January 11, 1908.]
recent wars, naturally condemned adminis- trative methods in China that were not up to our standard.' The salire is pungent and would be telling, but for the slight difference which was perhaps excusably over- looked in an after dinner speech, that the corruption in question took place under totally exceptional and hurried conditions, and was rigidly enquired into-while that in China (if the Chinese themselves are to be believed) is perennial, and is recognised and encouraged at headquarters."
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT, | There was never any suspicion in the minds that without expenditure Peking finds it- of the British Foreign Office that Mr. LAY's self in possession of a goodly revenue, which conduct in the affair had been otherwise is moreover gradually progressing as the than perfectly straitforward, or that he had! amortisation proceeds. More than all from wilfully misrepresente his orders. When, a native point of view, except merely t› see however Mr. LAY and Captain SHERARD to the upkeep of the line, which Peking is OSBORNE, the officer appointed with the wise enough to see is to its own advantage, consent of the British Government to take the interference of the syudicates is of the commnad of the fleet, arrived with the ships very slightest; in-led the control of the in China, another condition of affairs was lines may be said to rest in nearly every seen. The powerful Nanking Viceroy | particular in the bands of the native repudiated the whole affair, and insistel on directors, eveu to a degree disa/lvautageous Surely it is a little too much to say, even his right to control the ships while within | to the working of the lines, owing to the of Mandarindom, that it encourages official bis territorial jurisdiction. Before the lack of experience on the part of the native peculations. What the writer means is departure of the fleet from home, Mr. Lay staffs. Now it is noteworthy in the present probably that one Chinese official does not had drawn up a formal letter of Agreement, contention, that while the Ango-Chinese denounce another for such dishonesty, that with Capt. SHERARD OSBORNE in which, Syndicate has all through the contro- dog does not eat dog. But even there have amongst other stipulations, it was expressly versy becu willing to reire on the nost foreigners the right to claim such infinite mentioned that OSBORNE, as Commander in reasonable terms, the upholding of the has fallen on the British superiority? We would like to think so, Chief, was to have entire control over all agreement but with numerous cases of "hushing up" vessels of European construction, as well as Minister, who on the subject is perfectly at in mind, we have to admit that even there native vessels manued by Europeans; that one with the Chinese Goverument. The the Chinese are only showing the same con- OSBORNE undertook to act upon all orders opposition bas, in fact, not come from any sideration of class for class. Sometimes we of the Emperor which might be conveyed section of the Chinese Government itself, have no mercy on those of our number who direct to LAY; and that OSBORNE engaged which has the commonsense to see that it disgrace us by being found out, but then, not to attend to any orders conveyed has made a remarkably good bargain not the Chinese can claim that much. On the through any other channel. This agree only for itself but for the Empire at large. sale of rauk the writer quoted is manifestly ment, it seems, was conveyed to Prince This, in fact, is what galls SHENG KUNG-PAO unhappy. He says that Dr. MORRISON was KUNG in the first instance, and not objected and the o her wire-pullers of the pretended 28 "far from the mark (as he of all people to. The emergency w 18 pressing, and Prince patri tic opposition, whose sole object is to must well have known) in comparing the KONG was prepared to agree to anything, get the making of the liue into their own sales of 'rank' in China to the diguities Wibin the year affairs had changed, KUNG hands for the purpose of exploting it to which are conferred at home (albeit perhaps, had retired from his netive position as
their own profit. Hoever Peking may a little too liberally) upon au-descript head of the Foreign Office, and a
inclice towards the Syndicate from the capitaliste of alien origin, whose entry into high official, WEN SIANO, has been appoint. mere'y monetary aspect, we should not be their ranks was adding so greatly to the ed in his stead. Thanks to Colonel GORDON justined in assuming that this is the sole dignity and prestige of our hereditary the Imperial arms had been succes-ful in reason that influences it ii the affir, nor is it aristocracy. There is no particular reason Kiangnan, and the Viceroy, taking the fair to China's present statesmen to suggest why wealth as well as any other power in credit on himself, had become more haughty that they have no feeling of responsibility the state should not be recognised in the in his demands. Accordingly a new pro- for the general well being of the State. House of Lords, or otherwise, but bankers, psl was male, and LAY was represented This, however, is what SHENG KUNG-PAO brewers, or other capitalists, who receive as having asked for the appointment of a and his admirers would have us believe. Men like Their Excellencies CHANG and such distinction don't pay the Government Commander in Chief and Prince Krse was
