ASIATIC, SOC, ROYAL CHINA BRANCH.
Reference has been made to the China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society which met in a room in the old Supreme Court. The Branch was apparently inaugurated in 1855 for mention is made of the anniversary meeting in the following year.
At this meeting H. E. The Governor Sir John Bowring was re-elected President and the Bishop of Victoria and Mr. W. T. Mercer (Colonial Secretary) Vice-Presidents. It was at this meeting also that the Hon. T. C. Anstey (Attorney-General) (who has just arrived in the Colony) was proposed as a member. It is also of interest to note that this gentleman read a paper a few months afterwards entitled "On the Administration and Value of Judicial Oaths amongst the Chinese."
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The business of the Society for the most part appeared to consist in listening to various papers on scientific subjects read by members which were afterwards published in book form. The Society also appeared to have a Library for we read of a sub-committee being formed to examine the state thereof.
I also note that the Society's President Sir John Bowring in 1856 was reported to be preparing an account of the Colony of Hongkong. In this connexion it is pointed out that before 1841, when the island was ceded to the British, the population consisted principally of fishermen scattered along the southern side.
In 1855 the Chinese population numbered 72,000. For many years the Colony, after drawing from £20,000 to £40,000 from Parliamentary Grants-in-Aid, was then self-supporting, indeed had a handsome surplus revenue hoarded in the Treasury and Oriental Bank vaults. In 1855, some 60,000 tons of shipping entered the harbour.
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