21st Sept. "Tus comedy that occurred on the Bund on Friday moming had all the elements in it of a tragedy, and it is doubtful if a more indiscreet act—not to use a harsher term—was ever committed here, than the forcible seizure of the China Merchants' premises by Mr. Wilkinson's band of foreigners. It is Mr. Wilkinson thought he no other way of recovering his rent from a com-which is to some extent above the jurisdiction of the Mixed Court, or he may have been anxious to see a prosecution for trespass instituted, so that he might have an opportunity to prove his title to the property; but to court a riot in the present state of tension was an act that, as our correspondent " Prevention" says, no one would have believed it possible that a person in Mr. Wilkinson's position would do, if he had not done it. And Mr. Wilkinson's course was not merely indiscreet, it was, if we are right in the law of the matter, actually illegal. It is enacted by 5 Rich. LI, star. I, ce. 8; "That none from henceforth make any entry into Lauds and tenements, but incase where entry is given by law; and in such case not with strong hand, nor with multitude of people, but only in peaceable and easy manner, And if any man from henceforth do to the contrary, and thereof be duly convict, hw shall be punished by imprisonment of his body, avd thereof ransomed at the King's will." This is referred to us subsisting law in Beddall v Maitland, 17 Eh. Div. 187 (1881). In 3 Bum's Justice, 29th edition, p. 75, it appears that forcible entry is indictable at common law also, and that the force need not be actively employed, as by breaking open doors or pushing people for it is sufficient if the entry is made with a strong hand, R. v, Wilson, 'LR. 357, Equally reprehensible was the action of the manager of the China Merchants' in bringing a force of coolies on to the scene to eject the band of foreigners and if the latter had not promptly ran away, we should have been launched into a riot, probably with bloodshed. We understand that, as was indeed to be expected, the T'aotai has written to taken by Mr. Wilkinson, and we have Mr. Mowat Soumplataing of the action no doubt that the latter now realises to what a danger he submitted the Settlement. In all the recent and present troubles there has been no real apprehension of any insecurity in this Settlement, but we cannot tell what may happen if such indiscretions are committed so lightheartedly. It is hard for the Chinese under any circumstances that they should have reason to think that when a foreign firm owes them money, they cannot set-off money owed by them—as far as they know—to-the same firm: but the China Merchants' must comfort themselves with the when we have a good draft of Hongkong thought that in this case it is a Chinese people up here living among us for a principal, Howqua, not a foreigner, for fortnight, we come to a better apprecia whom Mr. Wilkinson is acting. flatter ourselves ation of Hongkong as a whole, and we that our visitors will
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.