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considerably swindling and corrupt - cases of land, houses and property, and I believe also of wives and children. This matter is probably the gravest ever brought before Government, and whilst considering it in all its bearings, it is important to keep in mind that we have to
legislate for 50,000 people, whose
interests and habits imperatively demand attention to their wishes,
comforts, however
and
to our own.
however antagonistic gambling is historically known in China
countenanced in every
the Authorities, notwithstanding its prohibition by Law (vide Stanton's penal code), and doubtless more
vice is caused by rendering its indulgence (as at present) more hazardous, from the simple fact of its greater frequent tendency to bribe and corrupt the Police - To suppress it altogether may be considered hopeless, but its
may
evils
the
...
be diminished, whereas
difficulties of removing a vice
- so popular, as completely supported by Chinese public opinion, as combined with their own ideas of its being
conducive to their happiness,
are
increased and aggravated, and consequently failure inevitable. Look also to the danger to which we are liable from
to are
gamblers who form Societies and secret confederations, the
members of the kind