The fact that a Chinese lady is seldom seen outside of the private apartments of a house renders it perfectly impossible for a large number of Chinamen to understand the freedom accorded to ladies in Europe and America.
This fact alone renders it extremely undesirable that ladies should only be able to visit the Museum when it is crowded with natives. The personal habits of the Chinese of the lower classes who flock in large numbers to the Museum, who eat garlic with their rice, and whose clothing in winter is not in the cleanest state and in Summer is of the scantiest description, are quite sufficient to discourage Europeans from visiting the Museum during the hours when it is thus crowded.
The Committee would have wished to avoid putting forward such an argument but feel bound to do so when pressed for the reasons that have actuated them in the matter. The arguments that might be adduced with reference to such places as the "public gardens" are totally inapplicable to a room on some occasions visited by 4 to 5000 Chinese in one day, where they occupy a very large portion of the space which is not great, and where the temperature for many months ranges between 80 and 100 degrees.
Another fact that the Committee would bring to your Lordships' notice is the necessity that exists for closing the Museum in the middle of the day in order to allow of its being swept out and cleaned. The staff attached to the City Hall is, owing to financial considerations, kept as small as possible with due regard to the amount of work that has to be done, and were the Museum to be crowded all day long, a larger staff of employees would be required.
The Committee would also inform you that, though at one time a Chinese policeman was told off for special duty at the Museum from 10 to 1 daily, his services have for some time past been withdrawn by the local Government, and the Committee are wholly dependent upon their own staff to prevent theft, damage, and disturbance.
To conclude, the Committee would remind your Lordship that the present rules were agreed to, after very full discussion at a large meeting, by a large majority.
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