MINUTES.
But as
Kim Ordce will
ين
be passed with
Year
sufficient; and
within the
2
шад
We erforded
it is quite
likely
tha that
is may be formed
hossibl
wine the proclamation
* get
the white scheme with working orden
before
branch, when the
I was expen
/
MINUTES NOT TO BE WRITTEN
ON THIS SIDE.
45231/22
Jnr. Wood
4/19/22
AEC 4
On 9th September last the
Acting Governor telegraphed to us that the
representatives of the Chinese
community had put before him their objections to the Governor' Bill for abolishing mui-tsai, and had urged on him that Hong Kong cannot be separated from China and it would be disastrous
for the Government to act in direct
opposition to overwhelming public opinion. There is nothing unfamiliar in the actual objections. The import- ant point is that the Government in
carrying the Bill would be acting in opposition to the Chinese and so lose
their co-operation.
The telegram was referred
to Sir E.Stubbs who is on leave, He
took a gloomy view of the situation.
He
731
46414/22
He said in a private letter "The situation is much worse than I anticipated. I thought the system which I adumbrated in my despatch
would be accepted by the Chinese, though I knew they wouldn't like it. It now appears that they are going to
oppose it. This means that whatever
we do will be futile, and, which is
far more serious, it means that the
Chinese are for the first time
setting themselves against the Government. That is the beginning
of the end. I told you the other day that I believed we should hold Hong Kong for another fifty years. put it now at twenty at the most." He suggested passing the
law with a clause providing for it
I
to be brought into force by proclamation so as to give the Secretary of State a
chance of considering the Chinese
objections, and the Government a
chance to create all the Administrative machinery that will be necessary if
the Chinese refuse their co-operation.
On this you directed me to
write to Sir E.Stubbs privately putting
before him a modified form of his
priginal proposals which it had occurred;
to you might be feasible, and might
meet