"Evening Mail"
Act when he pleads for it that it will indirectly compel others than were residents here to share the burdens as well as the profits attendant on business here."
One word as to our contemporary's Paganini-like fiddling on the one string of the importance of our merchants and bankers, their respectability, their liberality, &c. It may occur to gentlemen that they would rather not have their personal virtues descanted on, or their claims to social consideration enforced, when everybody admits all that they can possibly desire in those respects. There is a degree of snobbishness in lagging in such matters to bolster up a weak argument on a purely public question. But this is not the only vulgar mistake the Press has committed in the course of the present controversy, and it was evident from the tone of the meeting on Monday that others share that opinion with ourselves.
THE STAMP ACT.
A PUBLIC meeting, convened by the anti-Stamp Act Memorial Committee, was held in the Supreme Court room yesterday afternoon, for the purpose of receiving His Excellency's reply to the Memorial, and for taking such steps relating thereto as might be deemed advisable. At the time named for commencing proceedings, about 20 persons were present; that number had increased to about 120 when the business closed. The sheriff having opened the meeting by requesting the persons present to appoint a chairman, a motion was carried appointing Mr Maclean to preside. The motion was moved by Mr Bosman and seconded by Mr Ryrie.
The CHAIRMAN (who, as on the former occasion, retained his seat while addressing the meeting), explained that the meeting had been called in accordance with an advertisement, to receive His Excellency's reply to the Memorial that had been presented to the Governor against the Stamp Act. Almost every one, he dared to say, had already read the Memorial, but the proper course would be to read it to the meeting. The Chairman then read the reply (still keeping his seat). It was listened to quietly, the only interruption being a call for naming the gentlemen referred to by His Excellency as having communicated with him about the Stamp Act. The Chairman also produced the official statement of the financial position of the Colony that has already appeared in our columns, and a statistical paper showing (as we understood him) the proportions of rates paid by different classes of residents on this island. He (the Chairman) had only further to state that he had had a personal interview with the Governor, to bring before His Excellency the subject of the Chinese deputation. From a remark which fell from His Excellency in receiving that deputation, as reported in the local papers—which he (the Chairman) could not vouch for, but as there had been no contradiction, he supposed the report was correct—His Excellency had stated that the Chinese deputation was an offshoot of the European one, that it was in fact a "get up" on the part of the European community. He thought it was his duty, as Chairman of the memorial committee, to do away with His Excellency's impression on that head (hear). Therefore he distinctly stated to His Excellency that they had had nothing to do with the Chinese memorial (cheers), which had been started by the Chinese alone, and they (the committee) knew nothing of it half an hour before it was got up and presented. He advised them to apply at the Colonial Secretary's Office for permission to present the memorial. That was all he knew of it; indeed the publication of the memorial would show that the committee had had nothing to do with it. He told His Excellency that he was under the impression the Chinese had moved in the matter earlier than the Europeans did, and he gave a denial to the assertion that the committee had used any force or undue pressure on the Chinese in this matter—(cheers). Having now read the reply, he would be glad to hear any gentleman who was ready to take any further steps in this matter, which was a very important matter, so far as this Colony was concerned.
A pause of some duration was broken by Mr McDouall remarking: It was said that at the last meeting everything was cut and dried; perhaps those who so complained will now come forward. Let them come (much laughter). Another lengthy pause ensued.
Mr GRANVILLE SHARP rose and commenced a very able speech by a jocular remark on the absence of strict formality at the meeting, and then urged them to consider whether the Stamp Act, which he was not there, however, to defend, would be so disastrous to the Colony as had been prophesied. Was this small measure really to reduce East Point to a pirate haunt? Make the City Hall a third-class public house? Convert Falconer's Jewellery store into a marine store? Would fishermen henceforth dry their nets under the piazza of the Oriental Bank (laughter and cheers). Nothing precipitated an event more than the anticipation of it. Never tell a man he is going to die, because he might do so through the assurance and then one might be held guilty of murder (laughter). Englishmen did not like to be taxed. He was against it, for taxation had a sting for him as it had for other Englishmen, and the moment it touched him he winced and groaned and shrunk from it, but bore it after all, as the poor patient camel did his load at Suez or Alexandria (laughter and cheers). But now that all had been done that could be done with regard to the Stamp Act, was it worth while to go on overcolouring the picture of desolation if Hongkong was to fall? Should it not fall with some show of magnanimity? And looking calmly on the other side of the question, might they not find something to prepare them for the adverse decision of the Secretary of State for the Colonies? (cheers). Mr Sharp argued that there was no substantial injustice inflicted by the Act, and remarked that at the last meeting this was said to be a bankers' question, and that the bankers would leave the port if they were further taxed. But he put it to the meeting whether the amount of police and lighting rates drawn from these wealthy corporations, some few hundred dollars each, was a fair contribution to the necessities and urgencies of the colony (cheers). Their capital here was equal to £5,000,000 sterling, yet the only liability that enormous amount of capital was under, was an insignificant house and police rate (cheers). The speaker contended against the proposal to increase the house tax, on the ground that the poorer rate-payers would pay the heaviest proportion of increase, and ridiculed the apprehensions that had been expressed about the future of Hongkong, a dreary feeling which he attributed to temporary depression of trade. As to the alarm felt by the Chinese, that was no doubt attributable to the other ordinances that had been lately passed for their government. It had been said that the merchants of Hongkong would go to Macao or Canton if the Stamp Act passed, and that it would lessen the value of property in Hongkong. There were properties for sale in Hongkong, not on account of the Stamp Act, but on account of previous overtrading and slump in business. There were houses also for sale in Canton and Macao. Were the contracted issues of some of the Banks to be attributed to the stamp of one per cent? Would the Merchants leave their palaces here for the
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