sections.
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. The Canton Chamber of Commerce moved into their new premises in the Ngan-Kun-Kai on the 26th inst., when a grand banquet was held at which the leading merchants and geutry were invited.
CHINESE IN JAPAN.
Many Chinese students have returned here from Japan by recent steamers. They report that the students are gradually all leaving on account of the new regulations which they say restrict their liberty. The first batch of the gentry which recently left Canton has now reached Yokohama but will not proceed further The second batch which was to proceed shortly has postponed its departure.
CHRISTMAS.
The sports arranged for Xmas day by the officers of the American gunboats have been postponed to January 1st owing to the bar weather. Xmas day was a very wet one, with thunder storms. The weather was the worst that we have had yet.
can
MACAO.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
27th Decembe:.
THE DYING YEAR,
A.D. 1905 is nearly expired, and I do not think the Government of this moribund city look back on it with any pride. No improvement of any kind has been made; things are as they wero at the end of 1904. When will the promoters of the welfare of this colony wake up from their long sleep? When the year began, the inhabitants of Macao were on the tiptoe of expectation for the projected Macao-Canton railway, and although the Chinese capital has breu subscribed, nothing bas apparently been done by the Portuguese syndicate. and unless some efforts are made now to push the scheme forward, it will soon be like the others that have died of inanition, The electric light so long expected here is also not yet in a working condition. Posts have been fixed up in various parts of the city for mouths past, some of them are beginning to get rusty; still we have no better illuminaut than the antediluvian kerosene lamps. The harbour work, which caused such a flutter a couple of years ago, is not heard of any more and probably will never be carried through Poor Macao! The only energy apparent during the year has been that of the earthquake demon and even he has not managed to shake our officials out of their somnolency.
CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES.
The Christmas Tree entertainment at the Club proved, as I anticipated, an immense There were about 200 children present success. and also a large number of amabs. The children were all very much delighted with the treat extended to them by the members of the club The Commissioner of Lappa Customs (Mr. Brenan) also entertained a large number of children and their parents at his residence on Saturday. The weather during the holidays came down in was simply wretched; rain torrents, much to the disgust of the pleasure seekers. Thunder and heavy rains are unusual at this time of the year.
THE GUNBOAT
Big Military Manoeuvres by Chinese recruits took place last Sunday on the ground between || Passaleão and Chinsan. These recruits were trained by Japanese instructors, and from what I heard they acquitted themselves very well, and the manœuvres were declared successful. Too successful, some of us think.
3. "RIO LIMA. Better late than never. Our only gugboat the Rio Lima received orders to proceed to Shanghai to protect the Portuguese subjects
|
THE LINCHOW AFFAIR.
CHINESE COMMISSIONERS' REPORT.
FROM OUR CANTON CORRESPONDENT.] The following is a translation of the joint report sent to Viceroy Shum by the Chinese Members of the Commission of Enquiry tha sat at Linchow, viz., Cheung Wan Yee (prefect) Ting Ping Lau (sub-prefect of A-chow) Tang Cheuk Thong (present prefect of Linohow), and Shum Lun Shen (the cashiered prefect of Linchow.
We have already reported to you our arrival at Linchow and the aspects of the case.
From investigations we have discovered that the origin of the Linchow massacre was through the celebration of the Ta-chin festival at the Chan-Loong temple by the people of the Choi- Yuen-Pa village who had gathered there to propitiate the Gods so as to obtain a good harvest. Dr. Machle protested that a portion of the matshet erected for the festival was encroaching on land bolonging to the Mission and took away three small cannon by way of retaliation. The village considered that portion of land as the public property of the village. They state that without any provocation what- ever. Dr. Machie insulted the villagers by
Ta-chin taking away the
cannons. This act, according to the deeply religious people, meant bad luck for them. The village people grew very angry and demanded repeatedly from Dr. Maeble that the cannons should be returned to them; but this the Dr. refused to do. The people then went to the hospital to search for the cannon them- selves and in so doing came across preserved foetus which they thought to be infants murdered by Dr. Machle. Then the people's anger knew no bounds and was impossible to Cries came from ten thousand suppress.
a serious affair. From careful and minute mouths, and suddenly the matter developed into enquiries made, we are of opinion that the affair happened all of a sudden and was not premeditated and there is, therefore, no ring. leader in the affair. The ignorant people of the village thought they were justified in taking revenge. Consequently they did not loot any of the buildings but burnt them down. The ignorant people of the village having let loose their anger, this serious case resulted. For the crimes committed they deserve capital punishment, but they deserve on the other hand pity and sympathy on account of their ignorance. Now Wen Taotai and your humble servants have separated the criminals and have questioned them separately..
This case being an international affair we dare not be too lenient, At the same time we must take into consideration that it is also a matter with reference to the feelings and beliefs of the general public, and owing to this-we cannot be too severe with the criminals,
witnesses
During the last ten days your humble servants have been considering over this matter night and day and have taken great pains to question and examine the criminals, and have called on the virtuous gentry and respectable
before to appear
us to testify. the crimes committed by The measure of those concerned has been clearly discovered Amongst the criminals there and proved. were three, namely: Hung-Ah-shun, Tang Koon-sze, and Leong-Ah-kam, who confessed that they threw a European into the river and used weapons such as pitchforks and spears with which they stabbed them until they were drowned.
At that time the people that had collected together were like a swarm of bees or a heap of ants. The people all acted together and it was impossible to make out who struck the first, the second, or the fatal blow that wounded or killed. It was very difficult to measure the
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