C
ENCLOSURE.
Extract from the "Daily Press'
THE BELILIOS KEFORMATORY.
FOUNDATION STONE LAID BY H.E. THE
GOVERNOR.
On Saturday morning, 29th Jan., His Excell ency the Governor, Sir William Robinson,; G.C.M.G., laid the foundation stone of the new reformatory at Causeway Bay, the funds for the building of which have been provided by Hon. E. R. Belilios, C.M.G. The site seems to be a most suitable one, being on a spur of Morrison Hill and close to Kennedy's stables and the new cotton mill. The ceremony took: place in a watshed, which was prettily decorated with flags. There was a large attendance, amongst those present being, in addition to His Excelleney the Governor, Hon. E. R.. Belilics, and 赫 large number of ladies, Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart (Colonial Secre- tary), Hon. W. M. Goodman (Attorney-General), Hon. R. M. Rumsey, Hon. F. II. May, Hon. R. D. Ormsby, Hon. J. J. Bell-Irving, Hon. Ho Kai, Hon. Wei A. yuk, Mr. W. Chatham, Dr. Bateson Wright, Captain Phillips, A.D.C., Mr. N.J. Ede, j Mr J. R. Mudie, Mr M. N. Vandrawalla, etc.
Hon. E. R. BELILIOS said-Your Excellency, I esteem it a privilege as well as a pleasure to be here to-day to take part in what must necessarily be one of the farewell ceremonies of your long and successful administration. (Ap- plause.) It has never, at least in my rather lengthened experience, fallen to the lot of any of your Excellency's predecessors to lay the foundation stone of a new and useful institution in the seventh year of a continued residence in the colony. That alone is an interesting fact; it gains, however, in interest by being coupled with the circumstance that this is the second educational institution of which you will have laid the foundation stone,-(applause)- the first of which you have seen for some years satisfactorily working. For my own part, I am glad to say that the suggestion made to me by my honourable friend the Colonial Secre- tary that I might assist in the work met my instant approbation. I always have been an earnest advocate of education. I believe most fully in its humanising and elevating effect, and I would like to see it placed within the reach of the poorest, a consummation 1 hope some day to witness. There are now, however, many children who still wallow in the mirs of ignorance, and it is from them that the ranks of the criminals are mainly recruited. To restrain and deter from crime we are compelled to support a huge and costly gaol, where the social outlaw has to be taught that he cannot commit crime with impunity, Viotoria Gaol is, however, hardly the place where a Chinese oriminal can be reformed, and, unfortunately, the youthful offender against the law too often emerges from its cells more hardened than when he entered. He suffers tamination from association with older and more depraved oriminals. This is almost un.. avoidable under the present system, it being im- possible to segregate all the criminals, though the discipline is excellent so far as it can be carried out. Years ago a reformatory for boys" was a necessity, but it did not then appear urgent. The good fathers of the Italian Mis- sion supplied the want, as far as lay in their power, for many years, but the requirements have now grown beyond the means of the Mission institution at West Point, and the Government having agreed to provide s suitable sito, I have been only too happy to supply the funds for the erection of the building. (Applause) I feel sure it will meet a want, and I sincerely trust it will be the means of saving many a lad from persevering on the downward and easy road. It is a duty we owe to civilization no less than to poor humanity, to show to the people of China that we provide for the reformation of the young as well as for the punishment of the adult law-
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breaker-that under the Union Jack mercy. tompers justice. (Applause.) Your Excellency, with this trowel and mallet I beg you kindly to lay the stone of the proposed reformatory. (Applauso.)
Mr. Belilies handed His Excellency a band- some silver trowel and a blackwood silver- mounted mallet with which to perform the cere- mony. The mallet bears the crest of His Excellency, and the following inscription is engraved on the trowel-Presented to His Excellency Sir William Robinson, G.C.M.G.,! to lay the foundation stone of the Reformatory, a gift of the Hon. E., Belibios, C.M.G., to the colony. Hongkong, 29th January, 1898."
The stone bears the following inscription:- "Foundation stone laid by H.E. Sir William Robinson, G.CM.G., Governor, 29th January, 1898. Building presented to the colony by the Hon. E. R. Belilios, C.M.G."
His Excellency, after laying the stone, said- ! Ladies and gentlemen, I have much pleasure in pronouncing this stone to be well and truly laid. This is the last public aot which I shall perform before leaving Hongkong, and it is a most pleasant one to me and a most interesting ous to the colony. I did not expect Mr. Belilios would make such a long and eloquent speech as he has done in asking me to lay the foundation stone of what will hereafter be known as the Belilios Reformatory. (Applause.) Asyouknow, the essential functions of these institutions are for the better training of juvenile offenders. They are institutions of comparatively recent growth and are the result of bumane endeavour to rescue children from evil courses already erabarked upon. To be effective, industrious habits must be engendered in these institutions, and a means must be given to the inmates of earning an honest livelihood. (Applause.) Tho mere fact of this site having been selected near the large cotton mill being built in the immediate neighbourhood seems to point to the introduction into this new reformatory when it is erected of some species of work conuected with cotton spinning. But, ladies and gentlemen, you will doubtless want to know how it is that Mr. Belilios is mixed up with this affair. What he said was not exactly a correct statement; he is very shy and timid and refrains from giving himself laudation. (Applause.) We found the building at West Point was thoroughly unsuitable for a reformatory. We patched and heightened the walls and put the Right Rev. Bishop Piazzoli and the Italian Fathers in charge, but still we could make nothing of it, BO we decided to build a reformatory. Mr. Belilios came to me and said "Sir William, we must have a proper reformatory. I will give you $12,000 towards the building." Now, ladies and gentlemen, we have the Bolilios j scholarships, the Belilios medals, a Belilios school, which is the finest school in the colony, and soon we shall have a handsome Bolilios Re- formatory. (Applause.) Ladies and gentle- men, I consider the colony is deeply indebted to Mr. Belilios-a debt which can never be extinguished. (Applause.) The name of Balilios will be handed over in Hongkong to a grateful posterity. It will be my last public act on Monday to sign a despatch as Governor of this colony, to be sent to the Secretary of State requesting that he will bring this most generous and noble gift to the knowledge of Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen. (Applause.) I ask you now to give three cheers for Mr. and Mrs. Belilios and family.
After the cheering had ceased, Mr. Bolilios said--Ladies and gentlemen, a hearty good cheer for His Excellency the Governor. We are sorry that he is leaving us, and wo hope to meet him in the old country as hale and hearty as he is to-day.
Three cheers and a "tiger" were heartily given and the proceedings concluded.
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