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mitted on the spur of the moment and in the blindness of rage.
The Jury returned at once a verdict of not guilty, and Massol was set free. He had been sobbing all the time, and only left. the dock when told to do so by the usher-Staits Time.
THE CHINA ASSOCIATION.
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SHANGHAI BRANCH.
The annual general meeting of the Shanghai Branch of the China Association was held on the 7th inst. Mr F. Anderson presided, and from his address on the occasion we take the following extracts:
PROVINICIAL CONTROL.
Į
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND great national crisis, when all her resources and strength would be wanted. The contention that it is interfering with China's" sovereign rights" to hypothecate loans for special purposes seems to us to be quite misleading. No British financier has the slighest desire to inter. fere with China's sovereigu rights; in the absence of constitutional Government,
as
understood in Western countries, he looks upon the loan agreement as a sub- stitute for 11 Chinese Act of Parliament, under which the purposes for which loans are negotiated are specifically laid down; he expects these conditions to be adhered to. There are two policies: one to lend China as much money as she likes to borrow, and care nothing about what becomes of it, the other to lend for definite specific purposes, under agreements that the funds will be spent only for these purposes. We fear that with the divided control which prevails in China the first policy may lead to financial trouble that financial trouble means political trouble, which in turn would mean for China an attitude of "on the knee." second policy will enable her to develop and add to her resources, will strengthen her credit and help her to stand erect and firm in time of trouble.
INCREASE IN IMPORT DUTIES.
The
may
Perhaps the most striking development for the time being is the tendency to greater asser- tion of Provincial "rights" by the Provinces, at the expense of Central Control. The country has heard a great deal about Constitutional Government-it is evident that if the principle of representation is admitted, the local gentry will have a more direct share in the government of the country in the future than in the past; apparently they are not prepared to wait until the new system has beeu inaugurated, but feeling
We understand that the Chinese Government that they are, even more than formerly, a
has repeatedly called attention to Article 8 of power in the land, they are disposed to exert authority more and more in the the Mackay Treaty and has asked that a meeting direction in controlling Provincial affairs, of the principal Powers concerned be convened and are inclined to regard many Public Works for the purpose of seeing what steps can be as local affairs, in which they are entitled to taken to carry into execution the increase in the take a hand, even although the Central Govern. Import Tariff agreed to in principle in 1902. ment may be providing the funds out of foreign Little or no progress has been made in the loans. The Provincial Administrations seem matter, mainly because Article 8 is only one of inclined to encourage this movement, in the many articles in that Treaty which have been absence of a united Government under a strong allowed to remain in abeyance, and while it leader at Peking, and perhaps to this cause, as be necessary to consider this question before much as to any other, may be attributed the long it can only be claimed in fairness that unsatisfactory control of railway funds, the mis. Article 8 hinges on other Articles. We have management of the currency and the impedi-pointed out that it may prove to be quite illusory ments thrown in the way of developing the mining resources of the country. There may be much to say in favour of local management of purely local affairs, there is certainly a great deal to say against too great or too sudden change in an old established and complicated system of Government like that built up in China: many of us would only be too glad to say why not leave well alone?" if we could only feel that there were no dangers ahead, but although it is disheartening to find it so difficult to get anything done, we believe that we are doing good work in quietly aud temperately making representation to those in authority when we feel that British interests are likely to be affected by the course of events, and in saying British interests it would be difficult to point to an instance in which British interests conflict with the best interest of Chiua herself.
--
HANKOW-CANTON RAILWAY.
:
to rely on a great increase in Import Duty producing a corresponding increase in revenue, if likin and other levies, whether under a new name or not, are allowed to continue.
There is a point beyond which taxation tends to curtail consumption. If this happens under the proposed increase the volume of trade will be smaller, many means of employment will be taken away, life will become a harder struggle and the Government will not receive the revenue they expect. If China is serious in abolishing likin without replacing it by some substitute, she has a very difficult task before her; we do not desire to put obstacles in her way, as wề know what great efforts will be necessary to bring about the fundamental changes stipulated for in the Mackay Treaty. All these changes a whole would be for her own advantage, but perhaps as they constitute a perfection unat- But we tainable under existing conditions. should all welcome evidence of a desire to make these changes.
THE EMPEROR'S FUNERAL.
Take for instance the most recent bone of contention the friction arising out of the Hankow-Canton Railway loan negotiations. Can any one who has the best interests of China at heart say, that in discourag.
