C. O.
16567
(Y)
Received 27 Jun
No.16
1
481
The petition of Chan Tsz Ki, Wong Ki and others, inhabitants of the Tai Wo market town (i.e. Taipo Hui) humbly sheweth:
That your petitioners were incited by rowdies from other places to offer armed resistance and pray that they may be mercifully pardoned so that they may be allowed to carry on their business in peace. Your petitioners have always been law-abiding people and were well acquainted with the Convention leasing the territory with which they were perfectly satisfied. But bad characters from other places in China spread false reports saying that laws of the West and ... were different and that there would be no end of difficulties. In this way they availed themselves of their opportunity to incite the people to disorder and to resist the Imperial troops. Your petitioners being weak were coerced by them. By the arrival of the troops to maintain order your petitioners have been saved from great peril which is a source of unbounded joy to them. But the loss of petitioners' business is truly pitiful so they are constrained to approach your tribunal with the prayer that the troops may be withdrawn so that petitioners' business may be carried on in peace. They will readily acquiesce in whatever sites may be hereafter selected by the British Government for the purpose...
70