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ference of the military, which probably would have caused much bloodshed.
Yours sincerely,
(Signed) F. DUNLOP, Colonel,
Royal Artillery.
Lieut.-Col. Caine
No. 123. GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION. The subjoined proclamation, issued in Chinese on the afternoon of yesterday, is here published for general information.
By Order, (Signed)
W. Caine.
Colonial Secretary's Office,
Victoria. Hong Kong,
November 22, 1856.
W. T. MERCER,
Colonial Secretary.
PROCLAMATION.
By the Honourable Lieutenant-Colonel William Caine, Lieutenant-Governor administering the Government of Hong Kong.
In order that lawless meetings may be suppressed, and confidence restored to the well-disposed Chinese inhabitants of the colony:
It is hereby notified to the residents of this colony, that Her Majesty's Government having reason to believe that the large influx of suspicious characters from the Chinese mainland which has taken place during the last few weeks; and the seditious and treasonable demonstrations of this date in the streets of this city, have been occasioned by the direct agency of secret emissaries from the persons carrying on a lawless war against Her Majesty's Forces in the neighbouring province of Kwang Tung. It is the determination of Her Majesty's Government within this colony to take instant measures for putting in force the provisions of the Registration Ordinance No. 7 of 1846; and so soon as the said Ordinance shall be brought into full operation, all unregistered Chinese will be required to depart from the colony. Whilst the Colonial authorities are always ready on proper occasions to hear the complaints of Her Majesty's Chinese subjects, and if well founded, to redress them, it is nevertheless further notified, that no complaint whatever will be attended to so long as they are urged in an improper manner.
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The Lieutenant-Governor will willingly receive and give every attention to any representation of grievances that may be laid before him. Her Majesty's Government therefore require Her Majesty's said subjects to abstain from all part in the aforesaid demonstrations, to return to their several duties, and to re-open their shops. Tumultuous movements taking place after publication of this Proclamation will be immediately suppressed by the military authorities.”
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.
Victoria.
Given at Hong Kong, this 21st day of November, 1856.
By order, (Signed) W. T. MERCER,
Colonial Secretary.
EXTRACT from China Mail, No. 615, November 27, 1856.
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"Independent of the excitement existing from the still unsettled state of affairs at Canton, we have had other cause for disquiet in the riotous disposition displayed by the Chinese mob in Hong Kong. Several heavy fines (some think excessive) had been imposed under a local nuisance Ordinance by the Chief Magistrate, assisted by the Attorney-General in his capacity of Justice of the Peace; and this, in conjunction with a general feeling of discontent against the police, produced an excitement which vented itself in a thoroughly Chinese manner---by the voluntary closing of all the shops. The excitement, however, would have speedily subsided of itself, but for an endeavour on the part of the idle vagabonds, with whom the colony teems, to turn the state of affairs to account; but their schemes were frustrated as much by the moderation of the better classes, as by the appearance of the military patrolling the streets; and beyond the throwing of a few stones, nothing has occurred, while the issue of a Proclamation by the Lieutenant-Governor had the effect of calming the minds of the shopkeepers, so that after a meeting of the principal men, held at their Joss-House, the shops were opened and business resumed on Saturday forenoon. Indeed, we doubt much if any disturbance at all would have taken place, had Mr. Caldwell been at his post in the colony, instead of at Canton, where, as an officer in colonial pay, he had no business to be, even in attendance upon Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary for the "Protectorship of the Chinese," to which, with every one else, we are delighted to find him gazetted, does not, we presume, extend beyond "the Island of Hong Kong and its dependencies, and the waters thereof."