20.-The Oxdinance thus confers a very doubtful benefit on a comparatively few men to the injury of a large number equally entitled to have their opinions respected and their interests safeguarded.
21.---We say a doubtful benefit, because, even assuming that the people relieved from labour by the ordinanes will make good use of their leisure time, officers and men are relieved from only one species of labour, the labour of discharging and taking in cargo. The Ordinance does not forbid all unnecessary labour as the older laws did. Officers and seamen may equally well be employed all day in shifting or trimming ballast, or coals, repairing, painting, docking or in the hundred and one odd jobs constantly required on board ship.
22.--Steamers may freely dock, coal, provision, and if the owner thinks it worth while to pay the fee, load and discharge cargo on the Sunday, If owners and master do not think fit to co-operate, the officers and sailors gain nothing. The only gainer is the revenue. And for that the trade of the port is practically stopped for a seventh of the year.
23-Your Patitioners most humbly represent that the Ordinance will at most relieve a comparatively few officers and men, not from all, but from one species of labour in the Colony on the Sunday; that to confer this very doubtful benefit on a few Europeans it throws out of employment on Sunday thousands of industrious Chinese who are depending, most of them, on their daily pay that it interferes with the Chinese Merchants, Traders, and Junk-owners in a yery serious degree, and unnecessarily and without any corresponding advantage, impedes and hampers the immense trade carried on in Junks to and from this port; that it has been introduced and passed hastily and without due or any consideration, in opposition to the convic tions and frequently expressed opinions of capable Governors and of your Lordship; and that it ought at once to be disallowed or repealed.
24.----Your Petitioners further submit that it would be far better to pass an ordinance directly and expressly relieving all European Officers and seamen from work in port on Sunday, than to allow the present ordinance to remain in force. The work of the port could then go on uninterruptedly, and what is now done in most ships and steamers would then be done in all, cargo would be loaded, unloaded and tallied by Chinese compradores, stevedores and their men, without European assistance.
Your Petitioners therefore most humbly pray.
1. That the Ordinance in question may be disallowed.
2. That if unfortunately it has already been sanctioned and approved by your Lordship it may be repealed or so amended as to relieve the trade of the port from a grievous burden.
And Your Petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray &c., &c., &c.
Aughing 22th July 1891.
L
}
WL (1231)-16857-6000-7-9)
No. Governor.
Kanker 242.
Date.
Jog1. July | 24=
Last previous Papet.
You
1123
で
? 2008 Sep
a.O:
further
Dreng Mong.
No. 17490
(Subject.)
DESPATCH.
17.90
(R- 31 AUG 91
525
Lalarry gither First Peak & the Magistary.
Enduring letter from the Police runquatuate & resteding
ELMA
ruergate
recommending.
lee for 21 of drift on 1693
Mr. Meade
? Reply that as
the First Clerk
had no quarters in 1875 thin
wharth in das.
ott. Arthur Salang
Correct computativ is as
says,
should be
(181920+358=) 142592 leberenture of
less
& Jay that as
Quarters
regards that value,
the State in prepared to adoff 1494] 18 400, so that his salary will be $82/me,
In rate Estimated Asesor
Nextsubsequent Paper
adding that the fact that he is
canfelled to live in Quarters (which
was an
of the conditions
of the affet offered thing which applies to most if not all of the
when it was