place in constant use
by the Chinese.
populations with its attendant noise and confusion would of itself be felt
serious evil, but in addition to this
the risk of more frequent robberies (numerous they have been) of public property and stores from the War Department Buildings
in
Hongkong would be
For these reasons
greatly aggravated..
His Excellency the Major
General desires to record his protest against the proposed plan of constructing a public landing place at the spot indicated in
your
letter. He is of opinion that
a much
more convenient locality might be selected
for this purpose considerably
to the
Eastward of the position now proposed),
but however this
may
be, he views the
Page 360
crowd, chiefly
a constant crowd,
plan of bringing a
composed of the lowest class of Chinese into the immediate vicinity of the public offices,
Commissariat Chest and the Military Hospital
as
objectionable
in the
highest degree.
It is the duty of the Major
General Commanding to watch over and - protect the interests of the War Department as well as of every Branch of the Military
service under his charge,
and he should
fail in the performance of it if he were to adopt any
measure that would
cause more harm than the
proposed
alteration.
His Excellency the Major General
desires to transmit by
the next mail
copies of this correspondence to the Right Honorable the Secretary of State