RUSSIA SECURES WHALING PORTS

The Emperor has leased three ports in eastern Korea to the Russian Whaling Company, namely Oulsan (울산) and Sungchinpo (셩진포) in the province of Kangwon, and Chinpodo (진포도) in the province of Hamkyeng. The concession is 700 metres in length and 350 in width. We have not been able to learn full details but understand this has been negotiated by Count Keyserling; that the ports may be entered only by Russian whalers, and only at certain seasons of the year; that a Korean official will be detached to look after the interests of his country; that 450 yen are to be paid annually and the lease is for a period of twelve years. At the expiration of the time all improvements made at the ports revert to the Korean government. This concession is made in the interest of the whaling company and it is claimed has nothing to do with the Russian government. The Emperor ratified the concession on the 23rd inst.

The discussion on this subject in the Privy Council as reported in one of the native papers is full of interest and we make a free translation from it:

Minister Kwon Chai hyeng brought the decision of the Cabinet to the Council and after stating that sickness prevented his attendance asked for a discussion of the proposition to grant or refuse the concession.

Councillor You maing: Our country was secured for us by the great founder of our dynasty and by granting this concession to the Russians other nations will be after us for similar grants. We must hold the empire down to the last foot intact, if we do not where shall the twenty millions of our people go to live.

Minister Kwon replied: The concession is not absolute but only for twelve years We receive yearly 450 yen and the closer relations between us and foreign nations is to be considered.

Councillor Kang Won-lo said: When has our government given concessions for money and survived. The government will not miss at the end of twelve years the 5.000 dollars we are to receive and I therefore cannot vote to make the grant.

Councillor Won Sei-sung said: We are told by the Minister that it would be a fault not to make this concession. Others say it is a fault if we concur. It is our duty to defend the empire even tho Russia should turn her cannon upon us and we should die in numbers as in times of the cholera scourge.

Councillor Cho Han-ou: Russia is greedy for territory. If this concession is granted she will demand more and the time to cut her off is at the beginning and not allow her to have any of our land.

Councillor Hong Chong-who said: I have listened with interest to the remarks of the members of the Council and no more need be said. We should not only not grant this demand to Russia but the concession of timber, railroads, mines and fisheries made should be cancelled and those Ministers who made them tried by our courts; this would prevent a repetition of further demands.

On a vote being taken the decision was against granting the concession.

Secretary Kim Ik-sung became much excited at the absence of harmony between the government (which had already voted to grant he petition) and the Council, brought his fist down upon the table with such violence and frequency that the table was broken.

Acting Prime Minister, Sin Kisun, in a memorial to the throne complained of the utterances and behavior of the councillors and recommended their dismissal from their position. His petition was granted and the five councillors and the secretary were dismissed.

The Commissioner of Customs in Wonsan was the first to call our attention to the great but undeveloped wealth of Korean fisheries. The Korean ordinarily is satisfied with a small catch for home supply. Recently a great deal of interest has been aroused in commercial circles over this attempt of count Keyserling to secure three ports along the eastern coast of Korea into which whaling boats could enter and land their prizes. This we understand is not the first time application has been made for concessions but the Korean Government has steadfastly refused heretofore.

The following paragraph from The Japan Times gives us some idea of the wealth the waters contain as well as the lively interest Japan is taking in developing this industry: “According to the Customs returns about 2,030,912 pounds of whale flesh, amounting to yen112,940 in value were imported at Nagasaki last year by Russian whalers operating off the Korean coast. In addition to the above, more than 1,102,223 pounds (yen 49,200) were also imported during the last two months by a foreign firm at Nagasaki. It has long been thought regrettable that our fishermen were neglecting this profitable business in Korean waters, where whales are to be found in great swarms. We learn, however, that Mr. !shin Jono has lately founded a whaling company and has engaged an experienced whale gunner from Norway. A steamer despatched by this company on the 10th of last month for whaling has come back within a short period loaded with two full grown whales from Korean seas. The newly introduced Norwegian system of whaling will undoubtedly interest our fishermen and will become an incentive to further development and profitable industry.

MINISTERIAL CHANGES.

