1841-1886
COLONY OF HONG KONG, &c.
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Chinese are hereby promised protection, in Her Majesty's gracious name, against all enemies whatever; and they are further secured in the free exercise of their religious rites, ceremonies, and social customs, and in the enjoyment of their lawful private property and interests." Chinese ships, and merchants resorting to the port of Hong Kong for purposes of trade, are exempt, in the name of the Queen of England, from charges or duty of any kind to the British Government. The remainder of the proclamation consists of further inducements for the Chinese to settle in and trade with Hong Kong.
A form of government was organised, a chief magistrate, and harbour-master, &c. were appointed; 50 lots of land were sold in June 1841 to Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co., Dent & Co., MacVicar & Co., Fox, Rawson & Co., Turner, Lindsay & Co., and various other persons, the annual rent of which amounted to £3,224. Each lot was required to have a building erected within six months, of the appraised value of 1,000 dollars; and a deposit of 500 dollars was required to be lodged with the treasurer as a security for the performance of this engagement. Building commenced with great spirit; the Government spent very large sums of money on the island, and the harbour was filled with ships of war and transports. The island has now had a fair trial of more than three and a half years. We shall inquire what progress it has made in population.
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On taking possession of Hong Kong, it was found to contain about 7,500 inhabitants, scattered over 20 fishing hamlets and villages. The requirements of the fleet and troops, the demands for labourers to make roads and houses, and the servants of Europeans, increased the number of inhabitants, and in March 1842, they were numbered at 12,361. In April, 1844, the number of Chinese on the island is computed at 19,000, of whom not more than 1,000 are women and children. In the census are included 97 women slaves, and the females attendant on 31 brothels, eight gambling-houses, and 20 opium shops, &c. It is literally true, that after three years-and-a-half uninterrupted settlement, there is not one respectable Chinese inhabitant on the island. One man of wealth, named Chinam, who had been engaged in the opium trade, came to Hong Kong, built a good house, and freighted a ship. He soon returned to Canton, and died there of a fever and cold, contracted at Hong Kong. It was understood, however, that had he lived he would have been prohibited from returning to Hong Kong, the policy of the mandarins on the adjacent coast being to prevent all respectable Chinese from settling at Hong Kong, and in consequence of the hold which they possess on their families and relatives, this can be done most effectually; at the same time, I believe that they encourage and promote the deportation of every thief, pirate, and idle or worthless vagabond, from the mainland to Hong Kong. The Rev. Dr. Gutzlaff, who has been engaged in making the recent census, appended to this report, referring to the fishermen who formed the greater part of the population of the island on our arrival, says, "they are a roving set of beings, floating on the wide face of the ocean with their families; committing depredations whenever it can be done with impunity."
"The stone-cutters have been working here for many years before our arrival. The majority of these men are unprincipled. They cannot be considered as domesticated, and are in the habit of going and coming according to the state of trade."
"The most numerous class who have since our arrival fixed themselves on the island, are from Whampoa; many of them are of the worst character, and ready to commit any atrocity." "The capital of the shopkeepers is very small; the most of them live from hand to mouth, and lead a life of expedients, without principle and self-control." "It is very natural that depraved, idle, and bad characters from the adjacent main and islands, should flock to the colony where some money can be made." Dr. Gutzlaff, whose prepossessions are strongly in favour of the Chinese, concludes this portion of the memorandum with which he has favoured me, as follows: "The moral standard of the people congregated in this place (Hong Kong) is of the lowest description. This observation is fully borne out by the numerous murders, piracies, burglaries, and robberies of every description which have taken place during the last three years, and with almost perfect impunity, for the Chinese are formed into secret societies for the mutual protection of villains, and no man dare inform against another. At this moment (July 1844) the European inhabitants are obliged to sleep with loaded pistols under their pillows; frequently to turn out of their beds at midnight to protect their lives and property from gangs of armed robbers, who are ready to sacrifice a few of their number if they can obtain a large plunder. This state of things was long ago predicted. In the 'Canton Register,' of 23d February 1841, it was stated, 'Hong Kong will be the resort and rendezvous of all the Chinese smugglers; opium smoking-shops and gambling-houses will soon spread; to those haunts will flock all the discontented and bad spirits of the empire; the island will be surrounded by shameens, and become a Gehenna of the waters.' Three years have completely fulfilled this prediction, and neither time nor circumstances will now ever alter the character of the place; no Chinese of the humbler class will even bring their wives and children to the colony. He must be a sanguine visionary who expects that 'Hong Kong will ever contain a numerous and respectable Chinese population.' And, as regards the present inhabitants (if a migratory race who are constantly changing deserve that epithet), their diminution by one-half would be satisfactory, for then, a control by registration might be exercised, and life and property be rendered in some degree secure. The daring character of the population, and its worthlessness for all useful civil purposes in the formation of a colony, will be seen in the following incident:
On the 27th September 1843, the Hon. Major Caine, the chief magistrate, issued a proclamation for pulling down some mat sheds which harboured a gang of ruffians who were
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nightly