According to @ telegram from Hanoi in There is much speculation as to who is to the Courrier d' Haiphong, Wing-fat-cheong, be president of the new House of Peers, the compradore who was supposed to have the Princes and Marquises being in favour been killed by the pirate Luuky, had been of Count Ito.—The first smoking concert geet at Changsechou, a town in Kuangsi at the and of May, accompanied by his brother, and by Mo-cheng-long, the chief of a dangerous band of pirate 'The O.ens brought Hongkong dates to the 18th instant. 'Thestamp revenue for May was $3,821.80 less than in Day, 1889, the falling-off being chiefly in conveyances or assignments, transfers afshares, and brokers' notes.—The Haiphong burnt only Hongay coal on her last trip from Tongking and found it equal to Cardiff, the consumption being 25 tune us against 35 of Japanese coal,—The Stanley Opera Company had given the burlesque She-e more than once, with There was a large atten-if-yearly meeting of the Punjom, &e., Company, and Mr. EH. Woudin, the chairman, made a long explana atory speech, finally saying:—** We have had our ups and downs, and we have got over all the downs, now we hope we are going up."—Gabriel Jorge, the clerk charged with embezzlingabout 81,000from the Hong. kong Marina, Ed., has been committed for trial,—The Taisang arrived at Hongkong on the 17th, and went to Kowloon to be ducked. Her forefoot is completely carried away, and she has tio large holes in the fore hold.—The telegraph mentions that Mr. Jesse Herbert, barrister, who came out as legal adviser to the Viceroy at Canton, has gone home, having like many another European in the Chinese service," found his position unbearable, owing to. the innumerable petty annoyances inflicted on him by the ofticials.—The old Batavia is having another extensive overhaul, according to the Telegraph, and her repairs will probably take a fortnight.
The Rome brought Hongkong papers to the 2ist instant. The trade in cotton and cotton yarn continues at a standstill in Canton, and the British Minister at Peking has been telegraphed to by the Acting-Governor of Hongkong on the subject of the new likin imposed by the Viceroy.—Mr, Gabriel Jorge, who pleaded guilty to embezzling from the Hongkong Marina, Ld., was sentenced to fifteen months' im: Press regrets to hear of the death at Canton risenment with hard labour.—The Daily
of Mr. Leong On, compradore to Messrs. Gibb, Livingston & Ca., one of the leading Chinese in the culony.—News had been received from Manila by telegraph that the been handed over to the Hongkong police, defaulting Post-office clerk, Barradas, had
—The Hotel Marina is to be opened about the Lat of July.
According to the Duily Press, the annual meeting of the Manila Slipway Company was held at Manila on the 12th instant, It appears the Company lost $25,197 on its contract with the Government for the building of six gunboats, and there is consequently no dividend payable on this The Rising Sun regrets to hear that President Harrison has nominated Mr. H. Abercrombie, of New Jersey, to the Consulate at Nagasaki, and that that port will shortly lose Mr. John M. Birch, who hasbeen deservedly popular with all nationalities. is. in aid of the Public Hall, Yokohama, was given there on the 17th' and was a great success, Mr. Bayne being in the chair.—A sailing vessel that was being launched at Osaka, with a hundred and thirty people on board, turned over when she reached the water, and fifty-five were drowned, five more being' missing.—Three seamen had been committed for trial at the U.S. Consulate, Kobe, charged with attempting to set fire to their ship, the John Currier, with a cargo of kerosene on board. The ship had a very narrow escape.—" The prevailing: distress," says the, Otsu correspondent o the Hiogo News, is filling the prisons with hungry people."
"The Japan Mail mentions that under the heading **A irl who hasn't slept well for more than fifty nights, the Jyji Shimpo tells the following tale:—' On the 4th of April, when the Rev. Mr. Large was murdered, one of the young ladies ut the School, Miss Yokoi Shizuko, who is only 17 years of age, ran up to assist the ladies grouped about the dying man and saw the assassin escape, The shock to her nervous system was go great that she found herself unable to sleep soundly at night, and could never snatch more than a couple of hours' repose. She did not actually fall sick but felt so debilitated and out of sorts after fifty nights of comparative wakefulness that she sought medical advice a few days ago, and was ordered to try change of scene." She told the doctor who examined her that she vividly remembered the appearance of one of the burglars, a small man wearing a rain-coat.""