The edict of the 21st which we publish in another column had its origint in the protest, without previous consultation with the Emperor, of the Acting Prime Minister, Shim Sanghun, against the list of appointment of fifteen magistrates and had received imperial sanction. The Acting Prime Minister contended there were irregularities on the part of the Acting Home Minister in the preparation of the list, which he could not help but bring to the notice of the Emperor. As a result the Acting Home Minister was ordered sent into banishment for ten years. But the irregularity of the Acting Premier in counseling first with his colleagues and securing their consent before laying the matter before the Emperor brought him into trouble and he was ordered into exile fur a period of fifteen years. The places in both cases are not mentioned in the edict and we have not yet learned.

THE PHILIPPINE SITUATION.

The latest news from the Philippines is that on March 4th there was severe fighting at San Pedro, and the Bennington had shelled the intrenchments at Malabon and silenced them.

Rear Admiral Dewey received word of his promotion to the rank of Admiral, the highest place in the United States navy.

OFFICIAL GAZETTE.

EDICTS.

Match 21.--We have given strict injunctions to use care in the selection of magistrates. If the list of appointments sent us by the Minister of Home Affairs was made with due care, why was exception to it taken. We feel it so detestable that we prefer not to make mention of it. We therefore, dismiss Min Pyenghan, the Acting Minister of Home Affairs, and send him into banishment for ten years. As for the Cabinet Ministers if there was anything irregular connected with the preparation of the list, it was their right to state the error to us. But still accustomed to the old mode, they paid no regard to the dignity of the rules and essayed to set aside the list of appointments which we had approved. The crime is so great that there is no other law that can save them from condign punishment. If such a crime is condoned the country cannot be called country any longer. We therefore dismiss from office Shim Sang hun, the Acting Premier, and send him into banishment for fifteen years. The other Ministers of State who were present at the meeting and connected with the affair must also be dismissed as fast as they confess their guilt. And the list that was sent by the Home Department on the 14th and the list sent by the Cabinet on the 15th let both be destroyed (melted).

Sin Ki sun was appointed Acting Prime Minister and Min Chong muk Acting Minister of Home affairs.

 NO APPEAL

The wife of Yi Sungman during the past week attempted to lay a memorial before the Emperor in behalf of her husband whose arrest some three months ago without any charge of crime attracted considerable attention. She took her place in front of the palace, but was sent away by the police after a few days, being told to lay her petition before the Privy Council. She went to the office where this body meets only to be told that this was not the place to present such matters. The woman, unable to find any one to receive her petition, had no alternative left but to return to her home. A year ago the sight of half a dozen or more memorialists at the Palace Gate with petitions of all sorts was one of the most common scenes witnessed.

CITY AND COUNTRY

Mr. T. H. Yun entered upon his duties as the magistrate of Wonsan on the fifth inst.

Rev. D. L Gifford returned last week from an extended itinerating tour thro the south.

The Korean government has applied to the Russian government for a loan of $3,000,000.

The Emperor gave a farewell audience on the 24th inst. to Mrs. Jordan and her children. On the 25 inst. Dr. O. R. Avison and family were received in audience.

State Senator J. S. Fassett of New York visited Seoul last week in company with Mr. Townsend of Chemulpo and were the guests of the United States Minister. Senator Fassett left the capital on the 28th.

Dr. R. A. Hardie of Songdo was in the city Sunday. He reports the convalescence of Rev. C. T. Collyer whose recent severe illness we reported a short time ago. Mr. Collyer was able to be out for the first time last week.

Mr. Alex. Kenmure, Agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and Mr A. A. Pieters returned on the 23d from a five weeks’ trip to the island of Quelpart. They report having had an interesting trip. Returning they came in an ordinary Korean sampan trom Quelpart to the mainland. The stretch of open sea is about forty miles. As far as we know these gentlemen are the first missionaries to visit this island and explore it.

EASTER TIDE SERVICES.

Services in celebration of Good Friday and Easter will be held in Seoul and Chemulpo as follows:

ST. MICHEAL'S, CHEMULPO.

GOOD FRIDAY, MARCH 31.

Morning service at 11 a. m.; evening service at 6:30 p. m.

EASTER DAY, APRIL 2.

Holy Communion at 8:30 a m.; morning prayer and sermon at 11 a. m.; evening prayer at 6:30.

CHURCH OF ADVENT, SEOUL.

GOOD FRIDAY. Morning prayer at 7:30; Litany and ante-communion service at 11 a. m.; three hours service with addresses on Our Lord's last words spoken from the cross, 12 a. m. to 3 p. m ; evening prayer with address at 6 p. m.

