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CHINESE TRADE ORGAN,
The Chamber of Commerce here has received a despatch from the Peking Board of Com- merce advising them that the Government is about to publish a commercial paper and requests the support of the Chamber. Copies of the conditions and regulations were also received.
RICE PROSPECTS BAD.
Every year, somewhere between the fourth and fifth Mocns, Fa'shan is more or less flooded. The heavy rains that have fallen recently have caused the floods to appear earlier, and the oresk has ren to such an extent that there are Beveral feet of water in the streets neighbouring the creek. The rice fields also are mostly under water and causing serious inconvenience to the farmers, who are unable to transplant the young rice shoots. It is feared that the first crop will be a failure this year.
April 23rd.
CHINESE AT SAN FRANCISCO.
Minister Leung Shing has sent a wire to Viceroy hum iuforming him of the terrible ear quased sister at San Francisco. Upon receipt of the message, His Excellency immediately idered the Provincial Treasurer to ask the uine leading charitable institutions to ise & subscription fund for the relief of the Chinese sufferers in San Francisco.
CHINESE CONSUL FOR ANNAM.
It is reported that Viceroy Shum and the Kwangsi Governor have jointly memorialized the Turone recommending that a Chinese Consul should be appointed in Annam, and request the Waiwupu to discuss the matter with the French Minister in Peking. HONGKONG WATER AUTHORITY INTERVENING? Iu o der to obtain the cessation of the rain an áltar has been erected outside the Shing Wang Temple, and the Prefect, the Nam-Hoi and Poon-Yu magistrates are going there to pray the gods to stop flooding the country.
RAL WAY SUBSCRIPTIONS.
It is reported that the amount collected on the first installment of shares subscribed for the Canton-Hankow railway now amounts to $2,364,562.
HONAM FLOODED.
Owing to the heavy rains the river has riseu considerably and the neighbouring fields are all under water, At high-tide there is nearly a foot of water in Honam, along the - streets that run parallel to the river front.
CORRESPONDENCE.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
An
BELILIOS MEDAL FOR GALLANTRY.
PRESENTED TO MR. A. H. BROWN.
[April 30, 1906.
man in the water about to sink was a Chinese: Mr. Brown was a non-Chinese. He was quite sure his Chinese friends present would not misunderstand what he was going to say when he mentioned the fact that Mr. Brown jumped overboard to rescue ¦a Chinese from drowning. interesting ceremony took place on Next time there might be Chinese on the deck board the 8.8. Wingchai on the 23rd April and a non-Chinese struggling in the water or when Mrs. Barnes-Lawrence presented Mr. A. clinging to a piece of wreckage. If such were H. Brown, chief officer of that vessel, with the the case he hoped that what Mr. Brown had Belilios medal for gallantry. Among those done would inspire the Chinese to do likewise, Iresent were Hon. Captain Barnes-Lawrence, Chiness o^uld do for non-Chinese what Mrs. Barnes-Lawrence, Mr. and Mrs Belilios, a non-Chinese had in this instance done for Rev. Mr. Pearce, Mr. J. Dyer Ba, Captains Chinaman, In China the Chinese were Ramsay, Captain Austin and Mr. C. E. afraid to rescue a drowning mao, but iù Warren.
Hongkong that kind of superstition hid been done away with. Records of the 'Baliliös trust showed that Chinese were not lacking in heroism and intrepidity, and in the speaker's opinion they would rise to an occasion like that of Mr. Brown's. He hoped that what thất gentlemau did wou'd prove the means of inspir- ing others should a similar occasion arise," and that should opportunity be afforded any present, they would have the pluck to do what Mr. Brown did on the 24th January (applaus“),
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Mrs. BARNES-LAWRENCE then presented the medal and address. She said, addressing the recipient, that she felt greatly honoured in being asked to do so, as he so nobly deserved them.
Rev. MR. PEARCE said they also felt that somer cognition should be taken of the sailors' conduct. He was told that some of them stood on the side of the ship and did a great deal to help in the rescue. Through Captain Austin they wished to present the sailors with a cheque.
Mrs. BARNES-LAWRENCE then handed, the cheque to the Captain, who said he would see that the wish of the trustees was carried out,
Mr. BELILIOS said the pleasant duty left him to perform was to propose a hearty vote of thanks to Mrs. Barnes-Lawrence for attending to present the medal. He wished to reiterate what Mr. Pearce said, seeing the amount of good that could be done by action of the kind between a European and a Chinaman. If Chinese joined in attempts to save life, we should then arrive Dearer that happy stage which Britishers are striving for in Cuias, the well-being of the two
rac+8.