Mr. Kentaro Kaneko, the Secretary to His Imperial Japanese Majesty's Privy Council, who was commissioned to visit every constitutionally-governed country in the world, to collect information upon very dotal connected with the working of the Parliamentary system, requested the Proprietors of Hansard's Parliamentary Debates" (the Hansard Publishing Union, Limited) to furnish full particulars of th system of reporting adopted in the Engli arbament, and the Hansard Publishing Union, La., have politely sent us a copy of the letter addressed to Mr. Kaneko on the subject. It is dated "Hansard " Room, House of Commons, London, April 15th, and signed George Walpole. ' It contains a brief history of parliamentary reporting from the earliest times, the records of Parlia~ ment going back to 1066, and a description of the new system now adopted, by which Hansard's journal still rewarns, ostensibly, a private undertaking, without any subsidy except that the Government buys a certain number of copies. In the letter the following interesting paragraph occurs Imay mention that the title "Hansard," as applicable to official or authentic Parliamentary records, has been adopted the world over. When Prussia first had a Constitutional representation there was a record of the debates, called "Das Preussisches Hansard," and since that time none of our Colonies have established authorised reports of their debates without adopting that name. Thus, there are the " Queens-the "Dominion Hansard" (Canada), the "New Zealand Hansard," and I believe others; and, even when the title of the publication is not specifically " Hansard," the name is dropped, and " Hansard" is used to represent it. The name asa title of works of this description is to be found in the standard dictionaries of most_languages. Tt will be a pleasure and an honour to the present English proprietors of the title if the recognised reports of your newly-formed Representative Assemblies take the title of the Japanese Hansard."
Extracts are then given from reports of select committees (adopted and rejected), for and against official reports, and the letter concludes with a strong recommenda tion in favour of full verbatim reports I might almost venture to say that it will be a reproach to your nation if you do not preserve an absolutely complete and authetic record of the proceedings ab initia connected with the great experiment in constitutional government which your Sovereign this year inaugurates, "The Debates in the Roman Senate, or the proceedings in our Saxon Witenageniot, would now be of priceless value. Similarly, to generations to come, the proceedings of the first Japanese Parliament will be of incalculpable value, Every educated man in Western countries is watching with the warmest sympathies and keenest interest the uew departure which enlightened counsels have induced His Imperial Majesty the Mikado take. It is hardly too much to say that there will be a lamentable hiatus in the history of civilisation if you do not ensure that every detail of the experiment is carefully chronicled.
Upon matters of detail I have little to add. Given that (as I gathered from you was the fact) you have the necessary stenographic skill in Japan, T would suggest that absolutely verbatim notes should be taken of the utterances of Members of the two Legislative Assemblies, and that the reports should, be printed at the expense of the Parliament. We in Western countries have found that in this matter somethin, more is requisite than can be expected from ordinary journalistic enterprise, The newspapers cater for their clients, the reading public of the day; the official report should be the full and impartial standard reference-book for the student and the historian, The Prince of Wales hardly displayed his usual felicity in his speech at the unveiling of the Gordon Memorial at Chatham. Whoever was responsible for coaching him up in the facts, did it in a very_perfunetory manner. H.R.H. said:—It is with sincere satisfaction that I find myself here to-day, having accepted your invitation to unveil the statue now erected to the memory of the brave General Charles George Gordon—a statue erected to his memory, not only by hig old comrades, but also by the Royal Artillery and the Volunteer Corps of Engineers. The name of Charles George Gordon is one not likely ever to be forgotten; it la one which not only his own comrades will like to honour, but which will be honoured and respected for ever by all Englishmen. It would be superfluous to say anything particular in alluding to him, because alf his acts are so well known; but I cannot help reminding you of his distinguished service in the Crimea, where he remained, I believe, during the whole time of the campaign. Also his services in China, more especially at Canton, where he commanded what was called "'the ever-victorious army." Then we know he went both to India and South Africa, and eventually became Governor-General of the Equatorial Provinces, where also he aid so much and had one great object in view—the abolition of slavery. This statue will always be looked upon by generations to come and by all his own comrades with the honour and respect due to his name,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.