CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REHORT.
either to refer the matter to arbitration or to let it drop. She is pledged not to disturb Portugal in the possession of the territory over which she exercised jurisdiction in 1888, for Article II. of the Treaty provides that" so long as the deli mitation of the boundaries is not con- cluded everything in respect of them shall continue as at present, without addition, diminution or alteration by either of the parties."
A "NATIONAL PARTY
November 22, 1909.] besides paying anchorage dues to the Chinese, the Portuguese, in order to get special facilities for themselves," bribed the authorities with a rental of Taels 500 a year. It would seem, that this so-called "rental" was withheld for nearly twenty years from the Imperial treasury by a rapacious mandarin, but from 1572 or 1573 down to the year 1848 it was regularly paid; also that the Chinese from time to time made large demands on the Macao exchequer which were paid lest the Chinese should drive the Portuguese out of the place by cutting of their food supplies. In 1848, however, the Portuguese Governor refused to pay the rental any longer, and forcibly drove out the Chinese Custom-house and with it every vestige of Chinese authority. This bold stroke cost him his life in the following year, for he was waylaid and barbarously murdered near the Barrier of Porta Cerco, and his head was taken to Canton. This Barrier of Porta Cerco was raised in 1573,
When evidently," says the author of Historic Macao" as a delimitation of the frontier, as well as to control the provisioning of the Colony, although the alleged object, in view was only to prevent the incursion of negro fugitives from Macao. In the recent
16
negociations the Chinese Commissioner, we gather, refused to recognise this barrier as a delimitation of the frontier, though for all practical purposes it has been so regarded from the time it was erected, At the time of the construction of this barrier
there
were no Chinese on the pro- montory, according to an old Chinese chronicler quoted in STAUNTON'S Miscel laneous Notes relating to China. authority says, into the sea and is connected with the mainland by a narrow isthmus only,
This
ENGLAND.
(Daily Press. November 16th.) This is not the first time that an attempt has been made in England to form દી "National Party, but at no time has the proposal been made with the prospect of enlisting a larger amount of support than at present, provided the scheme were launched under the right auspices. Lord ROSEBERY resigned the Presidency of the Liberal League recently he was public appealed to by the Earl of WEMYSS, if we rightly remember-in a letter published in The Times, to lead a National League, and the assurance was given that thousands would rally round his lordship if he would but come forward to lead the movement. So far as we are aware
435
experience in the House of Commons had taught him that a second Chamber was an absolute necessity, but he wanted that Chamber to be partly nominated by the Crown, and equally by the people. He argued that there was nothing in the nature of representative government in Enghind at the present time, and the League aims at the responsibility of government being shared by all good citizens including women apparently Mr BOTTOMLEY'S gavė the following description of the House of Commons
It is the omnium gatherum of cranks and fadists (cheers), of temperance tub-thumpers and gospel missioners on the one hand, and of professional politicians and scheming lawyers on the other hand.(Loud cheers.) And it is any odds on the lawyers. (Laughter.) We are a great commercial country, the centre of the world's commerce, and business, and finance, and of the Exchequer is a lawyer. (Loud liisses, our Prime Minister is a lawyer! Our Chancellor followed by rounds of cheers. If you go on like that (said Mr. Bottomley), you will make the Prime Minister jealous. (Laughter.) Our Secretary for War is a lawyer, our First Lord of the Admiralty is a lawyer, and so is our Irish Secretary. So I could go on almost "What through the whole Cabinet. (A Voice: about journalists ?") I will come to the journalists next, then. The President of the Board of Trade is a journalist. (Cheers.) You have a journalist to preside over an extraordi zary board of officials, of whom-remembering, of course, it has charge of the trade of the country the Archbishop of Canterbury is one, and all the lawyers I have just mentioned are the others. (Laughter.) But it does not much matter, because the Board has never yet had a meeting (Laughter.) You may think, per- haps I have exaggerated a little the character of the House of Commons. There is one honour- of the best, dearest, most
there was no response by Lord ROSEBERY, From a newspaper report which reached us by a recent mail, we observe that an effort to form such a League has been making quiet progress for the last few months, and on the 21st ult. a great inaugural meeting, in which the Daily Telegraph states "extra
was manifested by the able member, one The promontory, runs out ordinary interest
general public," was held in the Albert Hall, London. The League is to be known as the "John Bull League." Its president and the leaf of the water lily is sup- ported by its stalk. The town is built founder is Mr. HORATIO BOTTOMLEY, M.P., upon this promontory and is wholly in-who certainly has some notoriety but not of habited by strangers, without any Chinese at all among them; but at the barrier a custom house is established for the examina- tion of all persons and goods that pass to and fro
