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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
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is unprecedented. Is there any reason why Government should abstain from giving material assistance purely as an act of humanity because the occasion for such assistance has been caused, not by Heaven, but by a nation whose main object, in the words of Lord Cranborne, "seems to be to inspire terror by indiscriminate slaughter of civilians?"
In most respectfully commending this question to the sympathetic consideration of Your Excellency, I desire to take this opportunity of acknowledging the deep debt of gratitude which the Chinese entertain for the courage, impartiality, ever-willing readiness to receive and consider representations, and high statesmanship shown by Your Excellency in guiding the Ship of State along the troubled waters through which it is passing, and by your Chief Adviser, my Honourable friend the Colonial Secretary, and also for the material assistance rendered by the people of this Colony in the sacred cause of relief of human suffering in China's hour of need.
As the Rt. Hon. H. A. L. Fisher said in the preface to his famous "History of Europe"-"The fact of progress is written plain and large on the page of history; but progress is not a law of nature. The ground gained by one generation may be lost by the next. The thoughts of men may flow into the channels which lead to disaster and barbarism."
The forces of reaction are strong; the challenge to civilisation is real. But if I may be permitted to paraphrase the well known words of William Pitt, I would like to feel that the verdict of history will be that China has saved herself by her exertions, and has saved civilisation by her example. (Applause).
HON. MR. LEO D'ALMADA E CASTRO.--Your Excellency,—As a resident of Kowloon and a member of the Committee of the Kowloon Residents Association I propose to deal first with some of Kowloon's more pressing wants before passing on to two other topics of equal interest to me and which affect the Colony as a whole.
The hoary subject of Kowloon's street lighting is one which, by reason of Government's parsimony in this direction, has found its way into one or more speeches in several previous debates, and from year to year, with a steady increase in Kowloon's traffic, the crying need for improvement grows. To my recollection, the sole fruit of several accidents in Nathan Road after dark, fatal accidents in more than one case, has been, so far as Government is concerned, a promise of better things in the future, and experiments on a small scale with modern and better lights. These latter were observed and commented upon by the Kowloon Residents' Association, whose views on the subject were sought by Government, some months ago, since when nothing further has been heard of this matter. I venture to suggest, Sir, that even if the financial position does not warrant the admittedly heavy expenditure necessary to modernise the whole of Kowloon's
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