"the processions." That the Government agreed with these views was shown in August, 1885, when the Major General Commanding, administering the Government, supported me in a complaint made against me by the Capt: Supt. of Police for having issued a permit for the holding of a religious ceremony in the neighbourhood of certain European houses. His Excellency then stated that he considered it would have been most unwise to have withheld the permission, and quite inconsistent with our engagements to the Chinese, among whom the conduct of this occasion was approved off by my superiors, it is not necessary to say anything further as to this Department "overriding the complaints of the Police."
Mr. Docque refers to the evils of these religious festivals as pointed out in the Police Commission Report 1872, the paragraph referred to is as follows:
"It is much to be feared that the increased attractions to be found in ... festival of all kinds, religious and otherwise, have added seriously to the number of our criminals.... As to festivals, the Commission think that they should be limited in duration, and subject to strict regulation. All permits issued have, for long, been limited in duration, and subject to regulations."
In justice to both Europeans and Chinese, I myself proposed, and Government adopted my proposal, that the playing of music should cease each evening at festivals at 11 p.m., instead of being allowed to continue all night, as formerly. Free processions in England attract criminals just as the assembling of people at national festivals does, but I have never heard this advanced as a reason for suppressing festivals or restricting such as are attended by large crowds.
I would mention too, that one of the largest and most numerously attended processions ever known in Hongkong took place last year. So long was it that it occupied more than three hours in passing one point, and