At the risk of being accused of harping too much upon one string, we must -again expression to the intense disgust and indignation prevailing, consequent upon the continued apathy of the Chinese officials, Specie condition of the Peiho. great and small, in connection with the
Nothing whatever has yet been done in the direction of stopping the breach in the Tientsin Bend, in spite of representations from Consul and Commissioner, and matters are daily growing worse and worse. There is serious fear that the north wind now blowing will result in lowering the water.in the East Reach, so that it will cease to be navigable even for the shallow native boats, upon which the entire trade of the port is at present dependent. What will then be done remains to be discovered. It is of no use blind th to the fact that the entire rolling stock of the railway, if concentrated upon the Tientsin-Tangku line, would not begin to meet the requirements of the port, not to speak of the absence of adequate godown accommodation and storage room at both ends. Verily this is a strange country and the longer we live in it the more convinced -we become of the utter hopelessness of things. We are informed that H.E. the Viceroy has promised that something will be done soon; but even supposing he can induce those under him to carry out his orders, which is problematical, there is every reason to fear that the time for doing anything effective has passed away, for this year at least. It hay been suggested that the delay is due to the fact that the kaoliang harvest is near at hand, when stalks will be a little, cheaper than they are at present few trees, a couple of thousand bags of earth, and the employment of 500 soldiers under competent direction when the breach first occurred, would have obviated the existing state of things, and saved hundreds of thousands of taels; but things do not move in that way in China—there would have been no opportunity for plunder had any such manifest remedy been attempted.
The tribute junks have discharged their rice cargoes and left, -and therefore no pressure can be looked for from the Grain Commissioner, who, it will be remembered, had power enough once to get the railway across the Peiho removed: a corres-energy from the same quarter (From the Daily Press of the 29th of Aug.)
There is serious trouble in Manila, Exactly what it is, by whom and for what purpose it was started, and how it will all end, are things over which there is a mysterious veil. Some gentlemen in Hong. kong whom we have interviewed give entirely different versions, while the Manila press gives no version at all.
The trouble is " conspiracy on the part of cither the priests or natives, A gentle man of Spanish blood says the natives are once again endeavouring by secret plots to throw off the Spanish yoke. The natives and mestizos, or half-castes, as has been the ease ever since the Spaniards had the form of government, "They wish for move islands, are bitterly opposed to the present power themselves; they are under the feet of their rulers; they hate the priests and friars with a hatred -that is most intense, and they are only waiting for the time to come when they can crush for ever the power of the Spanish Government. Clubs are formed and seditious pamphlets are continually being circulated amongst thenativ in order to intensify the strife, and their leaders are actively engaged i bringing in their conspiracy to an immediate hea And thus the: priests are fearfully anxious for their safety. Not only are the native inhabitants in an immense majority, but about ninety per cent of the soldiers stationed in the Philippines are natives, warships on the station are manned principally by natives, and all of them would join the insurgents in case of an insurrection. It is estimated that there are 13,000 soldiers quartered in the Philippine: Islands, and only about 1,500 of them are of true Spanish blood. The latter would fight to the death to uphold the government, but what about the remainder? Under these circumstances the priests are agitating the Government for additional troops so as to ensure the permanent stability of the present Government. Asked if it was not true that the priests were really the con-spiraters our informant of the above simply replied: What can the priests possibly conspire against He was of opinion that the conspiracy was really formed with the object of turning the attention of the Spanish Government from Cuba to the Phill pine Islands, and that a serious rising would in time take place which it it would be very difficult to suppress.
In support of the theory that the natives are rising, the following telegram appears in the Manila Comercio Madrid, 22nd August.
"The conspiracy, discovered and thwatt+ ed, in the Philippines, has raised a unanimous protest throughout Spain, and the punishment of the conspirators is demand.
"His Majesty's Government declares that it has confidence in.the ability of General Blanco to solve the situation, to nip the durin the bud.
"All parties offer their ce-operation "The Hispano-Filipino Club has been and drew the curtains together. Her snake nature could not endure the hart all. Sharp pains shot through her body, her head ached dreadfully, and after an hour of intense suffering slowly her lovely form faded, and she assumed her original shape.
Hanwin, after roaming about...the water side for a couple of hours, came might have been used to nobler purpose in the present emergency. But alas! it is not available. It must be very clear to all that nothing but the strongest pressure, well applied, will help Tientsin, and save it from the impending ruin of all its fair prospects. There should indeed be no question of revision of tariff entertained until the Chinese have: fulfilled their obligations in"'respect to such matters of vital importance as the Woosung Bar and the closed."
In an article on the above the Comercio says that considerations of duty, patriotism, and prudence have closed its lips for the last few days concerning the rumours that have been in circulation. It then goes on to praise the local authorities and to express devotion to the throne, but without: mentioning a single fact in connection. with: tho conspiracy, atid concludes with the express sion of a hope that General Blanco will see
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.