PEKING, May 2nd. ing her from borrowing more foreign
For many week past, one has been able to except under money,
conditions which watch the preparations being made for the stipulate (hat the funds will be applied to the Imperial Funeral which took place yesterday, purpose for which they are borrowed, we are The wall of the Forbidden City, east of the Coal not acting the part of real friends? We have Hill, has long been lined with tents, erected for seen cases in which part of the money borrowed workmen busy constructing a raised road, and for reproductive works has been diverted into during last week or so, the roads north and east non-productive channels, and with this experi- of the Imperial City, and the one along which ence in our minds, we have tried to urge upon the procession was to pass on its way from the the Chinese Authorities that it is unsound, if Pingdsemen to the Tombs, have been kept clear not dangerous, to add indefinitely to their of traffic. As the day approached, applications foreign obligations on those lines. Knowing for tickets of admission to the Pavilion at the that at current rates of exchange it costs China Hsi Szu Pilou began to pour into the Legations. about Tls. 60,000,000 a year to meet her foreign Many people, I believe, had to be turned away, obligations, that under her present fiscal for the tickets were, naturally, limited, but all system her revenue is not elastic, that her who were unable to get them had only to go currency has become disorganised and is in outside the Pingdsemen where, by special decree, urgent need of measures calculated to restore they were allowed to witness the procession, it to a sound basis, it is no act of true The representatives of the various Legations friendship to China to make it easy for her to were given a Pavilion inside the Houmer, close borrow money on a large scale, under conditions, to the spot where the late Emperor was lying which encourage her to add to her liabilities The Pavilion at the Hsi Szu Pilon, where I without producing corresponding sets. We believe that China has ample resources to meet all her present indebtedness, but unless Balutary reforms are seriously taken in hand a time may arise in which this country may find itself con fronted with financial troubles-perhaps at sono
saw the procession, had this advantage over the one erected inside the Houmên, that the cortege, by the time it reached us, had assumed the form in which, I suppose, it is, at this moment, slowly moving towards the hills. Many people, I know, were disappointed when they heard that the
[May 15, 1909.
representatives of the Foreign Diplomatic Body would not accompany the procession all the way to the Pingdsemên. On what, quite, their disappointment was based, I do not see. The presence of foreign officials was desirable cer tainly in so far as it indicated sympathy and respect. From the point of view of pictures- queness, there was nothing that it could add.
For some days there was considerable doubt as to the time fixed for the ceremony. There were rumours of a very early start, whereupon large numbers made up their minds that "the thing was'nt worth going to." More optimistic views, however, began to prevail as ten, and even eleven o'clock were suggested as probable hours and when another half hour was actually gained, enthusiasm became quite marked, with the result that by mid-day the Pavilion at the Hsi Szu Pilon was crowded. On this point I should like to speak of with the utmost severity. large number of people brought cameras and used them with deplo able vulgarity and lack of feeling.
A
It must, I suppose, have been well after one o'clock when the procession reached the Hsi Szu Pilou. It was headed by a body of troops, Cavalry. ounted Infantry and Infantry. Next came some two dozen camels, and a mob of white pack-ponies with their burdens con- cealed beneath cloths of imperial yellow. These on the were followed by mean, mounted shaggiest of ponies, and dressed in the red cloaks to be seen at all Chinese funerals, bear- ing red poles with devices which I wished I understood. Against this was contrasted a great splash of yellow as the body of Lama priests moved past us in their yellow coats. Then came bearers, dressed in red, like the men on the ponies, bearing canopies of purple, yellow, red and white and banners of the same splendid colours, and behind them two large yellow canopies chairs, closely followed by more rivalling those that had preceded them. After these, drove Prince Ching in a closed {k large body. carriage, surrounded by guard such as one sees daily in the streets of Peking. At this point there was a short gap, and then white discs of paper, cut to resemble copper cash and flung high into the air an- nounced the approach of the hearse. It was borue by one hundred and twenty-eight boarers, whose red dresses contrasted vividly with its brilliant yellow, and after it came another body of troops and then a crowd of carts.
So the procession ended, and passed, and this bald description of it can give little idea of its brilliance. For, as in the case of the arrival of the Dalai Lama, so in this, what fascinated and over came one was the splendour and blaze of colours, and these the pen cannot reproduce. But Ithink I could turn fanatic, in may insistence on their excellence. They moved me yesterday, as they did last Autumn, like music when ware after wave of sound toss and dash against the son!: I do not exaggerate when I say this. The colours of the procession yesterday were magnificent; they were worth going a hundred miles to see. Those canopies and flags, those chairs, that hearse, they were wonderful, a rain- bow fit indeed to circle an Emperor journeying to the darkness of the grave. I deny, too, what hundreds of people would say that these colours barbaric. The Chinese are right. They bury the greatest of their dead with the greatest of all earthly splendours, the colours of the sunset.-By a Correspondent in the N.-C. Daily
are
News.
THE SIBERIAN MAIL.
From the N.-C. Daily News:-The alter- ation in the time of dispatch of the trans- Siberian mails should be a distinct advantage to the business community and general public The mail, via Tairen and the outh alike. Manchurian Railway--which, in point of time, is the quicker route by three days-will close every Saturday evening, the steamer leaving early on the following sunday morning. This is a reversion to the time table of the Chinese Eastern Railway in force before the War.
There will, besides, be three mails weekly in place of two, as heretofore, a supplementary service being undertaken by the Saikio Maru which will leave every Thursday, enabling the mail to reach Harbin only two days in arrear of that carried via Vladivostok dispatched from Shanghai on the Saturday previous.
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