263
No.
Date.
Petitioners.
Division.
District.
1
21st April
Sham Taan-un and others Sheung U
Lam Tsun
2
Tang Pang-chung and
Un Long
Pat Heung
others.
3
Tang Kok-lam and others!
Kam Tin
"
Tang Chan-un and others
19
Ha Teun, Shap Pat
No. of Villages.
20
8
12
42
Heung, Tan Mun
5
Tang Taing-wan
and
2* 22 *
13
31
others..
6
24th April
Man Pun-Shan
and
Sheung U
+
others.
6
¡ 25th April
Ming Un-tong
Sheung U
---
7
Hau
"
Ting-Chan and
others.
8
Han ('han
9
**
10
"
Liu Kwan and others Pang
others.
Tung-fuk and
San Tin...
Ho Sheung
Kam Tsin & In
Kong.
Sheung Shui
3
I
ન્ય
2
1
Fan Ling
3
11
26th April
Tang Mi-taun and others
12
27th April
Lung Kwattan
11
Man Ying-san and others
t
Luk Yenk
Luk Youk
12
13
Li Hing-chun and others
Sha-tau-kok
Wo Hang
7
14
30th April
Wong Tsunghui
and
"
Luk Kong
7
others.
15
16
1st May
17
"
U U-kong and others
Chan Taz-ki and others Mak
Sheung U...
Shan Wan
14
Hap Wo...
1
Mung-man and
9
"
others.
18
Man Tin fuk
"}
13
Tai Hang
5
Total
171
(Translation.)
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
[18.]
Taipo, May 2, 1899.
WITH reference to the translations of the five petitions already forwarded by me, I now enclose a complete list of all the petitions presented since the date of hoisting the flag.
Petitions Nos. 1-5. Translations have already been forwarded.
Petitions Nos. 6-11 are couched in the same terms as petitions Nos. 1-5. Petition No. 12 is couched in the same terms as petition No. 14.
Petitions Nos. 13-17, translations forwarded herewith.
I attach a sketch map showing the districts from which petitions have come. The petitions include 171 of the most important villages in the territory.
Petitions have not yet been received from the Starling Inlet District, from the eastern section of the territory extending from station to. Tap Mun, from the southern section, extending from Sha Tin to Tai Lam Chung, including Ts'un Wan and the village in Kowloon, and the various islands. I have no doubt that all these districts will present petitions in due course, but they have not been concerned in the recent anti-British movement in the same manner as the districts that have already petitioned.
The petitions of which translations have been made all tend to show that the armed resistance of the Chinese to British authority had its origin in the Un Long Division, which is the most powerful in the territory, and that the weaker and smaller divisions were coerced into joming the rebels.
J. H. STEWARt Lockhart,
Colonial Secretary.
Petition No. 13.-Wo Hang.
The humble petition of Li Hing Chun, Li Tsai Chun, Li Kwok Fu, Li Chin Chun, Li Cheung Chun, and others, elders and gentry of the Wo Hang district sheweth:
Your petitioners, being ignorant, were misled into rashly resisting the Imperial forces, and they humbly pray that they may be pardoned for offence. Your petitioners have always been law-abiding, and were well aware of the Convention leasing the territory, with which they were quite satisfied. But bad characters from other places by false rumours, misled the people, saying that the laws of the West and China not being the same, no end of difficulties would arise. The result was that disreputable members of the gentry availed themselves of the opportunity to incite the people to active resistance. Your petitioners, being weak and powerless, were coerced into compliance. Now that the troops have come to our district, your petitioners are truly delighted, but the ignorant people have scattered, and are in a very pitiful plight, which is sad to behold. Your petitioners are, therefore, constrained to approach your tribunal, humbly begging that the troops may be authorised to withdraw. The in- habitants of the various villages in our district will readily acquiesce in whatever sites may be hereafter selected by the British Government for the purpose of erecting government office, police station, &c.
And your petitioners will ever pray.
The following is a list of the villages in our districts :---
Wo Hang.
Ping Po Mi.
Lai Long.
Kang Ha
Ma Tsouk Ling.
Im Tso Ha. U Shek Kok.
Dated 27th April, 1899.
• Not re-produced.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882
5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO