1538 7F
245
The
Daily Press.
HONGKONG, OCTOBER 16TH, 1878.
CORRESPONDENCE.
[We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinious expressed by our Correspondents].
THE CHINESE AND THE PUBLIC MEETING.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY I'RESS.
SIR-I should like to say a few words on the treatment which I and the large number of other Chinese who were prosent received at the public meeting on the 7th instant. I wish also to point out that the Chinese who were there were not as some people have said shop coolios" and the like, but that nearly all of them belonged to the botter classes and those who have large stakes in the welfare of the colony.
On the Europeans finding the City Hall nearly filled with Chinese, some of them called out "d-d Chinaman, turu them out." I then heard some say, "Let us bave the meeting elsewhere to prevent the Chinese coming." After the meeting was formally opened, it was removed to the open air. There was a general struggle to get to the Cricket Ground, and when we (Chinese! arrived there we found a ring already formed of foreigners. Some of us attempted to get in to the ring, but were roughly handled and pushed back. The promoters of the meeting were then asked to allot a space for us, but this was peremptorily refused. We were obliged to stand outside the ring. As we did not know nor could we hear what passed in the ring, we asked that any resolution put to the meeting should be explained in Chinese, so that those of us who did not know English might under- staud its meaning. Mr. Ng Choy, who was there, was good enough to convey our wishes i to the Chairman, but when we heard that įour reasonable request was refused, we all left and took no part whatever in the proceedings of the meeting. It has been said that printed slips containing a translation of the resolutions in Chinese were circulated. I and many of my friends uover received one copy. I have made enquiries and bave found one; it contains only some of tho resolutions. The translation is so bad that I could scarcely make out its meaning. Of our right to take a part in that mooting, there cannot be the least doubt. In fact we were in- vited by its promoters to attend. Anticipating our presence. and believing that a great majority sould not know English enough to understand its proceedings, the promoters had properly pre- vided an interpreter for the occasion. And yet when we requested that the substance of a re- solution should be rendered into Chinese to the Chinese andience, it was absolutely refused and thus our presence was entirely ignored. No greater affront could have been offered to us.
It has been attempted to ruake the public believe that we (Chinese) who went to the meeting had bound ourselves to oppose the resolutions pro- posed and at the signal of one or two gentlemen to outrote the Europeans. This is a gross insalt to our intelligence. Is it probable that we should submit ourselves to be led by the rose by any one? Would we surrender our judgmonts and convictions to the opinion of any one man? I think we are equal in intelligence and common sense to those foreign gentlemen at that meeting. It may with more truth be said that they had pledged themselves beforehand to support the resolutions than to insinuate that we were bound to oppose them. It may be an interesting question that of the many foreigners who so readily supported the resolutions, how many did understand their real meaning and vote according to their firm convictions. And yet when we asked that the resolution put be explained in Chinese, so that we might judge for ourselves and vote conscientiously, it was nuceremoniously refused. I leave to the impartial public what to think of this.
HO KWAN SUN. Late Haikwan (Customs) Banker,
Swatow.
15th October. 1878.