12th Jan.
'SHANGuar is to be honoured in March next with a visit from the Czarevitch. His Imperial Highness the Grand-dake Nicholas Romanoff was born on the 18th of May, new style, 1868, and will thus be on the threshold of his twenty-third year when he comes to Shanghai. He came of age, by an ancient law of Russia, at the end of his sixteenth year. It is becoming the fashion for royal and imperial princes to make the tour of the world before settling down to their life's work, but: the Czarevitch will be the first heir-apparent to the throne of one of the great Powers to visit Shanghai, One King we have had here, Kalakaua of Hawaii; we have had the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Alexis, Prince Henry of Prussia, Prince Thomas of Savoy, the Grand-duke Alexander and Prince Arthur; but we have not yet had a next heir to a throne, nor have our royal and imperial visitors come in state, as the Czarevitch comes. It behoves us soon to set about considering with what honours, if any, the foreign community is to receive him.
Yhe Czarevitch is visiting India and the British crown colonies as the guest of the Queen. It will be interesting to see, when he visits Singapore and Hongkong, whether the rule will be relaxed which prohibits more than two Russian men-of-war being in either of these harbours at once. The origin of this rule is worth recalling. When Admiral Sir Vesey Hamilton was in charge of this station, the Governor of Vladivostock woke up one morning, and was astounded to see twelve British men-of-war in the harbour, anchored so as to effectually command the town and forts. They had come in in the night ina thick fog, unperceived by any one. He hurried off a telegram to St. Petersburg and received by wire the order that only two British ships were to be allowed in the harbour at once; and in such a hurry was the matter arranged, that when he went off to show the order, with profuse apologies, to Admiral Hamilton, he had nothing but the telegram to show. The Russian government was, of course, entirely within its rights in making the regulation, and our government retaliated by making a similar order with reference to Russian ships; and so stringent is it, that our colonial governers have no power to relax it, without special permission from home. The Russian Prince is accompanied on his travels by two Admirals and a squadron of ironclads and smaller vessels, and it will be interesting to see whether they have to stop outside when the Czarevitch visits our colonies. It is probable that the decision of Admiral Salmon to take down a squadron of large ships, including the Severn, to meet Admiral Richards at Singapore, is not unconnected with the expected arrival of the Russian squadron. The French admiral, know, is collecting his fleet at Saigon to meet the Czarevitch.
The ports in China which, we understand, his highness is especially anxious to visit, are Foochow and Hankow, where there are Russian colonies, whereas here, unfortunately, the number of Russian residents. may be counted on the fingers of one hand, while the Acting Consul is not a Russian subject, and it is. not certain that Mr. Olaroffsky, the designated Russian Consul-General, will be here in time to receive the imperial visitor. Some one must take the initiative in the preparations for the reception, and though there are no resident Russian merchants in Shanghai, there are a number of English avd German firms which do business with Russia. Some of us no doubt, are Russophobes, and look upon Russia as our natural enemy in Asia, We are constantly told that the annexation of Corea, Persia, and Afghanistan, the last with a view to the conquest of India, are the immediate aims of Russia; but however implicitly we hold these beliefs, we shall not allow them to interfere with the politeness it is our pride to show to distinguished visitors. As the leading independent foreign community in the Far East we have a character to maintain, and we take a natural pride in showing what our progress has been, and what our resources are. lhe Municipal Council may consider that they should be officially notified of the intended visit by the acting Consul for Russia, and we hope that this step will soon be taken, and that then time will not be lost in making the necessary preparations, that the fature Emperor of Russia may take away with him the most favourable impressions of the model settlement.
he Czarevitch is travelling officially and not in any way incognito, and it will be interesting to see whether the pret honours should be decide to visit Court will be prepared to pay him the
eking. Will the greater liberality which seems now to be actuating the government extend to the reception of the heir-apparent of the throne of Russia with the ceremonial due to his ition? Will the Emperor receive im in person? The death of Prince Ch'un cannot be made an excuse for declining to give the Czarevitch an audience, as the Empress-Dowager has decreed that the mourning is not to interfere with the usual audiences. China has a lively fear of Russian aggression, and a consequent anxiety to conciliate her powerful neighbour; is this. apprehension strong enough to persuade the Emperor to put aside the contemptuous reserve with which former visitors to the capital have been treated?. China believes that India has the same sions 23 herself, and perhaps when she knows that India solved the rare by invit-guest, aho will follow India's lead and ing the Czarevitch 6 be the Empress's invite him while in China to be the guest of the Emperor. It is not likely that he will put up with a reception by the Taotai at the temple on the Soochow Creek. Whatever the Chinese authorities do, however, we should do our best to make the Czarevitch's visit to Shanghai pleasant and memorable and we cannot well do less that we did for his uncle, the Grand-duke Alexis,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.