门门狗
he should be made primarily responsible. You must make the occupier of the floor-the man who opens the house for his own gain-respon sible. But unfortunately we are so near the Chinese mainland that whenever there is any trouble the persons who are wanted ran away; you cannot find them and as you must make some
responsible I think it is only reasonable, therefore, to make the owner ultimately responsible. Having said this much and your Excellency having asked me to state my opinions I deem it my duty as Captain Superintendent of Police in this colony and re- sponsible as such for the law and order of this colony, and also in my capacity as President of The Sauitory Board, which is responsible for the carrying out of the sanitary legislation of this colony, to state that I consider the action of this Committee in aiding and abetting this movement. for a compromise has been most mischievous aud. I go so far as to add, most disloyal to this Go-
vernment.
Hon. J. J. KESWICK-I take exception most emphatically to this remars, that this Committee bave in any way aided and abetted this strike.
The whole of the members of the Committee stood up, and when the ton: J. J. Keswick re- marked aless it is withdrawn I shall retire from this room at ouce," the other members also asserted their determination to retire if Mr. Mr. Mac- May did not withdraw the remark, kintosh said the assertion should never have been made.
Me. Yr=[ withdraw the expression. HIS EXCELLENCY-I have no doubt the sug- gestions of the Committee were unde with the very best. intentions
Mr. MAY-L withdraw the expression with regret, but I must say I consider the action of the Committee was most unfortunate. I had the honour of reporting to your Excellency yes- barday afternoon that this strike was practically at an end. I did so under what was very good authority. I had been going ont of my way during the strike to assist the mercantile com munity so far as I con d, and I can assure your Excellency that ye terday afternona Í hired 50 coolies for Megare. Sinussan and C. They did not turn up this morning, and Siemssen and io. asked me why. I seut out for the coolies and the answer I got was, "We gre going to see what the Governor is going to do now firm attitude had been maintained this strik would have been at au end.*
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If &
The COLONIAL SECRETARY--I would like to make a few remarks with regard to what bas been said by the mothers of the Committee. Asi the Chairman has informed your Excellency, we met yesterday in the Couudil Chamber.
Your Excellency was not at home, so the deputation was unable to wait upou you. At that meeting the proposal the Committee refer to now was brought forward, namely, that the landlord should be made responsible instead of the head coolis. At that time I pointed out to the Com- mittee that by so doing you practically relieved the coolies of all responsibility, and that amounted to a victory for the coolies. If the necessity for registering was not imposed upon them but was imposed in all cases upon the owner, the goolis. would hare gained the day, I, however, in- Formed the deputation that I would convey their riews to your Excellency, and I think your Exelloney will support e when I say that I did convey to you those views, and I advanced to you all the arguments in favour of the proposal I heard from the Committee-tie argumsofs repeated to-day by the various speakers. Your Excellency having board the views of the Com- mitter as stated to me directed me to write the following letter to Mr. Kesw ok. It was wr ften last night and was therefore of a semi-informal bature:-
"Government House,
29th March, 730 p.m.
"My dear Keswick. - hayo jual sumu His Exellency, who directs mo to state for the in- formation of the Commitee that he is averse to making any concession a hatever and does not view favourably the proposal you have submitted.! →Yours.
J. H. STEWART LOCKHART. - P.S.-The Captain Superintendent of Police reports that in his opinion the strike is practically over."
At the deputation yesterday there was also mention of a proclamation being issued, and when that suggestion was made, stuted clearly to the Committee that I considered it would be inadvis.
able to is at any proclamation unless some deli. pite change in the law was consented to by your Excellency in the first place and of course ulti- mately by the Legislative Council. I think the Committe will agree that it was clearly stated and equally clearly understood
Hou. J.J. KESWICK - Excuse me one moment I do not think it was clearly understood, as a subsequent note eine from Mr. Lockhart stating that it would be undesirable to make any com- c-ssion. Idrew Mr. Mackintosh's att ation toil and he did not understand it. I know it was informal.
Ir. MACKINTOSH-I un lerstood it to be a Governmont proclamation, and not a proclama tion by the Committee,
Hon. J. J. KESWICK-It was a misunder- standing.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-I remember distinctly making these remarks, and I think I can efresh the memory of ute. D-dwell,
Mr. Dowell, made à ramark which the re- porters could not catch.
#
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-The point I wish to make was that if any sulie- was issued it would by misinterpreted and the cooling would be mistad and induced to return to work perhaps under false pretences. Well, this morning I had put into my hands a notice in Chinese which pur- ports to be issued by the Committee and which stales far more than the Chairman of the Comanttee informed
Committee the authorised to by stated in the guarante which they gare in regard to the registration That question was brought fos and poll tax. up at the Committee meeting yesterday, sud 1 then informed the deputation that the Go- rerament had not only issued 3.000 notices ia- forming the coolies that no poll taxor registration fa was to be charged, but also that special men had been sent round to explain orally the con- tents of this notice to the cooliea, who are in many instances unable to read, and I said I did not think any good would be done by repeating what had been stated so frequently already. But I waid there would be no objection in stating to the coolies that no registration fees or poll tax would be charged. This is the translatina of the Chinese:-
"FOR INFORMATION.
"We, the undersigned merchants, have learnt that you coolies have combined and ceased work through fear that the Government will lory a poll tax or registration fee. But we can as-
suredly guarantee that the Government has not the slightest intention of doing so
We are certain that his Excellency the Governor will grant our request." &c.
Ho. J. J. Keswick-kzense me interrupting. After 1 received Ir Lockhart's letter this after- noon with reference to the notice I immediately enquired what the expression was that was cal- culated to mislead the coolies.
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The COLO IAL SECRETARY--I challenge any one to say that the Chinese in this document: does not mean what I have represented in this translation- We are certain that is Excel- loney the Governor will grant our request." I have had no desire whatever to quibble over words in this matter.
Dr. Ho Kar (towards whom the Colonial So. cretary had tarood)-I think Mr. Lockhart is appealing to me. The word i coming before qualifies it entirely.
Mr. DENNYS--The translation was approved of by the Registrar-General's Offics.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-it was not ap. Ha never
proved by the Registrar-General. saw the translation.
His EXCELLENOY-By whose authority was it issued ?
Mr DENNY8-I do not know.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-It was not done under official authority. With respect to my letter which I dictated last night
His EXCELLENCY-Who authorised the pro- clamation that the Government would accede to the guarantees of the Committee?
Hon. J. J Keswick The Committes never Baid en. When we left the Colonial Scratury's Often this statement in writing was then given to the deputation in English, a copy of which ap peacal in the pipers, aud that was. No far as 1 know, about a quater past five o'clock. I received your letter at East Point about 5 or 10
It was timed 7.30. minutes past eight o'clock
His EXCELLENCY-Why was the notification issued before my letter was received P
Hon. J J. KESWICK-It was nutside our hands