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beermited to suggest that if Sir Thomas Jackson will kindly undertake the duties of Treasurer he be appointed Treasurer (Ap- plauso.)
Sir Thomas JAOKSON—Your Excellency. I shall have great pleasure in acting sa Tres- surer. (Applause.)
MAJOR-GENERAL GASCOIGNE ON THE PATRIOTIC FUND.
H.E. Major-General GASCOIGNE said-Your Excellency, Indies and gentlemen, I think the proposal of His Excellency the Governor is a very good one indeed, that a Committee should
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
public. (Applause.) I thought it was only right that you should understand from me exactly what my views and my belief is. Of course if a second fund were got up I should be only too glad to take part in the new fand, but I confess my sympathies at the present moment, as I have endeavoured to lay before you, are with those who have no means of bringing their eases prominently before those who could bring their cases before the Patriotic Fund. I hope I have made myself clear. (Applause.)
H. E. the GOVERNOR-I think the General is rather mistaken about the Patriotic Fund.
It is a very natural mistake to make. The fund in London to which it was proposed to send this money is not the old Patriotio Fund. The old Patriotic Fund is the fand which was subscribed at the time of the Crimean War much in the same way as this fund is now being subscribed, and after all the expenses had been met it was found of money has been capitalised and has been used, a very large sum of money remained. That sum apparently with great economy, as the General has shown us, for eases that have come before them since that time This is a special fund raised by the Lord Mayor for the purposes mentioned in this telegram. It has nothing to do. I take it, with the old Patriotic Fund, which was placed in the hands of Trustees and has been managed for a great many years by Commissioners This special fund is for these purposes, which I will read again to you, and which is being got up at the present moment under the auspices of the Lord Mayor of London. I asked the question specially having regard to the fact that there was a large amount of money subscribed for the I thought it was important to know this in order express purpose which he General stated, as that the Committee might decide in what way to deal with the money. (His Excellency again read the telegram.) These are the people for whom this special subsoription is being raised, and it is well to know that these people will shall have a meeting of the Committee after- come under the operation of this fund. We
wards to talk it over.
MR. J. J. FRANCIS, Q.C., MAKES A BUGGESTION.
Mr. J. J. FRANCIS, Q.C., called attention to the fact that there was in existence a Soldiers' and Sailors' Families Association. He ventured to suggest that it would be more in accordance with the idea with which Mr. Bain, of the China Mail, started the suboription, that the money raised in Hongkong should be remitted to that
[December 2, 1889.
Messrs. R. M. Gray, David Gillies, A. MoCona- ohie, D. R. Crawford, G. Murray Bain, J. J. Francis, H. N. Mody, J. A. Raymond, D. M. Moses, Ho Tang Tang, Fung Wa Chuen, with power to add to their number. If we find have left out any person who wishes to take part we will be glad to have their names. I have agreed to undertake the duties of Honor. ary Treasurer. I need sosroely say I have my hands pretty fall of other work, and I would be very glad indeed have someto volunteers here to help in the collection.
ADMIRAL FITZGERALD SPEAKS ON BEHALF
OF THE NAVY.
Admiral FITZGERALD said—Ladies and gen- tlemen, His Excellency has asked me to say a few words on behalf of the Navy. I have great pleasure in rising to speak to the motion so eloquently put before you by His Excellency and so ably seconded by the General. I am sure the Navy will be very glad to know that the original idea was started by a naval officer. I am proud to note that a little detachment of sailors is fighting side by side with those gallant soldiers who are upholding, the honour of heir country in the Transvaal. (Applause.) I am sure I can promise you the moral suppor of the Navy and shall be very much surprised if you do not also have their material support. I shall
not attemp: to enter into the technicalities of how the fund is to be distributed. Sir Thomas Jackson has told us he has perfes · confidence in the distribution of the fand at home, and I feel sure we shall have perfect confidence in whatever Sir Thomas Jackson tells us in that respect. (Applause).
APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEE,
of the committee for adoption, adding-I a same that you are all satisfied with that Com. mittee, but if any gentleman in the meeting would like to propose any further name I shall be glad if he would propose it, and in the event of the Committee wishing to add to their number they shall have power to do so.
His EXCELLENCY then submitted the names
The Committee were elected without addi. tion.
His EXCELLENCY then invited the meeting - to decide as to what fund the money should be contributed to.
The Hou, H. E. POLLOCK proposed that the fund be devoted exclusively " to those widows and children who are not on the strength of the. regiments."
