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middle of last century, and the great struggle which convulsed America before the negro slaves were freed is fresh in the memory of many still alive. But we remember that before the slaves could be freed certain financial considerations had to be met. Is due regard paid to these by the reported proclamation? It might be possible to declare that from a certain time the trafficking in human flesh and blood shall cease, that the purchase of any bonds- man or bondswoman shall be illegal, but that would not necessarily liberate those who are in bondage at present. To say that householders shall emancipate their slaves without some quid pro quo is practic ally to declare the impossible-impossible because of its injustice. It would be mani- festly unfair to those who took advantage of the law of the land to acquire bondsmen or bondswomen, to deprive them of that property without compensation. It may be that such a principle will not be recog nised, but we rather think that it will, and it is this question of compensation which will delay the reform. The state of China's finances is too well known to call for state ment, but it is such as to render doubtful any sum being voted for such a purpose, desirable though it may be...
CHINA'S SOVEREIGN RIGHTS.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
they should at once order the removal of the offending installation.
It was quite true that in Europe the Powers had decided to hold the installation of wireless telegraphy entirely in their own bands; but this had been done in a formal manner by common consent, and this new principle of international law, though pro- ceeding on old and well understood general principles, was after all but a few months old, and though the Powers were quite willing to extend to China the general principle, the particular instance was an exceptional one, and in the meanwhile much was to be said in its favour. It had been erected within the Foreign Settlements at Shanghai; and although no one was going to plead that these were other than Chinese soil and as such were amenable to China's sovereign rights not expressly alienated, there were other things to be taken into consideration. The installation had already been found of considerable benefit to ships using the port. Many of the trans-Pacific liners were already fitted with apparatus, and both they and the British fleet, at least, had been able to communicate at long distances. China on her side had not made any proposal to erect on her own account, either at Shanghai or elsewhere, any instal. lation of her own, so that the plea of inter. ference could not under existing circum- stances be raised. In view of the great importance of the trade of Shanghai, and the very large proportion carried in foreign ships, the Governments were certainly entitled to require that China should either instal a system of her own, or should grant a licence for the continuance of the present system till she were in a position to under- take the service herself. On the other hand seeing that there has been no attempt at evading any arrangements of China mado beforehand, it is no hardship on China that when taking over the existing installation she should be asked to pay a fair remunera tion for the expenses undergone.
(July 19, 1979. graph Administration appropriated by SHENG KUNGPAO, what they conceive to be fine fat billets, and by no means to advance the interests of the State. The cry is doubtless a plausible one and had it any foundation in actual fact, or were there any evidence of rights once enjoyed having by persuasion or compulsion been appropriated by foreign Powers, we should be the last to raise our voice against China's reasonable complaints.
As a fact, as we have shown, in nearly every instance, the assumption of services usually in Europe preoccupied by the State itself has proceeded from the entire absence with China of any organisation whatever that could be utilised for the purpose; and beyond and above this, the revulsion exhibited when one or other of the Powers concerned made suggestions that China herself should meet the requirements of commerce. Crucial instances of this de- liberate action we have shown in postal facilities and coinage. China had, for want of any conception of any right being involved, compelled her own merchants to establish throughout the empire a service of private post-offices; she certainly had no ground for complaint that the foreigner for the very same reason found it necessary to do what her own subjects had done for countless generations. Even worse was the case of the coinage; owing to the incapacity and dishonesty of successive governments, the people had found it a matter of actual necessity to take into their own hands the regulation of the currency, and the govern- ment stamp on a piece of money, so far from being a guarantee of purity and value, came actually to be the stamp of adulter. ation and false weight. It was thus through her own misconduct, and not through any encroachment on the part of any foreign Power or Powers, that long before the adveut of the foreigner the Government attestation of the value or purity of any circulating money had become so hateful in the land, that to avoid worse consequences, the Government had perforce to withdraw (except in the case of the humble cash, whose weight confined its use to the petty retail trade of the village), from any in- terference with the circulating medium of the country, which fell into the more trust- worthy hands of the private banks. We are quite prepared to hail as one of the surest signs of promise China's determin. ation to fulfil her long neglected duties but this does not blind as to the fact that the loudest in the cry of "Lost Sovereign Rights" is the very section who by ill- faith and dishonesty brought China into its recent helpless condition and who for their own ends would willingly see restored the worst at uses of the reign of a KIA KING or a HEIN-FUNG.
