£425,356 102,347 (1891)
Increuse..£276,991 £484,351 The invested funds amount to £950,830, The hanging calendar for 1892 issued the Northern Assurance Ca., of which josers, W. Hewett & Ca. are agenta, are very neat and useful. They announce that the company, now 55 years old, has accumulated funds amounting to £3,975,000, while the Fire premia were £671,000, the Life premia £216,000, and the Interest earned £161,000. The company also distributes useful blotters, to remind those who write of its existence.
We have received from Messrs. Caldbeck, Macgregor & Ca., of Suanghai and Hoi kong, a most useful perpetual date in for, to hang up, the blick ground setting off excellently the very legible moveable words and figures.
We have received from Messrs, Turner and Ca., who are also agents fur the wrthern Assurance Cv., another packet of ble fers and another hanging calendar for 1892.
We have received from U. J. Dudgeon, Esq., the Shanghai agent of the Straits Insurance Companies, Ld., two handsomely illustrated hanging calendars for 1892, with "practical precautions" against fire printed the back, and details of the Shancial position'nf the two Companies on the front a small and very neat desk calendar, and sume charming little ivory and tortoiseshell paper cutters and b rks, lettered in geld with the Companies' names and addresses, Mr. Bethge, the distinguished engineer who was formerly a member of the German Syndicate sent to Chins, is now head of the Siamese Railway Department. The government lately invited tenders or about 120 miles of railway, and two tendera were sent in, 0: e German and one English, the Englisit tender being sent in by Mr. Murray Campbell, who las been building railways in the Malay Peninsula, bucked by Messrs, Jardine, Matheson & Ca. The English tender was some 24 million ticals (say $1,500,000) below the German, and this caused great consternation in the Railway Department, and all sorts of accusations were made in' ths Bangkok Press, ending in one newspaper proprietor bein, sued by Mr, Bethge for libel, and fined 1 marks, We now learn that the contract has been definitely awarded to Mr. Murray Campbell.
The Avy Amateur Dramatic Club gave a most auccesaful performance of Our Boys the Club Theatre, Amoy, on the 4th instant. The correspondent who send us a detailed notice of the performance adds—It will interest many of his old friend: to know that the stage ma Amoy A.D.C., to whose untiring the present successful and prosperous dition of the Club is due, is Mr. Francis who formerly took an active and leading part, as far buck as 1865, in Shanghai amateur theatricals.
We have received the following tea news from Foochow under date the 12th Decem-—The shipments during the past fort-been rather over half " million ious against 23$ million same date list year, showing " falling off of Bf million Tbs, There has been more buying this fortnight. The sottlement+ are reported at nearly 14,000 chests, The reason of this larger business is not apparent.
The present favourable statistical low of China tea has been known in \don (as well as it has been known here) for the last three months by snticipstion, and confirmed by telegraph, yet there are no signs of improvement in Mincing Lane. As regards prices, there has been a steady hardening up again of tael cost for all teas of under Tls. 11 value, while fine to finest could be bought on easier terms. The total supply of Congou for the season is nearly complete, During the fortnight 1,500 heats have arrived; and it is ext theca is very little more to ¢ The Arrivals of Congou to date are 343,000 against 388,000 chesta; the Settlements are 316,000 against 10,000; and the Stock ut Congou la 27,000 inst 18,000 chests at same date last year.
change la 3/1 for 4 months' sight credits, and Freight to London 30/-per ton of 40 cubic feet.
In the Legislative Council, Hongkong, on the 4th instant, Mr. WI ead mate serious, but unsupported protest the extravagance shown in the Colony's. estimates. He moved the reduction of the Governor's salary to $28,800, on the ground that Hongkong did not require a first-class Governor, but found no seconder. Ho moved to cut down the salary of the Colonial Secretary, but found no seconder. Dr. Ho Kai seconded his motion to out the Audit Department $10,000. but every one else voted against him, He moved to cut the Treasury down 10 per cent., but found no seconder. He moved to cut the Post Office $2,400 a year, but found no seconder. He moved several other reductions, most of which were not seconded, and none of them carried.
In its account of the recent squall in Hongkong, the China Mail says:—Many residents were engaged in the work of rescue, bus one act of heroism may be noted. Between 8 and 9, just as dinner was over on board H. M.S. Plover, a junk was seen to founder near by, an was noticed struggling in the heavy se Commander Bell at once threw off his coat and, plunging in, rescued the child; while the dlagy, which was immediately lowered, Beary ole rolling at that time, hia rescue jot the precious freight aboard. With the
was dangerous enough; and the attention of the Humane Society might well be drawn. to the incident, Sume half-dozen of the junk's crew are supposed to have been drowned.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.