be formed to decide about this. As I under- stand it you will correct me if I am wrong- the original subscriptions that were made in the China Mail, and were started-all honour to him-by an officer in the Navy I wish we knew his name were started not for those who are on the strength but for the widows or wives of soldiers who are married without leave. (Applause.) I think it was specially mentioned more or less that that was the original intention. At any rate, I was one of the subscribers and certainly my subscription was more intended for those who are net on the strength than for those who are. At the present time the wires of married men on the strength are, practically speaking, well looked after. They are looked after by the Government. In the first place they get a regular fixed separation allowance, and although I do not mean to say that many of them are not, of course, in straightened circumstances owing to the war, yet they are net destitute. They have the fixed allowance from the Government, and in case the busband dles they have ́s sum of money given them by the Government. Also, at the present day-I am speaking only of the army, because I only know of the army-at the present day there is no doubt about it. that married officers' wives take an immense interest in the families of the soldiers of their regiment. (Applause.) Dur- ing my years of service I have seen no greater shange than in this respect. Consequently, on a regiment going on aotive service the people who are known, those who are on the strength- although, as I say, they may be in straightened sircumstances—are provided for to a certain extent. But there is the very large number of those who ar» married without leave, and al- though we make it a rule in the Army not to encourage men to marry without leave, because it is from many points of view objectionable, yet at the same time it exists to a very large extent, and those poor women have nobody at all to bring their cases prominently into notice. A His Excellency the Governor has mentioned that the Patriotic Fund is devoted to, among other things, those who are mar. ried without leave, I am delighted to hear it, but it is new to me, and 1 think it will be new to s great number of officers also with whom I have disewaend the matter. I can only say that this Patriotis Fund to my knowledge certainly has been a very difficult fund indeed to get money out of, and that for years past it has swollen to SA Spormons extent. A very very large sum of money was raised during the Crimean War for the benefit of the families of those who fell in that war, and the balance remaining after olaims had be-n provided for was capitalised, and that is what is known as the Pariotic Fund. It amounts as the present time, or rather at the end of 1898 it amou1 ed to £207,000, and the expenditure was £20,000. Certainly we have not apparently to our knowlege in the army got a great deal of beneft out of it sroept with a great deal of difficulty. It is a new thing to me cer- tainly to know that poor women who are not on At all events this Transraa! war has taken such strength of the regiment can bring their cases a hold of the country, I am perfectly sure the prominently before the dispensers of the Fund. best men in the country would see that this It can only I think be a few who are lucky Mansion House Fund is administered and funds enough to have people sufficiently influential given to the most deserving cases. I think to know of their existence to bring their cases we can have every confidence in sending the before the Patriotie Fund. Therefore, gentle- main portion of our subscriptions to the Man- men, I would like to ask you whether or not the sion House Fund. You have been good enough money thus voted here is intended to be capita- to ask me to say something about the Commit. lised for I believe it will result very much tee. We would like to have a Committee not too in that if it is paid into the Patriotic Fand-or | unwieldly, but at the same time representative whether your wishes are that the money you are I would suggest:-H.E, the Governor (Chair- kind enough to votel shond be more or less de-man), Major-General Gascoigne, C.M.G., Com voted to those who are sufferers at the present modore Powell, R.N.. C.B., Hon. J. H. Stewart tima, and, as I understood the originator of the Lockhart, C.M.U., (Hon. Secretary); Sir Fand to mean, to those who have no means of Thomas Jackson (Hon. Treasurer); the Un- On Wednesday at noon a meeting of the com bringing their prominently before the official Members of the Legislative Council,mittee appointed at the meeting held at the City
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Association for distribution and not remitted to the Patriotic Fund, as they had no certainty in forwarding it to the latter fund that it would reach the people intended. He suggested the there should be two funds. The fund started by the China Mail should be sent to the Soldiers' and Sailors' Institution for distribution and another subscription list be opened for the Fund of the Lord Mayor.
AN EXPLANATION FROM SIR THOMAS
JACKSON.
Sir THOMAS JACKSON-I would like to point out that calling this fund a Patriotio Fund was my own ides. I have reason to believe that the fund being raised in London is called the Mansion House Fund and has no connection whatever with the old Patriotic Fund. I think it might be inadvisable to start two funds and run them concurrently-ons for the original idea and the other to go straight to the Man sion Honse Fund. We know very well that anything we would send to the Mansion House they would have porfoot organization for the distribution of; if we sent it through other channels it might not be so well administered.
Mr. DANBY seconded.
*
The Hon. R. D. ORMSBY suggested that they invite subscriptions in three columns—one for the widows and children not on the strength, one for the Mansion House Fund, and one for a fund leaving it to the Committee to deside for what purpose.
Mr. D. R. CRAWFORD seconded.
Major-General GASCOIGNE said it might per. haps help to a definite decision, as he was tha one who struck the first note, if he said that the explanation he had received that the Patriotio Fund was not to be considered as the old Patrio- tic Fund entirely met with his approval. He had complete confidence that the fund would by thoroughly well administered.
Mr. MURRAY BAIN-Your Excellency, ladion and gentlemen, I my mention with regard to the original fund, that if there are to be twe funds, it could not be carried on by the China Muil.
We have already asked Sir Thomas Jackson to take it over, and I have no desire te have a rival fund to the Patriotic Fund. A advised by most of the contributors to our fund I shall be prepared to hand over that fund to the Patriotio Fund after the explanations that have been made.
Utimately the Hon. W. M. GOODMAN pro... posed that there be only one fund and that the money be sent to the Mansion House Fund.
Sir THOMAS JACKSAN seconded.
The motions were put to the meeting in turn, and the motion proposed by Hon. W. M. Good- man that the money be sent to the Mansion House Fund was carried by a large majority.
On the motion of Sir THOMAS JACKBOX, vote of thanks was nocorded His Excellency the Governor for presiding,
MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE.