In the spring of 1892 the natives, i.e. the aboriginal as distinguished from the immigrant population, resuscitated the Yang Ton Hui AB) the oppressions of which evoked the summary vengeance of the Mohammedans some yeara ago. One law enacts that merciless punishment shall be meted out to all refusing to contribute to theatres, temples, etc.,—this is directed against Chi 1d contrary to Imperial law. Auotherlawordainsthatail immigrants shall be the servants ut the natives—the real owners of the soil. Another enforces the of a temple into a Hall of Justice" in every market town, so that condign—even capital—punishment may be adm tered at Libitwa. This isa species of Home Rule Irishwen have not dreamed about A cage has just occurred the consequences of which are altogether too grave to be ignored, A Shantung man "was selling hemp on the market and got into a dispute with a native, about its weight. The Chinese Factor of the Church here was asked to intercede and make peace. Along with the headman of another Shantung village he was decoyed into the ' Hall of Justice." Instantly the yard gates were bolted and without the slightest cause or provocation he was brutally beaten with bricks and sticks and a spear corner thrust into his head. I hurried to his rescue and found five Shantung men lying bruised and bleeding on the ground; one was unconscious, two in torture and the rest severely hurt, The native who planned the attack had not a scar.
The following day the father of our pastor, Mr. Liv, went to the county town to pro-secure on behalf of his son. He was not allowed to file his case, but was immediately hurried into court. Instead of redressing the wrongs of the innocent and punishing the criminally guilty the magistrate embraced an opportunity for reviling us and Christianity. These are extracts from his harangue in public court.
Magistrate (to old Mr. Liu).—You are a Chinaman: you breathe the air and eat the food of China, yet you have clandestinely allied yourself t" foreigners; you ought to goand reside in their country.
Liu (who is a Church member of many yours, and whose grey beard gave him the privilege of speech in the presence of a magistrate).—I should be extremely pleased to yo and live there.
'M.—Wherever you reside you ought to conform to the customs of that place living in Sanytian Hsien it is your duty to obey the common practices.
L.—I certainly cannot do so.
M.—If you don't you must return to Shantung.
L.—Hon. Sir, in this country, men, and women alike smoke opium. Every family cultivates it; we Christians dare not do either.
M.—IE they care to smoke and cultivate opium they may do so; that isno concern of yours, L.—Certainly, it has nothing to do with me, I shall not follow their practice, M.—You don't follow the customs of the place, you Foreign Devil tolerated by Imperial Edict. (Here the Magistrate struck the table passionately and snarled a most tiltly epithet.)
L.—I dare not utter such language.
—Are the Foreign Devils your ances tors? For several years your Shantung settlers were good citizens, but since the arrival of you Protestants there have been disturbances and any amount of quarrelling.
L.—We are not the authors of disturbance—the missionary would expel such from the Church.
M.—The whole gang of you Christians are the suns of thieves—you cut down wond and steal the crops.
L.—In Fuyint'sun there is not a siugle such person. Here in court is the district officer, Wang Ku-pen; you have taken food with the missionary and tea with me, you have repeatedly visited the place—find these thieves' sous and report: tw his lord:
You form cli-sun there are only some in "Taihot'sun 3 or 4 Families adherents of the church, so it were impossible for us to do either.
M.—If you are not the cause of this disturbance then who is? use who raised the row are not Christians—not one of them. The only church member on the scene went to make peace and was benton, M.—In asking you to conform to the customs of this place I meant not that you should follow the low practices but don't you know "copy the virtues of the good and change the evil of the bad?" You say that a peacemaker got beat en—that's impoasi-
L.—HonourableSir, they harbour enmity, A witness in court.—Mr. Liu, how can there be any enmity between us!
L.—Because in the spring when celebrating, by a theatre, the Formation of the Yang T'ou Hui, our two villages did not contribute money then at the close of the umu we again did not contribute theatre money. When I first came here I saw, at thy cruss streets on Tach'éug Chen a large yellow proclamation and posted up on it were Strict orders to seize the Kulao Hui and the Chiawy Hu Hui, vagabonds, ete. I did not know but that the Yang Tou Mui had some connection with these, and so I dare not enter such an association by contributing cash.
M.—You don't worship the gods, but they worship their gods. The Yang Tow Hui is a goyd idea; it is meant for mutual help in watching the crops. Christianity is also w good doctrine exhorting men to do good and to love their neighbours as themselves, It also is the Principle of Mo, Alas, you rely en the church and create disturbances. If you wish to follow the church you must return to Shantung. Go away.
Court attendant,—Do you hear what his Lordship tells you?
L.—What Attendant—If you follow the church you must return to Shantung.
L.—Juast 60.
(Q). This clever reference is to " Universal Love" condemned by Mencius,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.