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In communicating the above to the Viceroy, I am to ask you to be good enough to again express to His Excellency an expression of the Governor's thanks for the promptitude with which His Excellency sent troops to maintain order in the New Territory pending His Excellency the Governor's assumption of the Government.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
J. H. STEWART LOCKHART,
Colonial Secretary.
HER BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S CONSUL,
Canton.
ENCLOSURE NO. 3 IN GOVERNOR'S DESPATCH No. 93 OF THE 15TH APRIL, 1899.
Translation of Petition.
We, the gentry of the 39 villages of the Tát Tak Community of the Ping Shán District, beg to present this humble petition stating the cause of the recent trouble and begging for pardon.
Last month His Excellency the Governor of Hongkong issued instructions for the erection of a Police matshed in our district. At that time we had not re- ceived any proclamation from the British Government nor from the Chinese Gov- ernment so that through want of information we became suspicious and unsettled in mind. A few lawless rascals spread wild reports which misled the villagers. They said that the Fung Shui of the district will be injuriously affected by the erection of a matshed and that when the territory is taken over by the English Government a Sanitary Board will be created; that a poll tax will be levied; that licences will be required for keeping domestic animals; that our marriage customs and funeral ceremonies will be altered; that the cutting and gathering of firewood will be prohibited. The ignorant villagers believed this to be true and the feeling of alarm became so general that the inhabitants of Kam Tin, Un Long, Ha Ts'ün, Shap Pát Héung, Castle Peak, and other villagers determined to make things diffi- cult for the British Officers.
We, your humble petitioners, were at first misled but afterwards came forward to explain matters and give good advice to the inhabitants. But they not only would not listen to us but heaped much abuse on us and forced us to take the lead. We knew that if, on the one hand, we complied we should offend against those in authority; while if, on the other, we refused compliance we should be beaten to death by our fellow-villagers. Being in such a quandary, we were constrained to assent. Afterwards we received the proclamations issued by His Excellency the Governor and the Viceroy and numerous letters from our friend in Hongkong, Mr. NG SUI-SHANG, in which he vigorously refuted the false reports which had been spread. Your petitioners then at the risk of their lives undeceived the people by telling them the facts of the case and they became somewhat more settled.
Your petitioners know that their offence is such that they ought not to es- cape punishment, but the clemency of the Government of Her Majesty the Queen is so great that we hope that a leniency which the law does not allow may be mer- cifully extended to us.
Knowing that you, Sir, are ever ready to act as peace-maker and are willing to endeavour to save people from extreme danger, we come forward to state the cause of the recent trouble and beg you to transmit our petition to the Honour- able Colonial Secretary so that he may submit it to His Excellency the Governor. We humbly pray that His Excellency may be pleased to examine it and mercifully grant us pardon so that when we return to our villages we may use every exer- tion to remove the doubts of the people.
12th April, 1899.
To the Honourable WEI YUK for transmission to the Colonial Secretary and submission to His Excellency the Governor.
Translated by
J. H. STEWART LOCKHART.