The morning call., 1890-08-15
CHINA AND JAPAN.
Late News Received by the
Steamer City of Picking.
Railroad Work Begun in Manchuria-C Chinese
Rivers Filling Up-Hard Times and
Cholera in Japan.

The Pacific Mail Company's steamship
CITY OF Peking, Cavalry master, arrived
from China and Japan, via British Column
bia, at an early hour yesterday morning.
She brought large cargo, besides 10 cabin
and 2i9 Chinese steerage passengers. The
following items are taken from Hong Kong
exchanges as late as July 10Th and from
japanese papers of July 18th.
China.
An important decree has been issued
from Peklng ordering all Viceroys and
Governors to report the quantity of opium
grown IN their provinces and to account
strictly Tor the taxes levied thereon. The
Imperial Government has discovered that
the provincial authorities have been mis-
representing the extent of the cultivation
OF opium, and have been pocketing almost
all the money obtained therefrom. The cul-
tlvatlon OF native opium has increased
greatly OF recent years.
There are loud lamentations that the tea
trade Is going from bad to worse.
III is SAID that China is really anxious
ABOUT the defense of her northern frontier,
and is earnestly intent on the construction
OF railways IN Manchuria. Messrs. Kinder
and Cox are at present surveying the coun-
try. Ii is said that the line from Newch-
wang TO the Amur will be constructed first,
and that, with good staff of workmen, it
may be finished within the prescribed period
Of twenty working months.
Ihere was somewhat serious disturbance
at Wuchang the other week. Chang Chi
lung, who now rules in that country, or
dered some bulky machinery he had OBJ.
tanned Tor some of his projects to be con-
Veyed up the river in boats. To enable the
boats to pass 1t was necessary to break
down some bridges. The Inhabitants raised
the cry of feng shut, and Viceroy Changes
masons and soldiers were roughly handled
by the mob. by Cancellation and fair POM
Uses the Vicer0y, however, quieted the mob
and managed to accomplish his object.
The North China Daily News says: The
census recently taken shows that there has
not been any great increase in the foreign
population OF Shanghai since 1885. There
has been n decrease in the number of adult
males, but an increase in the number OF
adult females and of children.
The Governor Of Canton, II. E. Y. Yu,
has resigned his position, handed over his
seal OF office TO the Viceroy Ii, and left
canton Tor his native place. The reason is
unknown, but the surmise is that it is due
to the approach of old age. He left in an
ordinary sedan chair, with his wife, and
only one attendant. There was no demon
stration Of any kind by the local officials.
They were all at the Yamen, paying their
the seals OF office from the retiring Govern
or. Word was brought to the Viceroy that
Y. fu had departed without giving time to
any one to say good-by, whereupon all the
small fry, who had no chance OF getting
the vacant post, fastened off to BID adeu to
the Ex-Governor at the wharf.
The annual report of the Directors of the
lndo-Chlna Steam Navigation Company
showed large falling off i'll business for
1889, SO that they were unable to pay a
larger dividend than per cent One
cause cf the poor showing is the bad state
OF navigation ii the river Peiho, which is
rapidly filing up With sllckens, SO that the
port VI Tientsin Will DO entirely closed TO
Sea-goins vessels.
The following account of Chinese deal
ing with foreigners Il taken from letter
20 the North China Daily News from
Chlnan-fu. Some unfortunate events have
lately occurred in connection with the long
standing case of the American Mission in
this city. A few weeks ago Mr.. Reid re-
ported the case to the Governor, his EX-
cellency Chang Yao, and he at once issued
strict orders to his subordinates that re-
ply should be sent within three days, and
that the case should be settled. But, as
usual, these same subordinate officials pre-
ferred the course of injustice rather than
Of justice. They had already reported to
the Governor, and probably to the Tsung-l
1amen, that the foreigners had really paid
0aPy half OF the purchase money, though
tine and time again the foreigners denied
this statement, and the original landlord
himself had acknowledged receiving the full
amount, until after threats and intimida-
tims he confessed as the official" the
father and mother of his people"-desired
him to confess. 1t was glaring case of
trIing not only to cheat some one out of
claims to certain piece Of property, but
also of money originally intended for
charitable purpose. Hence it was that the
case was referred again to the Governor.
And what was the result? Instead of act
ing decent part or choosing just and hon.
orable measures, the poor magistrate again
summoned the unfortunate landlord, threat
ened him for saying he had received the
whole amount and then by more threats
reversing the order, beat him few blows
on the face, eXtorted from him 800 tao OF
$780, and left him in such weak condition,
of which the treatment was plainly the oc-
easion though not the cause, that in few
days he died. Such is Chinese justice, on
the one hand permitting in the clearest of
terms the purchase of property by The mis-
SionarieS, and on the other narrowing the
life of the seller until death claims him as
one of his own. The sad part is, that no
way seems open to gain any kind Of redress,
and that the American missionaries seem
left to themselves. That they can hardly
consent to be cheated out of their money,
or even to see it tried on the poor landlords
family, Is by no means to be desired, but
how they are to escape from the game so
cruelty played is rather puzzle to even the
most experienced.