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Mr. Looker called today bringing vi th him
Mr. Bernard of the China Association.
They appeared to be very strongly opposed to the principles of the draft Ordinance. Their
most serious objection concerned the erfect which
the enactment of such an Ordinance in Hong Kong would be likely, in their opinion, to have in China. They appeared to believe that the Chinese on seeing such an Ordinance passed would immediately insist
on taking similar powers in Canton and Shanghai.
I suggested that the Chinese Goverment could
readily find precedents for this kind of legis-
lation in this country and in the British
Dominions and Colonies, but they seemed clearly
convinced that the risk of precedents in other
parts of the Empire being followed in China was
insignificant in comparison with the certainty
that action in Hong Kong would be immediately
imitated.
It will be seen from the semi-official
correspondence with the Foreign Office that that Office think there is some substance inthes objection to the Ordinance, though I can not believe that a mere apprehension of possible imitation
in China can be a valid reason for refusing to allow
desirable legislation in Hong Kong. If such a
principle were admitted we might be debarred from
enacting very necessary legislation in that Colony.
In further opposition to the Bill, Mr. Looker
contended that in certain cases of the
expropriation