202
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 14TH MAY, 1864.
V
NAMES OF HARBOURS AND BAYS.
No. 7.-Summary of RETURN No. 6.
TOTAL NUMBER
OF VESSELS
TOTAL
POPULA-
TION AT
Victoria, including Kow-loon,.
Aberdeen and Ap-lee-chow,
Show-ke-wan and Sai-wan,
Stanley and Sheak-ho,
Total,.
ADULTS.
NUMBER OF PERSONS ON BOARD.
CHILDREN.
AT EACH PLACE.
EACH
Men.
Women. Boys. Girls.
PLACE.
2,737
11,009
4,175
3,586
1,929
20.699
508
1,706
751
504
356
3,317
483
1,974
1,170
431
355
3,930
291
1,534
433
380
244
2,591
4,019
16,223
6,529
4,901
2,884
30,537
THOS. TURNER,
Registrar General.
Registrar General's Office, Victoria, Hongkong, 10th March, 1864.
No. 88.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
The following Report of the Registrar General on the working of Ordinance No. 6 of 1863, is published for general information.
By Order,
W. T. MERCER, Colonial Secretary.
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 9th May, 1864.
No. 13.
REGISTRAR GENERAL'S OFFICE, VICTORIA,
HONGKONG, 4th May, 1864.
SIR, Feeling that doubtless any information respecting the working of a new Ordinance, and one so especially devoted to public convenience as No. 6 of 1863 so decidedly is, will be interesting to the Government, I do myself the honor, without hesitation, to submit the following remarks, which I trust will be favourably received by His Excellency The Governor.
I therefore beg to state as follows:-The Licenses for Chairs, special, i. e., those that ply from 5 A M. till 12 at night, and general, viz: those that ply from 5 A.M. to 8 at night are issued every six months, from the 30th of September and from the 1st of April.
Up to date, the large number of such Licenses issued amounts to 430, which already exceeds that of the whole of the last half year by 68, and in all probability there will be a considerable addition.
858 Chair Coolies have also been registered: I may mention that the principal part of these men are Hakas, with a considerable number of Chin Chew, a sprinkling of Poon-Taes, and only some 40 from the Nam-hoi District or vicinity of Canton, and I am informed that since the passing of the Ordinance the Chair Coolies are, though the most ignorant and stubborn of our community, becoming more civil, and less extortionate to their employers than formerly.
There was, at first, a considerable difficulty in making them wear conspicuously their tin Badges, but this, a prejudice, is now being speedily overcome, especially as I am assisted by judicious magisterial influence.
There is still, however, much difficulty in making those who possess special Licenses carry a Lamp at night. I have had a pattern prepared, which costs but one hundred mils, and a light costs about eight mils for two hours; those to whom these Licenses have been issued have been individually spoken to, and cautioned on the subject and I think the matter of consider- able importance, as much mischief may be done by these fellows possessing the privilege they do, roaming about at night with- out a light.
There is also a further trouble in keeping them to their stands, but the streets in which the two principal stands are appointed, viz: Wyndham Street and by Pedder's Wharf are having extensive building operations carried on in them, which preclude to some extent the Chairs standing there.
I would also suggest that a new stand be appointed between Old Bailey Street and Union Chapel, for the convenience of the residents in Old Bailey, Shelley and Elgin Streets and those in the vicinity of the Hollywood Road.
I have now only further to remark that towards the end of the 2nd half year I may have a suggestion to make as to the economy of the above subject, that every effort has been made by this Department, only acting as it can, ministerially to bring these wild untutored people under the Law, they have been registered, made to find securities for their good conduct, and I may add, en passant, that these securities have improved much in validity; and the Ordinance, its penalties, as well as its privileges, carefully explained; and it now alone remains for Executive influence in the shape of firmness, zeal, and continual watchfulness on the part of the European Police to make the Chair Coolies of Hongkong at least as obedient and unexacting as a similar class in any other part of Her Majesty's Dominions.--I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient servant,
THOS. TURNER, Registrar General.
The Honourable
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY.