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16.—He bélieves that under the new policy there will be more Gaming, but by removal of its illegality, the consequences will he far less pernicious to individuals or the Public than its present more licited practice. His opinion on the probabilities of the case is at least founded on information as accurate and extensive as yours--though it may not be so offensively or discourteously expressed as in some of your recent publications.
17.One system bas been tried and failed. Therefore another is now about to be tried. Should It also fail the Governor bas réserved complète powers to terminate the expertinent at a moment's notice. 18. Finally His Excellency desires me to add that he does not believe there is any individual amongst you so reluctant personally, as he is himself, to introduce a system, the object of which it is so easy for irresponsible declaimers to misrepresent in general appeals to morality, for which there will ever be a ready audience, too indulgent to suspect that the morality advocated is but a lazy acquiescence in the same vide under mote revolting and dangerous conditions.
19. Argument would be useless with those who can see no differ- ence between the special and exceptional efrcumstances of Hong- kong and Heligoland. What might be an unjustifiable Policy in England, or in a Colony inhabited by a European race with an efficient Police, way he, in the cause of order and general security, an absolute necessity in a small. Community of 2,000 Foreignera amongst 190,000 Chinese, whose co-oparation in the suppression of illegal Gambling, the source of so much crime, can only be ex- pected, by giving them an interest in limiting its practice to a few fixed places under Government surveillance.
I have the honor to be,
Gentlemen,
Your most obedient servant,
(signed) CECIL C. SMITH, Acting Colonial Secretary.
COMMENTS UPON HIS EXCELLENCY'S REPLY. (1) The careful reader will observe that Sir Richard nds the major part of the objections of the six pro- testants quite unanswerable. This inability to reply
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is partially veiled by the use of sarcasm, by accusa- tions that the Missionarios "lazily acquiesce" in this vice of the Chinese, by a charge of "offensiveness and discourtesy."
(2) This latter charge is brought against lettors published in the local newspapers by Messrs. Morris and Turner; which letters the other four gentlemen did not see antill after their publication. The two gentlemen certainly complained in strong even vebe- ment language, little likely to be pleasing to Sir Ni- chard, of the immorality of this scheme; of the re- proach brought thereby on our country, and our re ligion; and of the government's making a secret of its intention. These charges are all substantially embodied in the above joint protest.
(3) It will be noticed that Sir Richard does not attempt to reply to objections 3, 4 and 5; and that objection 2 he in effect admits.
(4) No imputation of sordid motives has been made. Kot the motives, but the acts of the government have been criticized. The facts are these: There is an acknowledged deficit of $120,000 in the revenue. To supply this the Stamp Ordinance was passed, which dinance the Govorior could put in force at any moment if he pleased. He prefers to hold this in beyance, and to supply the necessities of the colonial reasury by a sum (say $250,000) derived from gam- Sing house licenses.
6) A great part of the Governor's letter is devo. ed to an attempted refutation of the charge of intro- cing this measure in an underhand and un-English The failure of this attempt is evident enough, ir Richard contends that the order and cleanliness dinance was publicly introduced last year. But complaint is that this Ordinance contains nothing