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HON. R. ROWETT TO HON. J. G. AUSTIN.
HoNoRoxo, 25th September, 1874. S18.--I beg to return herewith the Report from Captain Superintendent Deane which you have sent to me for perusal.
In reference thereto I regret to say that the reasons given for the inaction of the Police, at a moment when they were much needed to render assistance to shipwrecked men, appear to me to be entirely unsatisfactory; and that Mr. Deane should quote the exaggerated language of a newspaper report to describe the condition of the atmosphere at the time in question, only proves that he could not have taken proper means to discover the true state of things.
This is clear from the fact that Mr. McEwen went from the Praya to the Police Station to make his report, and suffered no injury by the way. He came back to the Praya and immediately returned to the Police Station, accompanied by Lieutenant Prior, Mr. Baird, and thirty-six of the men saved from the bey. These thirty-nine persons walking together met with no accident. It is therefore perfectly reasonable to conclude that as many police. men would have been equally tree from accident, and I must record my conviction that, if the Police had rendered the aid which they were in duty hound to give, they might very probably have saved many of the unfortunate people who have lost their lives in the steamer Leonor.
I also believe that but for the apathy and neglect of the police much robbery from the shops facing the harbour might have been prevented.
In expressing these opinions I believe I am stating the views of a large mumber of residents in the Colony, whose confidence has been shaken in the management of the Police.
I should also like to inquire why the Fire Bell was not rung on the night of the 22nd lastant, when a Fire was reported at the Police Station.
At that Fire Volunteers were in attendance, from the house of Messrs Gibb, Livingston & Co., while the Police were kept in their Barracks.
It is a well-known fact that many European residents were about the streets during the Typhoon, and I have
not yet heard of anyone having met with injury from falling bricks or tiles,
I make no question whatever of the personal bravery of the Superintendent of Police, but in common with many of my fellow-citizens, I have serious misgivings as to the manner in which the Police force was managed during the late disastrous Typhoon.
In conclusion I beg most respectfully to inquire if the perusal of the Report I now comment upon is the only reply I am to expect to my letter to you dated the 23rd Instant. It will be exceedingly interesting to the public an well as to myself to know whether the conduct of the Police on the occasion referred to hus been approved of by the Government.
The Hon. J. 6. AUSTIN,
Colonial Secretary,
&c., &c., &c.
I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
(Signed)
R. ROWETT.
HON. R. BOWETT TO HOX. J. G, AUSTIN.
Hoxoxoxo, 30th September, 1874.
SIR, have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of yesterday's date, in which you inforın me that His Excellency the Governor has "failed to discover any sufficient ground for instituting a formal inquiry into the manner in which the Captain Superintendent of Police exercised the discretion vested in him," when he refused to allow his men to leave the Central Police Station during the late typhoon, and you add that the Police were "Hiable to he called out at any moment to repress even more formidable evils than the loss of life by shipwreck.”
It is difficult to conceive any more formidable evil than the loss of life by shipwreck, unless perhaps it he loss of life by fire; but that can hardly be the emergency to which you refer, as I am given to understand that when a fire was reported to the Captain Superintendent he refused to allow the Fire Bell to be rung, or to send men to help to extinguish it.
In my letter of 25th iust., I respectfully called your attention to the fact, but your communication under reply contains no allusion to the matter, as though it were of no consequence.
It will give me sincere pleasure to communicate the kind expression of His Excelleney's praise of the conduct of Messrs. Taufer, McEwen, Baird, Lembke, and Lieutenant Prior, to those gentlemen, and in order that the public may be fully aware of the circumstances of the whole ease in a matter which so seriously affects the public safety, beg to inform you that I shall forward copies of the whole of this eorrespondence to the local newspapers for publication.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
The Hon. J. G. AUSTIN,
Colonial Secretary,
&c., &c., &c.
Your most obedient Servant,
(Signed)
R. ROWETT.
HON J. G. AUSTIN TO HON R. ROWETT.
Colonial Secretary's Office,
HONGKONG, 1st October, 1874. Sis, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 29th ultimo, and to acquaint you, in reply, by desire of His Excellency the Governor, that the Captain Superintendent of Police has reported that not only did the Deputy Superintendent go to the fire to which you allude, but that there was a Police Station with 13
en close by, and that if more assistance had been required, the Deputy Superintendent could have sent for it.
In respect to the bell at the Central Station, it was not rung because, under the foregoing circumstances, the Captain Superintendent did not deem it necessary to turn out the men, and because it has not been the custom to ring the bell on all occasions, but only when it appeared to be specially necessary.
Moreover, the hell could scarcely have been heard 20 yards from the Station, even if it had been rang.
I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
(Signed) J. GARDINER AUSTIN,
Colonial Secretary.
No. 443.
HON. J. G. AUSTIN TO HON. R. ROWETT.
The Honorable R. Rower.
&c., v., &e.
Colonial Sreretury's Office,
HONGKONG, 28th September, 1874.
SIR,I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 25th Inst., commenting on a communication addressed to this Department by the Captain Superintendent of Police in justification of the course adopted by him on the 22nd Inst.
In reply I am desired by His Excellency The Governor to inform you that, after careful consideration of the whole case, His Excellency has failed to discover any sufficient ground for instituting a formal enquiry into the man- ner in which the Captain Superintendent of Police exercised the discretion vested in him.
I am also desired to observe that without such enquiry it would be manifestly unjust to join in the censure cast upon that Officer, especially, as it is within the knowledge of His Excellency that the Captain Superintendent and the force under his command have been exerting themselves in a praiseworthy manner to mitigate the effects of the calamity which has befallen the Colony. A serious respousibility rested upon the Officer in command of the Police, who were liable to be called out at any moment to repress even more formidable evils than the loss of life by shipwreck.
As regards the gallautry displayed by Messrs. Taufer, MeEwen, Baird, Lembke, and Lieut. Prior in their praiseworthy and successful efforts in saving human life, I am desired to take this opportunity of expressing to you His Excellency's admiration of their conduct.
The Honorable R, ROWETT,
&c.,
&e., &e.
I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
(Signed)
3. GARDINER AUSTIN,
Colonial Secretary.
MEMORIAL TO H. E. THE GOVERNOR RESPECTING THE CONDUCT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE DURING THE LATE TYPHOON.
THE following is the text of the memorial forwarded to H. E. the Governor by the Residents who condemned Capt. Deane's action during the late typhoon :----
HONGKONG, 5th October, 1874.
To His Excellency,
SIR ARTHUR EDWARD KENNEDY,
K. C. M. G. & C. B.
Governor of Hongkong &c. &c. &c. MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY,--We, the undersigned inhabitants of Hongkong, humbly beg to lay before your Excellency the following statement.
That on the night of the 22nd and the morning of the 23rd ultimo, a Typhoon of unprecedented violence did much destruction to life and property in this City and Narmuur,
Among the many casualties of that dreadful night, two of the most remarkable are the wrecks of the steamers Albay and Leonor.
By the mercy of Providence, and the humanc exertions of some private citizens, the crew of the Albay were saved from death, but although the Leonor sank only, about fifty yards from the shore, nearly 100 persons perished, and only about 12 were saved from the ship,
Before the Leonor was wrecked it was reported at the Central Police Station to the Captain Superintendent of Police, that a number of men had been resened from the Albry, and that another steamer was coming on shore, but although there were a large number of available men at the Station, the Captain Superintendent refused to allow any of them to go out to rendor assistance.
174-H&S 5010)