Tue China Mail has o curious story to tell of the guns for the new fortifioa-Oar contemporary ding Armstrong guns are being sent out, and that two have actually arrived, and it gives chapter and verse to prove that the members of the Legislative Council voted the large sums—about £115,000—required to put the defences of the colony on a proper footing, on the distinct understanding that the guns were to be breech-loaders of the newest type. This is proved by the telegrams between the Hongkong Government and the Colonial Office. The history of what tonk place is that on the Slet December, 1884, the Legislative Coun-oil passed a resolution which was embodied in a telegram to the Seoretary of State, the latter part of which is:—* It being understood that the armament to be provided by the Imperial Government will be of the best and latest pattern of breech-loading ordnance, capable of resisting attacks by the heaviest modern ironclads." The Mail is of opinion that if thie distinct understanding as to the calibre and pattern of the guns had not been incorporated in the resolution, the vote would not have been passed; and the Governor, Sir George Bowen, stated at the time "that guns had now-been chosen from the latest broech-loading pattern." It would therefore seem that the Colonial authorities bad received assurances from the Home authorities that the bargain, for so it must be regarded, with the Colony would be carried out. On the 28th January, 1885, thie reply to the above telegram was rec Referring to your telegram of the January, new guns are being tured at the cost of more than thousand pounds sterling." "It will be remembered," Sir George Bowen said, "that this is more than double the cost, £37,500, of the guns originally proposed for new forts at Hongkong." The satisfaction which this statement and the telegram caused was so great that the Council voted an additional £60,000 with the fall consent of the community. When the session of the Council closed three weeks ago the Administrator stated that some delay would arise owing to the foot that the mountings of the breech. were of the newest pattern. scarcely believe that the Home anthorities are, as the Mail says, foisting guns on the Colony merely because Armstrong and Ao, are selling their old muzzle-loaders and they are to be had cheap. The Home authorities have nothing to gain by bad faith like this; they could not expect such conduct to pass un= noticed, unless they think that residence in Hongkong necessarily reduces the governing powers there to the condition of come Chinese mandarins who are ready to receive anything in the shape ofagun, That not only the English firm mentioned, but others of other countries, have been selling old-fashioned gaus cheap, is, we believe, an undoubted fact, and many of their obsolete and now almost useless guns have lately been "foisted" on the Chinese, con. siderably to the discredit of some one or other.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.