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real object being to benefit their own pockets under the guise
of acting for the public good sad to extort money from rich
inhabitants, so as to gratify their avarice.
But the people having been once worked up
to revolt it was impossible to restrain them so that the sorry
spectacle was seen of the tail wagging the dog instead of the dog
wagging the tail. The position thus became critical.
At about 8 p.m., on the 4th day of the
3rd moon (18th April) a secret house was established in Ha
Long au where it was declared that matters having come to a
pass resistance must be offered whether the troops were Chinese
or British. It was decided at the meeting house at Ha Wong that
each village should contribute a hundred dollars in addition to
what could be extorted by the cruel gentry from the rich inhabitants
of the various villages. It was also decided that if the
rich inhabitants should be unwilling to pay rowdies would be
hired to rob and plunder them; that their landed property would
be confiscated; that they would not be allowed to run away from
the leased territory; that those who accompanied Mr. Stewart
Lockhart (last year) should not be allowed to get away and that
if it was reported that they were attempting to escape, they
would be seized and put to death. Then followed the burning of
the houses by the inhabitants of the Sheung O division, which
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NAS