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THE POLITICAL ISSUES IN GREAT BRITAIN.
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[December 20, 1909. industries to other and wiser States, where political suicide is not yet rampant, the ordinary elector is hardly yet sufficiently instructed to be able to judge. Even he is, at last, awakening to a conception that all that is poured into his ears by his sus- piciously interesting friends is not to be accepted as Gospel truth; and that the country, if it is to be saved from decay and ruin, needs some stronger and abler hands than those to whom the guidance of the Empire, for it is not England alone that is endangered, has fallen.
REGISTRATION OF CHINESE PARTNERSHIPS.
(Daily Press, December 13th.) Not many weeks ago we drew attention to some observations made by the Judges of the International Court at Bangkok pointing to the need of some system of registration of Chinese partnerships. The Court had been called upon to determine who were the partners in a Chinese firm which had become bankrupt. "It is a matter of great difficulty,' said the Court,
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to find out who the res-
ponsible partners in the firm really are men of straw are put in as managers and found to be possessed of no means when judgment is obtained against them--and as soon as the premises are attached, people against whom there is no judgment come forward and lay claim to the property and
Hongkong, repudiate all liability for the personal debts of the judgment debtor. Shanghai, and Singapore, as we said at the time, are familiar with these things. On many occasions the advisability of insisting on the registration of Chinese partnerships has been discussed in this Colony, but no practical scheme has been evolved to over- come the difficulties arising from the difference between English and Chinese law without prejudicing the flow of capital from China into the business life of the Colony. A paragraph in the Daily Press a few days ago mentioned that the Chinese Commercial Union of Hongkong has again taken the subject into consideration. · Ät a meeting held last week a resolution was unanimously passed in favour of the regis- tration of partnerships, with the proviso that the partners' liabilities should be in proportion to the amount of capital sub- after the passing scribed by each, and that
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
from the first Parliament brought about by SIMON de MONTFORT has been left to the Commons of England. As possessed of (Daily Press, December 11th.)
that experience in affairs that can only be There were few Britishers probably outside brought about by a clear and uninterrupt- the ranks of the professional agitators, to ed view, possibly only to those raised above whom the confusion of party strife has the heads of the busily struggling crowd, become through over-indulgence a practical the Constitution wisely requires the ac necessity of existence, who did not on the quiescence of the Upper Chamber in all morning of the 1st December wake up with measures; and it, following a similarly wise a feeling of relief, that whatever might be in instinct, has never placed itself in antagonism store for the future the first and decisive to the people. It required, however, sure step had been taken towards overthrowing a and certain evidence as to what really is the House of Commons which had lost the will of the nation; and the manner in which respect of all thoughtful men; and, so far as the present House of Commons had come could be judged by all outward tokens, had into being, and the indifference or uncon not gained the favour of any except those cealed dislike with which most of the who in the troubled waters of anarchy hoped measures brought forward by the present for private pelf from the general break up of Ministry have been accepted by the country society. One of the most curious signs of at large, have raised not alone in the House the time, and a sign which has marked each of Lords, but very generally through the time the rejection of a revolutionary measure country, a strong suspicion that on very by the House of Lords, is that the revolu- material points the present House does not tionary outcry, though ardently desired by represent the views of the nation. It was the leaders on the Government benches of only the other day that in referring to the the socialistic propaganda, has in this case, meeting of the Associated Chambers of the as in all the others, failed to put in an
Empire, we noted how entirely contrary to appearance. Evidently with the hope that the view put forward by the present the men of the street were going to rise in administration were the matured opinions their thousands to avenge the insult put on held by the national parliament of com- Messrs. AsQUITH, LLOYD GEORGE, and Co.,
merce. The very last election to the late by the decision of the Upper House to make
House, that of Bermondsey, where the an appeal to the sense of the nation
people have under their own eyes seen the at large, the Ministers had provided an over-
loss of one of their principal industries powering posse of police to restrain the proletary, which they had been assiduously brought about by the false Free Trade of the Cobden Club, ought, with men capable nursing, from a premature outbreak of
of reasoning, to have at least brought about a destruction. The backbone of a general discontent necessary to arouse the spirit of strong suspicion that something was wrong Free Trade is in itself a beautiful thing; so plunder was, however, totally absent; and beautiful that we may well share the wonder the spirit of the nation at large has been
of its first apostle that the whole world did shown to be averse from perceiving any element of danger to the people at large in not at once accept the principle. But, like the the final appeal to themselves of the House obstinate eleven on the jury, they did not of Lords. The whole scene can, in fact, see matters in the same light, and at once set to work to counteract the undeniable best likened to the historic appeal from PHILIP drunk to PHILIP sober, which amused advantages which Free Trade under then conditions conferred on Great Britain. As and delighted the democracy of Macedon.
