February 11, 1905.]
women contracting marriages with Chinamen.
The Hon. Mr. MAY seconded the motion,
which was carried.
ELECTION OF COMMITTEE. Lady Berkeley and Mesdames Barnes Lawrence, Hickling, Siebs and Piercey were elected to the committee for the ensuing year, with power to add to their number,
"waster."
A CHARITABLE PRO 08AL.
SIR H. S. BERKELEY: The next question before us is a proposal by which the Benevolent Society may make itself still more useful than it has been able to do. The proposal is that the Benevolent Society should allow itself to be, as it were, an arbor of certain charitably disposed persons, who desire to relieve the necessities of persous, who, however undesirable, are here, and the report shows that they are unable to be prevented from coming here. That is the class of destitute persons, poor suffering people, deserving of help. The class that is most largely found here is that of sailor. As far as the man who is known among us as the "P.B.S." goes, he is proved for. The shipping master in every British port has to take charge of the man who is a distressed British seaman. and find him shelter as soon as he can; meantime he must provide him with board aud lodging. The foreign sailor who lands here ought to be looked after by his Consul, but it appears that he is not. If properly discharged from his ship, the British Government also looks after him. Between most nations arrangements are made by which foreign distressed seamen dis. charged from a ship can be treated as distressed seamen and sent home at the cost of the place at which they are, which cost is refunded by the Government of which the man is a subject. Again, there is the class of people we call The object of this proposition is to give even thes→ chance, men who do not deserve it in a sense. The fund of the Benevolent Society has nothing to do with this proposition, neither will it be used in connection with it. The new schem is a sort of limited liability charity insurance com- pany, and anybody joining the soci-ty and giving a guarantee will, it is propo ed, be permitted to ask the Benevolent Society to distribute the fund; to pay out so much a week or day to the Rev. Mr. France, who will undertake to devote the amount to the support of the person for whom it is intended. The suggestion is that the guarantee shall be limited to $60 for a month. What you have to discuss this afternoon is whether you will sanction the Benevolent Society becoming the medium of an institution or charity of this description. Per- sonally, when I first heard of this movement, I had a very strong objection to it, because I was under the impression that it was proposed to make the support of these persons a charge on the fund of the Benevolent Society, and saw many, many objections to anything of the sort taking place. I cannot see what possible objection can be raised to the society permitting itself medium of relieving grief, and do not think the meeting need trouble itself one way or the other as to whether the person relieved is deserving or not. If I choose to relieve persons you know are not deserving why should not I? I am not doing anything wrong. If being unable myself to distribute that charge in the most effective way, what objection should anyone raise! We want subscribers not to withold their consent to the society being made the place of distribution of charitable aid, by persons who are charitably disposed.
to
become the
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
will
I may say at once, to relieve the minds of those who think that such a scheme will attract larger numbers to our shores than were coming here before, that the Governor has in contemplation fresh legislation to make it more difficult for destitutes to be dump d in Hongkong than it is at present (Hear, Hear). No doubt the existing laws are not stringent enough, but no | matter how closely we weave the leashes, there will always be loopholes, and no doubt from time to time, cases will crop up. Where germen are conc rned, members of the Society agree that they should be dealt with by authorities accustomed to deal with them. It therefore seems
to me that the scheme is a good one as it assists the society in the two ways I have mentioned. I do not think there is any fear of it attracting more des- titutes to our shores for the reason given. and cannot add anything more in support.
Mr. HEWETT: I understood b fore I came to the meeting that we were being purely called upon to express au op nion on the scheme of H.E. the Governor already published in the papers. I must confess when I heard your remarks, Sir, I was taken somewhat by surprise. I think, if a resolution is put forward, the same as i understand in your remarks, that the result will undoubtedly be that we shall have this undesirable class dumped on our shores. If the proposal be merely a call for a guarantee fund to help deserving seamen, I most heartily support it. I think myself that the Merchant Shipping Act and Vagrant Act form safeguards against the undesirable people thrown on our shores. I can unhesitatingly say that the number of cases of deserving samen who come here is extremely sm 11-pssibly one in 1:00. Money spent on a des rring seaman is not wasted, and such a man, if he becomes destitute, ought to be supported. I beg to second the resolution.
Hru
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temporary measure I will support this scheme, and am willing to guarantee lodgings for one man. If any country in the world ought to look after its own people, it is the United States of America. They have great resources, and it is only fair for us to call upon them to look- after their destitute people. This society is entirely managed by ladies, and it does not appeal to me very much that they should be brought into the atmosphere of undesirables. This scheme I consider would be better managed by men.
