THE CHINESE QUESTION.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXIV, Issue 142, 6 July 1888, Page 2

THE CHINESE QUESTION.

i imperial edict, a dire Threat of^ vengeance-. The Evening Post last night published | the following : — Within the last few days an Imperial proclamation and edict has been received by some of the leading Chinese merchants m Dunedin from a high official at Pekin. i Instructions accompany the document to [ the effect that on receipt of it it should be immediately copied and dispatched to every Chinese merchant and storekeeper of any standing throughout the colony of New Zealand. Several copies of this strange dispatch have been received by Chinese shepkeepers m this city, and the matter, as may be imagined, has created no slight amount of excitement amongst the Chinamen who are located here. The Chinese themselves are exceedingly reticent upon the subject, but we are m a position to give what may be regarded as a perfectly truthful' summary of the contents of the document, which is of course written m Chinese characters. ' Our informant is a gentleman of unimpeachable character, holding a responsible position m the city, and as he possesses ' exceptional facilities for obtaining Chinese intelligence and is besides on most intimate terms with the Celestials residing m the city, we publish the information regarding this singular matter with the utmost confidence. The preamble of the proclamation is somewhat lengthy, but to put it as tersely as possible, it sets forth that wheigas Great Britain entered into treaties with China from time to time, which conferred special privileges oh Englishmen, merchants, traders, and others who were thereby permitted to carry on business throughout the greater portion of the Chinese Empire, and whereas these treaties • were, entered into, so far as China was concerned, very reluctantly, and j only through the superiority of thfe British Army, the Imperial Government of China regard the recent treatment ot its subjects throughout the Australian colonies as/llegal and as a breach of treaty. Then follows what may be regarded as a threat hurled against the British nation. Ths proclamation goes to say"lhat (he Chinese Imperial Army numbers 13,000,000 soldiers, who, however, at present are not armed with such effective or modern weapons, nor are they so well drilled, as, are the armies of the western nations. The Chinese navy, the despatch goes om to say, although much larger than it waa some few years ago, is not sufficiently large to warrant the Empire m taking the aggressive at present. The Government, however, intends immediately to build arsenals and erect large ordnance and small arms factories, and at four of the most suitablo seaports war steamers of the most modern and efficient type are to be constructed as rapidly as possible. ThuJ work of re-arming and thoroughly drillin" the army and building warships sufficiently ' powerful to enable the Chinese Empire lo cope with the soldiers and navy of Great Britain will, the despatch states, tako three years. Then oomes the edict. The Government of China command all their subjects m the colonies td wiud up their respective businesses and affairs within the next three years, aud to return to, Unua by the expiration of that period. bo far as can be gathered by our informant, there* appears to be a diversity of opinion amongst the Chinamen here as to Lhe manner m which they shall treat the 3ommands of the Emperor m the mailer ni returning to iheir native, land withiu thc time s}»oi*icd. Il may be remarked, however, that many of the Chinese m i'ty oity express Iheir inlentiou of doiug a^ secmeth besl to themselves as individuals.