(Daily Press, July 17th.) One of the most curious instances of the awakening sensitiveness of the obstruc- tionists in China as to what they parade as "Lost Sovereign Rights," is afforded by the tale of a wireless electric apparatus recently installed at the Palace Hotel in Shanghai, That the Chinese have here the letter of international law on their side only adds to the absurdity of the position in which they present themselves before the eyes of the world. The Palace Hotel at Shanghai is a new building, not yet entirely completed,
It is indicative in this as in other cases and is an edifice of considerable pretensions, where China has been putting forward her attaining the greatest height permissible own claims under the plea that she is only under local regulations, and baving at that seeking to recover her lost sovereign height a roof garden. Practically it over rights" that her advisers have forgotten looks the entire of the Foreign Settlements, that in all these cases she has duties as well and has a very extensive outlook over the as rights. In no one case, as we have shown, approaches from the sea. Under the circum- has any right once exercised by China been stances when the exterior of the building called in question. Though repeatedly sug- was approaching completion, and its com- gested by the Powers she had, as in the case manding aspect became evident, it struck of her post offices, never established an the management that one of the towers could imperial service, but has left such service with advantage to the port and shipping be as existed to be carried out by private utilised for the instalment of a wireless individuals, the innovation of the rights telegraphic station. When spoken of to here and elsewhere has been entirely on her him the Senior Naval Officer expressed his own side. Nctoriously the first steps taken approval and offered to give what assistance by Sir ROBERT HART towards the establish lay in his power, and the principal Consular ment of the Imperial Post Office were met at officials at once saw the benefit of the aug- Peking with jealous dislike, and when Sir gestion. It never seems to have occurred ROBERT HART proposed to divert some of to any of these that the Chinese Government the Customs revenue to the purpose of im- would fail to see the advantage in its own proving the new service, a refusal couched interest of the installation, while all were in none too polite terins was the reply. It prepared if required that the system should was not, in fact, till, making use of such be worked under licence. Iustead of funds as he had under his own control, he pointing out that, according to recent inter- succeeded in making both ends meet that national arrangements the European Powers the sligthest consideration was shown to his having determined amongst themselves that, new bantling; and then the first symptom in view of future developments, they had of appreciation of the service that he had determined to place wireless telegraphy couterred on it was an intrigue headed by under the auspices of the governments of the the new Chief of Ways and Communications various States, who had decided, each within-since dismissed for gross peculation-to its own sphere, to make it a State monopoly, get possession of the new department. The the Chinese Government, in view of its new attempt at nipping in the bud the possible importance within the near future, recent departure in the way of the introduo- was desirous of coming to some common tion of wireless telegraphy, is quite on a par understanding with the other Powers, the with other recent proceedings of the reaction- first that was heard of the affair by the ary party, whose main object in recovering Foreign Legations at Peking was a perem-these imaginary "lost" rights is to open up where there was no fence the owners of cattle tory demand from the Waiwupu that for themselves, as in the case of the Tele- I could not be presecuted for allowing their cattle
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RANDOM REFLECTIONS.
Typhoon talk has been on tap during the week-end.
had to Excursions have
be
abandoned and outside pleasures have been considerably marred. It looks, however, as if we ware to see nothing more than the signals this time.
History repeats itself. On Thursday the Legislative Council had under consideration the railway ordinance, and one member wanted to know what would happen in the event of a dow or other animal straying on the line. George Stephenson's famous answer, "It would be bad for the coo," might very well have been quoted.
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Cattle straying on the railway was mentioned at the debate on the railway bill on Thursday, and the explanation was forthcoming that
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