HIS LORDSHIP, BISHOP HOARE: I do not know from the discussion this afternoon whether this scheme is to help deserving seamen or wasters. I must say I most heartily agree with what Mr. Stewart said about the scheme. I consider it good as a temporary measure, though a bad scheme if to be considered as a permanent measure. Two points in the scheme app ar to me to be weak. The first is it does not discourage the importation of this class of people, but serves rather to encourage it. Mr.. My said that legislation is in contemplation with & view to discouraging the dumping For my own part, I should like to see what that legislation is before debating on the scheme. As far as I know there has only been one piece of legislation on the matter during the past seven
years, which has greatly increased facilities for dumping. The second weak point to me is, to put проп individuals, £ responsibility which ought to rest upon the whole community (Her, Hear). I do not see why this matter should be treated simply as a matter of private charity anymore than the question of the unemployed at home. The point ought to be seriously dealt with by the Government. If not dealt with by Government, the present proposal cannot be anything шоге than a very temporary on- We may get many who will willingly guarantee now, but when it comes to run on year after year, you will find your guarantors diminish in numbers. Then again, with regard to people who are kindly undertaking to do the work. This is, so far as I understand, to be put upon the managers of the Sailors' Home and Mr. France. It is very kind of Mr. Milroy to do this when he is not paid to, and also very kind of Mr. France to say that he will do it, I confess that, for my own part, I am jealous at seeing Mr. France let in for so much of that kind of work, He is as hard worked a man as there is in the colony (applause). He came here to be a clergy- man, not to be a sifter of cases of dis- tressed seamen. I have heard it said that the Government cannot consider this matter as everything falls од the heads of departments and a new department would have to be formed. This is a matter concern-
Government not make special departments if necessary? We have in Hongkong a func tionary called a Protector of Chinese. I consider that the Chinese are very much more capable of protecting themselves than a European here, and it is not unreasonable to as the Govern ment to get a Protector of Britishers so that they should not be marched off to the House of Detention. The Chinese are not taken there, and why should our own countrymen be! At present we swarm with people who have been dumped, and I think we ought to rise to the occasion and put our hands in our pockets and do what we can to help, and there- fore i will support ent rely this society under- taking to carry out the scheme on one condition, and that is that it is a temporary measure until the Government takes the thing in hand. (App suse).
Hon. MR. GERSHOM STEWART: I think His Excellency is to be congratulated on having, by his letter, gained public pinion of the condition of affairs here. Gradually, in the course of time, there has risen up amongst us distress Under municipal affairs this has in- creased of late rapidly, and the conditions of life betw en East and West are likely to make the increase greater in the future. This scheme, as proposed to us, seems to me to t uch and impinge upon a very wide question. As explained to us, distressed British seamen cared for by the Gvernm nt. Landsmen by this scheme are not cared for at all. They are desirous of assistance when huugry as well as other men. The fund therefore resolves itself into 8 relief fund for foreign sailors. Without wishing to appear uncharitable, and referring to the old saying that "Charity begins at home," it is not un reasonable for this Colony to call upon eaching the whole of the colony, so why should the nation to support its own people when in distress. I am heartily glad to bear what Mr. May has said about legislation, but until we have details We are wandering in the dark. It seems to me that the community have reasonable cause of protest against ship ping companies who bring these people here and against the Government who receive them. Hongkong has now lost the proud record of being a free port, and will view with great pleasure some further legislation in reference to the non-importation of undesirables here. A point which seemed to me rather overlooked is that the Silors' Home, which is at present occupied by respectable and self respected men, may run the chance, if kept Hon. Mr. MAY: Sir Henry Berkeley, by charity, of losing its present high position, ladies and gentlemen-I beg to move Records show the conduct of the men who. the following resolution :-" That this Society occupy it, and if we are going to thrust on it will adopt the scheme for the dealing undesirable people, possibly the Sailors' Home with deserving distressed seamen as set out in a may sink. As showing a glaring instauce letter from H.E. the Governor, under date of the manner in which foreigners are thrust on 28th January, to the President of this society." the Colony, one of the employees on a United The scheme, sir, has a twofold object. The States Governmentship which lately left here first is to enable the Society to deal effectively
on being sick was brought ashore, and his with a certain class of those who apply to it
Consul declined to assist him. His Lordship for assistance--the class of seamen.
the Bishop, the Rev. Mr. France and others are posed that these cases should be investigated by endeavoring to do what they can to found a competent authorities of the Sailors' Home, seamen resting house under the Church of and assisted by those authorities. The second England. I quite agree that it is very sad for object, Sir, is to relieve the Society of the deserving men to go into the House of Deten- expense entailed by dealing with these cases, tion and be arrayed in prison_garb. That by inviting individual members of the society, might be amended, and the deserving man or outsiders, to become guarantors for a guaran- | put on a different basis to the incorrigible tee fund. That is really the case in a nutshell idle vagrants thrown проп 18. As a
It is pro-
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Hon. Mr. MAY: With regard to Mr. Stewart's remarks about the Sailors' Home being lowered in tone by the admission to it of foreign seamen, I should like to mention that about eight per cent of the inmates of the home are foreign seamen. I thought perhaps a distressed British seaman meant a Britisher, but it does not, it means a seaman discharged from a British ship. This scheme, so far, is purely a charitable one. I do not think the Government of Hongkong ever shirked a responsibility in the past, and do not think they are likely to do so under the present regime. If the evil grows so great that it requires to be taken in hand by a Government department, there is not the slightest doubt that it will be taken in hånd.