(2)
196
**
和内外敦睦君納禔福於上民獲康安於下凡港中之咸沽樂秘皆出自 制軍之所賜也爲 軍頌 等更有請者近來港中貿易日形繁旺各處商賈咸萃於斯苟無會集之區則鴻圖終難大展兹欲禀求給地一區俾建造華商會館凡中西各種貨 儲其中以資考證此則中外商人同受厥然此舉籌費鉅非四五萬金弗克成功倫得邀 大英國家以經費則加惠更無窮矣我等惟求中西輯
興文教則英文與漢文並請改博物院之規以增見識則西人與華人無分凡此固非片之所能盡也蓋 制軍務於有裨華民者加之意而已我
all distinctions between the living and the dead.
Where is the man that does not admire such perfection of justice?
(3)
We venture respectfully to express a hope that His Excellency the Governor will continue to expand this policy both by embodying it in the administration of the Government and by ex- tending it to the internal affairs of the people, as thereby the highest and lowest classes will be. joined in mutual good relations and both the rulers and the ruled will daily learn to understand each other better. The future will then show, in a very short time, that public morality and public feeling will also be brought thereby into entire harmony with the highest principles. Further, His Excellency, taking pleasure in the development of talent and in the promotion of knowledge, both as regards English and Chinese matters of instruction, requested that an alteration in the Rules of the City Hall Museum be made, in order to inculcate broader views, and laid down the principle that no distinction should be made between natives of the West or natives of China. These are subjects which cannot be fully explained in a few words, His Excellency's aim is to pay attention to everything that may be fraught with benefit for the Chinese people.
"We have, however, yet one prayer to address
to His Excellency. The trade of the Colony has of late been materially increasing in prosperity from day to day, and merchants are flocking together here from all quarters. But in the ab- sence of a general meeting-place, operations on a large scale are rather difficult to develop. We are therefore now anxious to petition for the grant of a piece of Crown land, to enable us to crect a building for a Chinese Chamber of Commerce, wherein also a complete exhibition of all English and Chinese articles of commerce might be placed on view to facilitate examination and verification. From such a measure both Chinese and English merchants would derive equal benefit. But it will also be requisite at the outset to provide a large fund, as even a sum of forty thousand or fifty thousand dollars would not suffice. If it were possible to hope for a grant from Her Ma- jesty's Government in aid of the expenses to be incurred, there would really be no limit to the kindness shown by His Excellency. What we are anxious for is but mutual good understanding between the Chinese and the English people, and harmonious relations within and without the Colony, wherefrom will result, on the one hand, the happiness of the representatives of the Gov- ernment, and on the other tranquility and peace among the people themselves. Whatever pleasure and advantage the residents of this Colony enjoy is all due to His Excellency the Governor, to whom this address is most respectfully presented.
"In the English year 1880, the 19th day of the month of February. In the 6th year of Kwang Sul, the 10th day of the first moon.
"THE CHINESE MERCANTILE COMMUNITY OF
HONGKONG."
光大
****
年
正
日
A
百
八
+
年
11
*****
月
號
闔港華民紳商敬頌
哉然我等尙望 制軍推廣此心以惜之於政爭施之於閭閻則上下之交自通官民之情日裌將見一轉移風俗人心咸臻上理矣他若樂育人才振 悅我等此來以謝又前數年本港曾遭風災溺死海面者甚衆至今尚有枯骸百餘具暴露於仰船洲附近海渡我等旟請僱人檢拾以期歸土爲安 張軍聞之慨然自捐廉俸爲葬費掩埋古之仁政澤及枯骨生者可知是則 制鈞衡所及無分於中外德澤所加罔乎死生不仰其至公
7 鈞意所在欲俯察輿情勤求民隱俾上下益相親睦耳於此益見 制軍之虛懷接物厚德持躬短倍著具謙和幾若自忘其尊貴我等瞻仰之餘歙 人者逾半而議例局員向未聞華人得預其列今 制軍以愛民之心行熱中之道特立伍君爲議例局員爲開港以來未有之創舉遐想之無不感 佩珠深竊 制軍之爲政也一秉公牛無區畛域深仁厚澤莫可名鲁兹姑舉近事一二端啓之以誌 盛德本港華民約十餘萬衆國課所入出華
the rules of etiquette, spoke to us with kindly
feeling, and received us with realy alacrity.
We respectfully opine that the object His Excel-
lency's mind dwelt upon was to ascertain by such condescension the feelings of the people
and to probe resolutely the secret desires of his
subjects, in order that he might be able to im-
prove the mutual relations of fellowship and concord between the ruling and the ruled classes.
"This explains even more fully the disinte
rested desire of His Excellency to he open to all representations, whilst embodying the principles
of generous goodness, and one cannot fail to observe that he was but developing and revealing his innate condescension and gentleness which
prompted him almost to keep out of mind his inborn dignity and nobility. Whilst beholding
this sight, we were very deeply impressed with it. It seems to us that His Excellency's admi-
nistration of the Government prizes above all things justice and fairness, to the exclusion of all distinctions of nationality, and that the depth of his benevolence and the extent of his bounty
is greater than words can express. We may be permitted, however, on this occasion to bring
forward one or two points with reference to late events and thereby, commemorate His Excel- lency's abundant goodness.
"The Chinese population of the Colony now numbers more than one hundred thousand peo-
ple, and far more than one half of the revenue of the Government comes from Chinese residents.
Hitherto we never yet heard of such a thing as giving the Chinese residents some representative
among the members of the Legislative Council.
But now His Excellency the Governor, prompted
by his love for the people, pursued a course of strict fair-play, and specially appointed Mr. No
CHOY to a seat on the Legislative Council, a step
which had never before been taken since the first
opening of this Colony, and the news of which
fills everybody near and far with gratitude and
joy. The object of our present deputation is to express our respectful thanks for this appoint-
ment.
"Again, some years ago, a terrible typhoon
swept over this Colony, when multitudes of
people were drowned in the sea, so that, up to
the present day, more than a hundred skeletons
are being washed on shore and laid bare on the
beach at Stonecutters' Island and in the vicinity.
When we accordingly petitioned for permission
to engage labourers to collect these human re-
mains and in time to give them a peaceful inter-
ment, His Excellency the Governor, as soon as
he heard of it, spontaneously undertook to defray
from his own private purse the expenses of burial.
To inter such skeletons, to bury such human
remains, was of old an object of benevolent Gov-
ernments, and even now such kindness, extended
to bleached bones, is self-apparent to the living.
"The foregoing two points illustrate the man-
ner in which His Excellency holds the scales of
Government without distinction of Chinese or
Foreigners, and the manner in which the in-
fluence of his goodness is extended in oblivion of
Mar.