Surveyor General for his opinion as to the erection of sheds and bamboo structures. I am not aware that it was ever intended that both the Surveyor General and the Capt Supt of Police should possess the power of vetoing buildings. Another shed was erected near the Civil Hospital. To this the Capt. Supt objected, because it occasioned a nuisance and a great danger of fire. But the shed had been removed after complaint made by the Hospital Authorities. No evil was ever caused. The Capt. Supt objected to sheds being allowed in front of the brothels licensed by the Registrar General, but the objection was overruled, as similar permits were granted to similar applicants in Mr Puesett's time, and there was a precedent which was acted on; and, in this case too, I called special attention to the objections of the Head of the Police. I see no reason why poor unfortunates, who are frequently what they are through misfortune rather than by any fault of their own, should not be allowed to carry on their ceremonies as well as other people, provided that they do so in an orderly manner. No complaint has ever been made that harm has resulted from the granting of a permit in such cases.
Mr Dennys quotes the late Mr Chater's opinion that these ceremonies have as much relation to the religion of the Chinese as the institution of Greenwich Fair to the religion of London. Anyone having even a slight acquaintance with Chinese customs knows that nearly all, if not all, these ceremonies are in a general sense religious, being based on the superstitious beliefs of the Chinese. This, I think, clearly shows how important it is that an officer who understands Chinese and their habits should have a voice in the issue of these permits. I long ago gave my opinion that the matter...