EASTER DAY Holy Communion at 8 a. m.; morning prayer and sermon at 11 a. m.: evening prayer at 6 p m.

UNION CHURCH, SEOUL. Easter services will be held in the chapel of Pai Chai School next Sunday afternoon at 3:30 o'clock. Preaching by the pastor. Special Easter music. All are cordially invited to attend.

FROM PYENG YANG.

There is no special news from the mines in northern Pyeng-yang province. Dr. Wells was up there professionally a few weeks ago rendering what services were necessary to the various Americans and Koreans. Among the foreigners there are the well known Mr. and Mrs. D. A. Bunker who find something of the same situation as to the general outlay as they witnessed in Seoul some ten or twelve years ago. The smiling features of Mr. Van Ess, formerly of the customs, now shine in and around Chitababy. Mr. H. F. Meserve, the auditor of the company, a graduate of Harvard '88, gave. Korea a good advertisement in the class book published last year. Capt, E.-D. Barstow, formerly and popularly of the Nippon Yusen Kaisha, is in command of the transportation department of the mines and holds forth from the quarter deck of a Studebaker or a Kermit cart with the same "sang froid" as from the bridge of a trans-Pacific liner. Mr. Albert Taylor is Assistant General Superintendent and assayer. Mr. J R. Dual is superintendent at Kok Sang Deng. Mr. G. A. Taylor is General Superintendent, while Messers. Krumm, Will Taylor, Buckley, Salmon, Tallier, MacCollough, and others have permanent places. Besides these experts there are several master millwrights among whom are Messers. Henderson, Crowe, Cogswell, Ford, Beattie and Tompkins.

The customs or the government or somebody ought to see that the steamers plying beween Chemulpo and Pyeng-yang are supplied with life presevers and at least two small boats each. The writer has been up and down the coast many times on the little coffee pot called the "Kyengchae." Preparations for such an accident as a break in machinery or a run on a rock are unknown. One little leaky boat is all it carries and in case of emergency the strongest Japanese would crowd it down and leave the rest to shift. I hope this calling attention to a dangerous and pitiful condition of affairs may result in having life preservers and two new boats for the company.

About two months ago a man was killed in a drunken brawl in Pyeng-yang. The murderer escaped. The dead man couldn't be buried according to Korean "law" or custom until three magistrates had viewed the body. The third magistrate has not appeared yet and so the man still lies in its house in town where he died. Poor old Kija died over 3,000 years ago, but if he was alive to-day he would weep to hear of such things happening 3,000 years before he was born much less that time after!

SHIPPING NEWS.

ARRIVALS.

On the 24th, the Chita Maru from Pyeng Yang; the 25th, the Changriong from Kyengsung; the 28th, the Fushiki Maru from Shimonoseki; the Yamagawa Maru from Osaka and Kobe.

 DEPARTURES.

The 24th, the Riyo Maru for Chinampo; the Chikugogawa for Kobe and Osaka; the Vostock for Port Arthur; the 25th, the Chita for Kunsan; the 27th, the Hyenik for Chinampo.

A NEW DANGER TO THE EMPIRE.

The latest story going the rounds to the city is to the effect that the French missionaries applied for permission to quarry stones of suitable size for the steps leading up to the cathedral. After due consideration by the Korean authorities the request was declined on the specious plea, that if this concession were granted all the other nations would make similar demands and after a little there would be no stones left for the Koreans themselves. Our sympathies are in this matter wholly with the Koreans. So much so that only a few days ago when we found an enterprising coolie picking up the loose stones in a by-lane near our house in order to sell them to the builder of the Ewa School building, we had him dump his load in our own yard. It grieves us to see all the fine loose stone in front of the Palace gate, where the Independents made their speeches last fall while moons waxed and waned: picked up to the very last one. It gives us a new and strange feeling not to be able to stub our toes against these impediments in our streets. Then again stones are convenient in the time of political excitement and there is no reason why the one weapon for both offensive and defensive purposes in which the Korean thoroughly believes should be taken from him. We join with our fellow residents of this goodly city and say, hang on to your stones, you may need them before the next vernal stone fight.

British revenue returns for the year ending March 31st show a net increase of £1,841,039.