CITY HALL 2 - 3.
177.
The City Hall fountain was presented to the community by Mr. John Dent, and erected in 1864 (see 19-6-33). It was demolished last year to make room for the bank building.
The original electric telegraph out here connected Jardines' town office to their East Point premises in 1863, (see 19-9-33); and the city was first lighted with gas in 1863 (see 28-11-33).
How interesting, though, is that early envisioning of hansom cabs at a Kowloon-Canton railway station: thus showing that early thought had been given the matter. The railway was not destined to be completed until 1911 at a time when taxis were already threatening to oust the old cabs from London stations.
The fact that a Rifle Association existed here as long ago as 1867 is also of considerable interest,
Reference to the commercial depression is interesting, and the fact that Hongkong by 1867 already boasted 2,000,000 tons of foreign shipping annually is worthy of record.
In yesterday's article was reproduced the larger portion of the speech by the Governor (Sir Richard Macdonnell) at the laying of the foundation stone of the City Hall in 1867. Leaving a few of the more rhetorical passages, we have the remainder of the speech as follows:- with my own italics, Having referred to the growth of the Colony and its increased shipping tonnage, the Governor continued:
He would however pass from this to another point of view in which they might regard the event of that day, as possessing a very special significance. It must be admitted that a combination of circumstance had rendered the last two years disastrous and depressing to the commercial interests of the community, and though the general trade still existed and was extending, or rather might be regarded as almost in its infancy as yet, nevertheless individuals had suffered and great mercantile depression had resulted. The year 1865 had also been particularly unhealthy, though its exceptional circumstances did not justify the absurd opinion entertained in England of the climate here, and writers in the "Times" would have found their statements pleasantly refuted if they could have passed the last few months here, and enjoyed a climate preferable in many respects to that of a London winter.