Within the town a European officer presides with a rank simi- lar to that of our Governor. All the Go- vernment edicts and communications are
as
explained to them through the medium of an interpreter." It is clear from this that the Barrier was regarded as the frontier of the Colony, but we gather that the conten- tion of the Chinese Commissioner has been that the wall built around the little town by the Portuguese for defensive purposes, circa 1606, constitutes the actual boundary a contention that no Arbitration Tribunal would be likely to uphold. It may be more difficult for Portugal to
'dependencies
establish her claim to the
45
>"
1
honest and straightforward of men, who, when he came to the House of Commons, said, in addressing his constituents: I have always found, in my previous career in the rail- way cutting and the workshop and the factory that the gospel, was the thing to preach, and I am going to the House of Cominous to preach the gospel." That senti- ment may do his heart credit, but he forgot that the House of Commons is not a mission hall, but the business office of the nation,//
such a kind, one would suppose, as to command a very wide support for any scheme, even of a political character, that owes its origin to his resourcefulness. But Mr. BOTTOMLEY on this occasion offers to a long-felt want," and the
It cannot be denied that the House of. the public public seem eager to acccept it. The Albert Commons is lacking in that practical Hall, in which the inaugural meeting was business element which a business country held, seats twenty thousand people, and wants, but it is an easy thing to point to nothing proves the wide public interest, in the need and a much more difficult matter the new movement better than the fact to supply the remedy. However, Rome was that as
many as sixty-four thousand not built in a day, and it will probably take applications for tickets of admission were the John Bull League more than a genera- received. It is mentioned that among tion to convert the first club in England
no fewer than one those present were
into the business office of the nation. hundred members of Parliament of Meanwhile there is much in the commercial, all shades of political opinion." Branches industrial and financial position of the of this League have been started "in all country at the present time to arrest public parts of the country, as well as in Scotland interest in this demand for a Parliament in and Ireland, and local secretaries of such which a sound business policy is preferred except upon the plea of undisturbed occup-and occasionally doctors have been appoint-nation ask itself why it is that England. business standing as accountants, solicitors to the play of the party politician. Let the ation for a great number of years. No protocol was ever signed between the two
The League has not recovered from the depression in Powers clearly defining the area included in is described as independent of all sects and trade of a year or two ago, as have Germany. the Colony of Macao, and all who are
political parties, and it has for its aims the France and the United States. For the first acquainted with the history of foreign inter-stamping out of cant and self-righteousness, six months of 1909 Germany increased her course with China previous to the war of 1857 and the introduction of common-sense trade over the first six months of 1908 by recognise that it would have been hopeless to business methods into the-government of £10,000,000 and more; France increased
the country." try to negotiate a formal cession of ter
A three-column report of the her trade by nearly £13,000,000; the ritory. But it is not improbable that had inaugural meeting lies before us, consisting United States increased her trade by nearly the Portuguese Government actively interest- almost entirely of a verbatim report of the £22,000,000; but in the United Kingdom ed itself to obtain a delimitation of the address delivered by Mr. BOTTOMLEY. trade was diminished by £17,000,000. In boundary twenty years ago, when the Treaty ironic comment on the party system of imports. It would seem, as one authority It is an eminently readable address, full of all cases these figures include exports and was concluded which confirmed "the per petual occupation” and government of government, and outlining in forceful has expressed it, that "the United Kingdom Macao and its dependencies by
is living upon the accumulated capital of Portugal, as any.
its prosperous past, and moving only by the other Portuguese possession," her claims would have stood
impetus got in days of industrial domination." The official returns we have quoted form an far better chance of recognition than they do to-day when a hostile attitude is inspired
argument against the present Government by a popular agitation. China has now
which no words are necessary to cenforce. Capital, menaced by schemes of socialistic
ed for the various districts.”
46
66 our
phrases the aims of the John Bull League. Regarding His Majesty the King as most valuable national asset and best states- man and a long way our finest and best, Mr. BOTTOMLEY said the League would never flinch in its unswerving and undiluted loyalty to the Throne of England. His
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