Ox Monday morning about 3.45 a.m. a fire broke out in an alley off Foochow Road, as a result of which Nos. 61, 62 and 63, Bing Vong Ka were totally destroyed, many adjoining houses being badly damaged. The firemen had the flames' under control in about an hour and a half, The lesson are, we understand, fully covered by insurance, This makes the second fire in this neighbourhood within a woak.
We are glad to note that in con sequence of the Council's protest, and ase result of a visit by the Editors to the Municipal gaol, the "Shenpao" has withdrawn its mis-statements con-carving the routine and arrangements of the prison, Ox Wednesday evening six Japanese, two of whom wore in uniform, entered shop in Broadway, They tried to bargain for the purchase of a box, but as the shopkeeper would not sell it at their price they assaulted him. The shypkeoper was belaboured with stool, receiving injuries on the ad which necessitated removal to hospital, where he is expected to be dotsined for at least three weeks. Hi ightly wounded. assailants escaped to the Old Dock, and none of them have #0 far been caught.
Ir will come, we are sure, as a shock to some of our roaders, who are fortunate enough to keep mafoos, to learn that they here been unconsciously affronting their Chinese neighbours hero by decorating their rotainera with gilt buttons of officialdom. True rattons in question are very sunil lieve, to those worn by yamen wonings, but we can understand that the dignity of those gentlemen might, well be touched by the assumption of th mark of rank by s mere mafoo. The Council, we fear, has troato a serious
is not too Into, His Excellency the matter in oe flippant a spirit, and if Taotai might yet be asked to furnish list of coloured buttons which could be safely adopted for our mafoos without hurting delicate susceptibilities. An opportunity for improving our knowledge and our manners at the same tim should not be neglected.
Arran the United States Govornmout took over the buildin the Panama Canal, the chief engineer of the Isthi Canal Commission reported in December 1904 in favour of return to M. de Lesseps' original plan for a soa-level waterway; he estimated the cost at £60,000,000 and the of construction at twenty years. 1905 the Engineering Committee rec mended " soa-level canal 150 ft. and 35 ft, deep with tidal locks, to be completed in ton or twelve years for $230,500,000. On the rd of April, how-over, following a drastic memorial from Secretary of War Taft, the Canal Commission was reorganised, with an advisory board, and on the 18th of Novem. ber the consulting engineers by a large majority declared in favour of a sea-level canal ity represented the minority 10d a separate 7 1, which the Senate has now finally decided to adopt.
Monday afternoon " pony, which had broken away from its carriage,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.