The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-12-16
NO. A..
ANGLO-CHINAMEN.
A Loyal Ciuh ut Penang Which De-
bates in English.

bates in English.
Bret Harte's description of the China
man in hackneyed ballad is not uni
versal truth. The profundity of the
almond eye we all of us know in a vague
way, but his crushing conservatism
seems to rob the learning of half its
value. And yet, under English intiu-
ence, he expands. \ striking instance
of this is afforded by club in Penang
composed of Chinese gentlemen. Pc
nang, which lies on the west coast of
the Malay peninsula, to the north of
five degrees north latitude, came into
the possession of the British as a dover
to Capt. Light, or, as it is asserted in
some quarters, HaS ceded by the sui
| tan of kedah to the East India COM
pany simply in exchange for the an
nual payment of $4,000, which was aft
erward raised to $4,000, when Province
Wellesley, the adjoining portion of the
Malay peninsula, lying between the
rivers Prye aud Mudah, was incorpo-
rated with the island. Further addi-
tions toward the south have since been
made. In 1905 Penang became a sepa-
rate presidency, still under the East
India company, taking equal rank with
Bombay and Madras. In 1926 Snga-
pore and Malacca were united to the
| presidency, the whole being ruled from
Georgetown, Penang. Three years aft
erward Penang ceased to be a presi-
| dency, and in 1897 the chief officials
| were transferred 10 the town of Singa-
pore, which has ever since been the seat
| of government OF the straits settle
ments, resident councillors in Penang
and Malacca serving as chief officials
under the governor, but not as repre-
| sentatives of his eXcellency.
The Cinnamon who form the club are
as loyal as any subjects of her majesty
| may be. 1t is not mere lip loyalty.
| One of the objects of their association
| is 1.-The promotion of general knowledge
through the appreciative study of the
English language and English litera-
| ture." The club possesses a valuable
| library of Chinese classics and other
works, but is gradually collecting an
other, consisting of English books,
chiefly historical and scientific. A dis.
tinctive feature of the club, as a Chi
nese club, is that debates on all kinds
of subjects are held periodically in the
| large hall, and are conducted on the
same lines as those in England, and
| there is a rule, which never admits of
any exception, to the effect that every
member who takes part in the debate
must speak in English.
| H.
on the part of the Chinese in Penang
over the queens record reign has been
most remarkable, and IN no portion OF
the Celestial community has the feel
ing of loyalty toward her majesty been
more warmly expressed than among
the members of the association, which
will send to the queen a gold and silver
tablet, inscribed with poem (written
by Mrs. Egerton Eastwick) in English
and Chinese. Besides this, the presi-
dent of the association, Mr.. Cheah Chen
Eok, is going to give clock tower and
a fountain to the town of Penang as
permanent memorial of the jubilee,
at a cost of not less than 10000, and
the members at their own cost enter
|
display of fireworks and illuminations
ever witnessed in the island. In the
address to the queen this sentence is
noteworthy: "We belong by descen.
to the ancient Chinese nation, but by
choice, by residence or by birth, as is
the case with most of US, we have the
happiness and pride to be called your
majesty's subjects, and to hold the
same privileges as those possessed by
the natives of the United Kingdom
London Sketch.