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MEMORANDUM BY MR. J. H. STEWART LOCKHART, COLONIAL SECRETARY,
ON THE PROTEST AGAINST ORDINANCE No. 40 OF 1899.
1. In considering the reasons for introducing and passing this Ordinance, it should be remembered that the New Territory was taken over on the 17th April last, on which date the British flag was hoisted under the circumstances detailed in the correspondence already published. The population of the territory is esti mated at about 100,000, being composed of people who for centuries have been acquainted with Chinese rule only. It is a matter of common knowledge that the Chinese are as a race suspicious and have a dread of their own officials. The reasons for that dread are well known, and may be aptly illustrated by the follow- ing experience of one of the inhabitants of the New Territory, which occurred when he was subject to Chinese jurisdiction. An attack was made upon his house by a large armed gang of robbers. He shot three and succeeded in beating the others off. The robbers complained to the Magistrate, who summoned the person attacked to attend, but made bin pay $150 before he would see him. After hearing the case the Magistrate ordered the sufferer to pay the funeral expenses of those shot, the other assailants being allowed to go scot free. It is not surprising, therefore, that the inhabitants of the New Territory, who have hitherto been accustomed to such justice, should be disinclined to appear before those in authority. Since the taking over of the New Territory every effort has been made to overcome this disinclina- tion, but it is difficult to overcome at once the habit of centuries, and it is not therefore unnatural that there should have been refusal, on the part of the inhab- itants, to attend before the British Officials, who they fear may accord to them the treatment which they have been accustomed to receive. Every effort has been made to remove these suspicions. Thousands of notices and leaflets have been published and circulated throughout every village in the territory, and British Officers have regularly visited each district and sub-district and endeavoured to dispel groundless suspicions and fears by explaining fully the policy of the Govern- ment and the objects of the various measures that have been introduced from time to time. The Governor has also met all the elders of the sub-districts and clearly declared the intentions of Government, as may be seen from His Excellency's speech, a copy of which is attached.* Two thousand Chinese versions of this speech were printed and distributed throughout the territory. The steps already taken have helped to partially dispel the doubts existing in the minds of the people, but the deep-rooted suspicion of ages and the prejudices existing against a foreign rule cannot be entirely eradicated at once. The result is that, though many may feel inclined to appear before an official when requested to do so, they are deterred from following their own inclination either because they do not wish to seem to run counter to popular feeling or are afraid, in view of their experiences under Chinese rule, that instead of receiving any benefit they will be sufferers. Invita- tions have frequently been sent to Chinese either to meet officials in their own villages or to attend at Táipó, the headquarters of Government in the New Terri- tory, in order to receive explanations regarding the registration of land, the objects of the survey of the New Territory, the preservation of trees, and other matters regarding which ignorance was creating unrest in the minds of the people. These invitations have been either partially or entirely disregarded. When, however, steps were taken to secure the attendance of those to whom invitations were issued and matters were explained to them, they acknowledged that they had behaved foolishly in not having complied with the invitation in the first instance and
* Enclosure No. 1.