The recent misunderstanding between Canton and Hongkong over the visit of Sir Edward Stubbs, the Governor, to Peking has provided the Southern journals with much to write about. And when @n official assurance was given to the effect that the visit had no connexion with Canton affairs it was to be hoped that the matter had ended once and for all. Such, however, does not appear to be the case for the ire of a southern contemporary has been roused by northern paper to the effect that According to reports, Britain has acquired mining rights in the twenty-three districts in Kuangtung softer the establishment of the new Consortium. It 1s surmised that the Powers concerned may take steps sooner or later ta get Britain to transfer the concessions to the Consortium.
On the basis of nothing but a report the ''Canton Times" has published a leading article in which appears the following Now that the recent misunderstandings between Canton and Hongkong have been cleared up and everything is serene again, perhaps His Excellency Governor Stubbs would not object if we put a point blank question to him. "Did your sixcellency's visit to Peking have any connexion with the Cassell Coal Agreement?"" We do not mean this as an impertinence, nor do we doubt his assurance recently given to the Kuangtung Government. If Governor Stubbs does not feel inclined to answer, we will drop the matter entirely.
Whatever the paper in question does or does not mean, the paragraph above is an impertinence. In it an official assurance is questioned on the grounds of a mere report, with the possibility of again exacerbating the feelings roused by the initial misunderstandings.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.