CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. (Continuation)
A further resolution was carried suggesting that the Government make the United States trade dollar legal tender (if unchopped) owing to the scarcity of Mexican dollars and the fact that the British dollar might not be available for some considerable time. As a matter of fact the new British trade dollar did not make its appearance until 1895.
A concluding summary of the Chamber's activities will be given in a further article.
It is intended to conclude the annotated history of the H. K. General Chamber of Commerce to-day. The more important items summarised by Mr. Hewett when he wrote his history of the Chamber in 1911, are sufficient to give an idea of the many activities this body was concerned in from the year of its foundation. We have discussed the currency question, and it is interesting to note that the Chamber of Commerce as far back as 1878 was favourable to the re-introduction of a Mint in Hongkong (see 13-7-33) but nothing came of it.
For a long period in the late Seventies and early Eighties the mercantile community were greatly concerned over the political events out here, so that China's relations with the British and other nations and blockades and suchlike interferences with trade were the subject of representations; but that is taking us into avenues leading away from purely local history.
It might be noted that the Chamber first obtained the privilege of representation on the Legislative Council in 1884, when Sir Thomas Jackson (as he was afterwards) had the honour of being nominated unopposed and became the Chamber's first member in Council. In 1885 and 1886 the mercantile community took an active part in the discussions then going on regarding the inadequate defences of the Colony, as shown by the minutes of meetings, and we also find at this time a sustained agitation for the erection of a lighthouse at Cap Rock, and for several years following the matter of a proper China coast survey was revived. The foundation stone for the lighthouse at Gap Rock was laid in 1890.
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A most interesting reference is found in 1888 to the restrictions imposed by the Australian Government on Chinese immigrants. Apparently the Chinese had referred their complaints against the restrictions to the British Chamber, as they had referred other matters (such as currency questions) on previous occasions. The Chamber evidently supported the Chinese here for we find it recorded that in the summer of 1888 a discussion took place with regard to the prohibition passed by the Australian Government on the immigration of Chinese, and a
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