Rev. Mr. PEARCE first introdhord Mr. Brown to Mrs. Barnes-Lawrence, after which he stated that the company had gathered to recognise the Chief Officer's intrepidity in life. saving. That they were able to be present was due to the creation of a fund in part for life- saving and in part for the promotion of educa- tion in the Colony. That fund was breated by a former resident of Hongkong, the late Hon. Mr. E. R. Belilios. He thought it seemly and fitting, seeing that this was the first occasion since the lamented death of Mr. Belilios, that they, the trustees of this fund, had had au opportuity of mentioning the fact in public that they should pay a passing tribute to the memory of Mr. Belilios. His career as a citizen and patriot was marked by earnest public spirit; his gifts to Heng ong, especially for the pro- motion of education, were for the most art as timely as they were munificent, and so far as the speaker knew Mr. Belilios he kept steadily in vis the promotion of the well-being and the interests of the Colony which had so long been his cherished home. He spoke with a certain restraint because he spoke in the presence of a son of Mr. Belilios, whom they were delighted to welcome among them He was
sure that what he had said dicerning the late Mr. Beli ios on the first time he had had occasion to mention him since his death would be regarded as not out of place. If it was generous on the part of Mr. Belilios to create this fund it was cer ainly highly honourable for anyone to merit --as Mr. Brown merited-the application of the faud, or the part of it devoted to life-saving. In order that a larger public might know what thy, the trustees, knew concerning the heroic act of Mr. Brown, the act they were pre ent specially to acknowledge, he would place before them a few particulars obtained through inquiry very kindly made by the Hou. Captain Barnes Lawrence and the harbour authorities, On the 24th of January this year the Wingchai left this port on her usual run to Macao. She had not proceeded far when she encountered a north-easterly gale, he was told a gale of quite unusual and extraordinary violence. Some of the facts of that gale were all too sadly in evidence, and the facts of the gale in evidence from the deck of the Wingchai was an upturned fishing boat, and near to that a bit of wreckage to which two men were clinging. To lower a boat was out of the question owing to the violence of the seas, but by skilful bandling the ship was steered ag near as possible to the bit of wreckage-near enough to render it possible to throw a lifebuoy to te two meu who were clinging to it. One of the men seized it, but the other was too exhausted to reach ont CAPT. AUSTIN returned thanks on behalf of to the help that was thrown to him from the Mr. Brown and the sailors. He said he was ship's deck. Seeing the condition of this glad to have Mr. Brown with him as first man, who was. the speaker believed, iu officer, as there were two of them on board who the act of disappearing for the last had medals for life-saving, he being awarded a time, the first officer, Mr. Brown, promptly gold medal for saving a life in the Bay of jumped overboard into that rough sea aud | Biscay. caught the man as he was in the act of sinking, Hoo. Captain Barnes-Lawrence, on behalf and there was no doubt whatever that through of his wife, returned thanks for the kind manner that act of intrepidity and heroism the in which Mr. Belilios had referred to her, man's life was saved (cheers). Such was the not and said she was gratified with the pleasing they were present to honour. It was a placky | part sho bad been asked tolake thing to do, and when a man had played the la the afternoon's proceedings. They At the examination in Practical Sanitary man as Mr. Brown had, his best reward was the owed a debt of gratitude to the trustees Science, and for Inspectors of Nuisances, on consciousness of having done bin duty in the April 18:h and 20th, the following candidates face of the gravest peril and having resoned were successful:-Practical Sanitary Science- another life from destruction: ho sury Habert John William Gidley, Henry Edward would carry the memory of that day we Goldsmith, Arthur Robert Fenton Raven. he jumped from the ship's deck iuto 18 Itspectors of Nuisances Daniel Joseph; ses to rescue a man who, bat for his heare O'Halloran. Examiners-Hon. W. Chatham, sot, would certainly have pesed. B-ture Hon. 1 r. Clark, Hon. H. E. Pollock, Dr. W. asking Mrs. Barnes-Lawrence to present the W. Pearse, Mr. A. H. Ough, Capt. Shinkwio, Belilios medal and the certiicave, the speaker A.S.C., and Mr. Alfred Carter (moderator). said he would like to emphasise one point. The
THE MACAO POST OFFICE.
A WELCOME CONTRADICTION,
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.
Macao, April 23rd, 1906, SIB, According to the article which appeared in your issue of 20th instant, that the Macao Government had decided to open all letters in which there is a suspicion of con. talaing baukuotes, I have the honour to inform you that no such order has been received from our Government in this office, and no such thing has ever happened.
I shall therefore feel much obliged if you will kindly insert this latter in your widely read paper, for which I beg to thank you in anticipation.—I remain, Sir,
Yours faithfully.
LUIZ A. LOPES DOS REMEDIOS,
Postmaster.
[The article referred to was a mere paragraph mentioning the rumour, and was couched in sceptical terms. The rumour was causing too much concern amongst Portuguese residents to be ignored.-ED.]
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There was an idea among Chinese that to save a msu from drowning was unlucky, but he was sure that Hongkong, as they know it to- day, had developed to that extent where super- stition of the kind could not possibly exist. He remembered a Chinese policeman saving a life and being awarded with a medal such as Mr. Brown was receiving, and he thought it was questioned by Chiasse at the time whether the lukong would not suffer for so doing, because he was considered to be acting against Providenes. So far as he knew that lukong had not suffered. The sooner
such an idea was dispelled, the шоге frequent would be acts of this kind. Mr. Brown, from what he bad heard from the Captain of the
circum- s'ances, certainly had difficult task, to perform; there was a high sea running and what he did most men would have- thốnght twice of before attempting. He asked all to join him in thanking Mr. Barnes-Lawrence for attending to present the medal.
A
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of the B-lilios fund for being invited to be present at so interesting a ceremony. When he boarded the Wingchai he could not help considering the difference between the 24th January and the present, but they had only to recall Mr. Pearos's narrative of the resene to know what it was like onʼher at that time. When the facts of the case were Arat brought to his notice he experianced that pride of freemasonry which was so generally observed
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