who have or the King for conferring dignities upouled to write that he had memorialise the YUAN,
pissed through the thew." What does it matter whom they Throne that the officer already appointed provincial furnace, are well aware how pay-to the Party fund, or to sine person by the Governor General of the Ling much mi-chief has bee wrought by the with interest? It is all the more discredit- Kiang should be appointed Commander of former inlifference of Peking in the general able the more it is sub ro80. It is a very the Fleet, with OSBORNE as Assistant "sup rintendence of inter-provincial affairs, weak answer, indeed, and would much better
However open to cavil might have been and the consequent weakening of China have been left unattempted. More to the LAY's first scheme, this counter-proposal through being split up into so many practi- point is his reminder that two wrongs do was so utterly opposed to anything that cally independent units; and are quite alive not make a right, but then Dr. MORRISON could be accepted that it left no chink open
to the dangers to be encountere i should the never suggested that they did. All he was for negotiati`n, and the result was that control of the railway interest fall into the doing was to give the China Asociation a LAY had to resign, and the Fleet was dis- state of chaos as did the general modern version of the mote and beam mantled. Sir FREDERICK BRUCE, then government in the first half of the nine- This is, however, what parable, a lesson which, in view of our Minister at Peking, might have helped, teenth century. remarks yesterday, was perhaps not but he was no friend to LAY, as his sub- such mock patrio:s as SHENG KUNG-PAO untimely.
sequent dispatch shows, an threw in his and his associates are intriguing for, and it influence against him. Sir FREDERICK requires little knowledge of statescraft to acknowledges that the affair did not fail comprehend how dangerous to the interests through foreign intrigues, the other Powers of the nation at large would be a return to raising no objection, but gives as his ex- the evil days when each petty provincial was planation-the opposition of the provincial a law unt himself, and the power of coutrol authorities, the reluctance of Peking to from disuse had become practically atro- assume the responsibility of directing oper-phied. We may learn a lesson as to the ne ations, and "above all the alarm and suspicion engendered by the proposals," which would have given exces ive power to Mr. Lay.
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DIVIDED CHINA.
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(Daily Press, January 8th.) There is a good deal more than appears on the surface in the carefully planted outcry against the proposed foreign loan for the con-truction of the Soochow-Ningpo | railway. It is, in fact, a recrudescence of the old revolt of the provincials against the central Government, in which the foreign element, though forced into the f reground, Now there is up to a certain point con plays really but a second part. In this the siderable resemblance between the position point at issue bears in its external aspect a then and the pr sent, but with this essenti remarkable likeness to the dispute of old difference, that Peking has since s-en many days over the Lay-Osborn Flotilla, Was it times how greit was the mistake male in to be Imperial, or under the orders and weakly yielding to the demauls of the control of the provincial viceroys ? There is provincials, and permitting the recrud- little doubt, reviewing the subsequent course escence of the dual administration which of events, that the arrangement betweeu had brought the Empire at the time to the Prince Kuxo aud Mr. H. N. LAY, then verge of destruction. From the merely Inspector General, was that the fleet inten- financial outlook Peking is well content ded for imperial purposes was to be uuder wit: the railways already built they have solely imperial control; and that Prince required no heroic effort on the part of the KUNG, when the matter was explained to Government to finance; this has been him thoroughly, understood the advantage | to the central Government of having such a powerful force at its back in the sempiternal conflict between provinces and capital.
accomplished of the foreign syndicates cr- cerned which have in all cases found the capital sums required, and have arranged for repayment on sufficiently easy terms, 80
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same
cessity of a strong central power from the recent history of the United States, where the Government has la ely had to take strong measures to override the conflict ng methods of the various states with regard tɔ this very matter of inter-state railways.
Ano her old China band in the person of Mr. T. G. Gowland, of Amoy, bide farewell to the Far East this werk after a sojourn of thirty years. Mr. Gowland was formerly in partner. ship with Me H. P. White in the Formosan firm of Dudd an1 C», and latterly he has for many years been associated with the well known A Amoy tea firm of Gen. H. Macy & Co.
in every 8 use of the word, Mr. gentlemin Gowl ad was respec ed and esteemed by all who knew him-ind he was well known all along the Chiua Coast from Hougkong to Shanghai. Mr and Mrs. Gowland and their two children,
who come down from Amoy to Hongkong last Satu day are travelling home by the Wakasa
Maru.
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