The attempt to make a constitutional COBDEN and the other apostles of the new matter out of the action of the House of doctrine rightly argued, the peoples of the Continent, as well as of the United States, Lords has plainly fallen flat. A House of
did themselves a great injury by repudiat- Commons elected on false pretences to
ing the "doctrine." This we may all champion the supposed wrongs of Chinese
acknowledge; and if we desire proof can see labourers in South Africa has essayed with-it any day in the drawbacks under which out further instruction from its constituents trade in the United States, more especially, to alter the entire course of government in
is carried on. But acknowledging all this, the United Kingdom. Constitutionally it
we, unless we deliberately shut our eyes to had no more right to legislate beyond the the actual facts of the case, cannot deny purposes for which it had been elected than that what we fondly call Free Trade at Home had the "Rump "of the Long Parliament to vote a set of measures intended to make admitting on our side duty-free heavily itself perpetual. It had been elected when subsidised goods, while our competitors Ship Money and the Star Chamber had excited by heavy duties exclude our exports has the indignation of the nation. But condi- wrought condign mischief amongst our own tions had entirely changed. Yet in spite of especial industries; and is largely respon- the many evidences to the contrary it still sible for a great portion of the present
The question was raised in the Colony as Chinese persisted in considering itself the Elected distress and want of employment amongst of the nation; and it was only on the the industrial classes. This is a fact which far back as 1874, when the memorable 20th April, 1653, when the Pro- the more intelligent of our own people are, community presented a petition to the calling attention to the at last, in spite of the platitudes of the Government,
want of a system of registration of Cobden Club, beginning to see, dimly, it is true, in most cases, but yet plainly just Chinese partners, and suggesting that beginning to recognise. This was the issue such a system should be introduced. A in Bermondsey, and there, curiously enough, draft Ordinance was published, and though the man sufficiently clear-headed to have the Chinese community appeared to be in their desire that the should become law in so far as reasoned from his own experience, and con- unanimous trary to the doctrine of the little Englanders, -won a well-deserved victory over both of his it related to the registration of Chinese opponents. The example of Bermondsey, partnerships, the Government declined where the victory was won by one of their to submit the draft Ordinance to the own class, and the cause championed in consideration of the Legislative Council- on their own familiar language, cannot fail of the following grounds (1) Because it was its effects in leading others to discard the doubtful whether the measure would have farse lights which have been bringing the carried out the object at which it aimed; nation rapidly to its doom. On the more (2) because to follow capitalists who lived abstruse question of the proposed destruc-out of the Colony, and whose property was tion of profit-earning capital, and the out of the Colony was impracticable; (3) consequent transfer of our because it would be legislating for a few necessary
tector CROMWELL entered with his soldiers
and ignominiously kicked it down stairs, that it could be induced to see that the power had left it; and that nothing remain ed, as with its successor of 1906, other than to utter feeble protest. Like its succcessor, it found when it emerged from the House that so far from the People feeling aggrieved, they were far more disposed to hilarity.
But it ill becometh him who buckleth on his armour to boast as he that taketh it off; the first great step in the long-impending struggle has been forced on the House of Lords, and to Lord LANSDOWNE's honour the gage ostentatiously thrown down has by him been courageously and unflinchingly The House of Lords has not, nor ever had, any intention to interfere with the nation's Budget: That is a thing which
taken up.
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of the Ordinance those who prefer to do so should be allowed to use the tong name and have their share registered in the name of their representative, who should be held liable." It was agreed that before replying to the Law Society's request for information, the resolution should be circulated among the Chinese in order that a popular opinion may be obtained.
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