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to know what materials, what surmises, what facts there were before the Committee which led them to come to the decision that it was desirable to have such a rule as this to prevent a collision between the lower strata of Chinese and Europeans. When those grounds bring them into conflict with the Governor, and certainly with the clearly enunciated opinion of the Secretary of State, they are bound, I don't say according to law, but as men of common sense appealing to men of common sense, they are bound to put forward some substantial materials which warrant them in coming to their conclusion, and which render it necessary to insist on it, in spite of considerations which are put to them, as in the nature of good faith, and notwithstanding that it is represented to them that it brings them into conflict with the principle that all Her Majesty's subjects should be treated on an equal footing, and that it brings them clearly into conflict with the very modest proposal made by the Secretary of State, a proposal which says, if it be proved expedient let it go, but give it a trial for six months.
Their appeal was generously responded to. Some became annual subscribers, while others committed themselves in making a donation. This money was raised from all classes of the community, from all nationalities, and a good deal was subscribed by Chinese.
Well, it must have been a strong necessity, of which we are entitled to ask some evidence, which would bring the Committee into conflict with all these considerations, and lead them to refuse, as they have done positively, to reopen the question at all, as suggested by the Secretary of State. It is patent, under these circumstances, they have put themselves in one respect in the wrong.
Now as to the allegation of the Committee that the Library and Museum are as free as Sir RICHARD MACDONNELL ever intended them to be, I can assure them that Chinese have made the complaint to me that when they have asked them if they have seen the latest novelty added to the Museum, they have been able to get in. I have added, "It is a free exhibition," to which has been made the reply, "Not open for the admission of Chinese when I happened to be there." There are many Chinese who only get an occasional holiday, and if when they go to the City Hall they find it closed against them, they naturally consider it a hardship that they cannot obtain admission on the only opportunity which they may be able to obtain for the next six months. The same may be said of Europeans when they come on shore and find the place only open for Chinese.
The reason for these restrictive and exclusive regulations was that the Chinese in the Colony were unaware that this was a public Institution. I hold that in making regulations which at times exclude Europeans and at others exclude Chinese from the Library and Museum, the Committee might re-open the question and deal with the subject again.
I only wish to add with regard to the opinions I have expressed about this matter, that it does appear to me that the principle that the Chinese and European subjects of the Queen should be treated without distinction is one which it would ill become this Government to abandon by associating itself, as it would by continuing the grant, with the only body administering public monies in the Colony which continues this distinction.
The City Hall have violated the terms on which they received the grant for those Institutions, not only on behalf of the Chinese but also on behalf of Europeans.
Honourable W. KESWICK-I was only going to remark, a short time ago, that when the Museum was first started and became of any interest at all, very few Chinese came to it, and it was not until the ACTING COLONIAL TREASURER (Honourable M. S. TONNOCHY).--Your Excellency, I entirely concur in the remarks of the Honourable the Attorney General, who has expressed himself in a clear and moderate manner. I have myself taken a great interest in the City Hall, and, whenever I have been so requested, have been glad to assist the purposes of the Institution with a small donation.
I had read through that pamphlet and was asked by a friend what I considered the rights of the case. I naturally inquired if that pamphlet contained all the documents by the light of which the Committee were supposed to come to a decision. On the one hand, I was told these were all the documents submitted to the Committee, and on the other, that some had been omitted.
Under such circumstances I declined to give an opinion until I was able to have the whole case before me, an opportunity which I expected would most probably occur at this Meeting of Council. I can now assure Your Excellency, as a member of this Council, that after the statement which Your Excellency has just made, and after listening to the reading of the documents which have been laid before the Council, and which I understand were in the hands of the City Hall Committee, I am of opinion that no sensible man could have come to any other decision than that at which Your Excellency has arrived.
I was in the Colony when the grant of the ground on which the City Hall stands was first made by Sir RICHARD MACDONNELL for the purposes of a Public Hall, and although I was not then in a position to take an active part in the arrangements for the erection of the Building, I well remember the great stress which the Governor laid on the public nature of the grant.
I think the Committee are much to be blamed for not accepting the very reasonable compromise offered by the Secretary of State and coincided in by Your Excellency, namely, to throw the Library and Museum open to all nationalities, as an experiment, for a space of six months.
The reason the Committee have offered for not accepting that suggestion is a most absurd one, and cannot for one moment be sustained, namely, that they fear that the indiscriminate opening of the Library and Museum to all classes will probably give rise to a collision between the lower classes of Chinese and the lower classes of Europeans.
My experience of the lower class of Chinese is that they are better behaved as sight-seers than the lower class of almost any other nation, and the lower class of Europeans who frequent this Colony are not to be complained of in that respect save when they are, as we sometimes unfortunately see them, under the influence of drink.
But if the Committee carry out their own regulations thoroughly no collision need occur, for in that case drunken and disorderly persons would not be allowed admission into the building, which is only intended for "decently dressed and properly behaved" persons.
Your Excellency, when the City Hall was first projected, the subscriptions towards its erection were limited to a comparatively few persons, but in course of time, when it was discovered that the building was no longer self-supporting and the Committee found themselves in want of funds for its maintenance, they sent round the hat and collected subscriptions from the general public.
HIS EXCELLENCY-I think it very likely, gentlemen, after the full and satisfactory discussion of remarks that fell from the trustee, my honourable friend Mr. RYRIE, and especially when he said, "They should have the one notice for Library and Museum, namely, that they should be 'without payment to all decent and well-behaved persons of every nationality without distinction,'" will be the opinion of all reasonable men interested in the City Hall.
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