To His Excellency the Governor.
340
The country enjoys prosperity and the people are at peace."
In the summer of the Mo Sut year (1898), the Chinese Government leased to Great Britain the territory in the neighbourhood of Kowloon in the San-On district, which has been incorporated into the Colony of Hong Kong under the Governorship of His Excellency Sir Henry Blake.
When we heard of this, our joy was unbounded, and we congratulated ourselves on our good fortune, as we realize that henceforward we shall dwell for ever under the protection of a benevolent Government. In the poetry of Ngai it is written, "Let us go to that happy land." Now that we are enjoying peace and freedom from trouble and care we are truly residing in a happy land, and this state of bliss is due to the benevo- lence of Your Excellency which inspires us with feelings of gratitude too deep for words. We have therefore engraved on a tablet, which we pray Your Excellency will con- descend to accept, the inscription," the land enjoys prosperity and the people are at peace," in order to humbly indicate how sensible we, the inhabitants of this part of the territory, are of Your Excellency's goodness.
341
gambling tables when they came under their observation in the course of their duty. So far I have heard of no dissatisfaction on the part of the people.
5. The Merchant Shipping Ordinance was introduced as it was found that if excluded we should lose all control over the extensive junk traffic around the coasts of the Colony, especially in Deep Bay and Mirs Bay, and we cannot afford to relax our vigilance over these vessels.
6. In the consideration of all these matters I was careful to obtain the views of the heads of the different departments, and to consult Mr. Goodman, whose minute formed the basis of your despatch. It is possible that local considerations were more apparent and pressing than presented themselves in considering the questions in London.
25166/S.
I have, &c.,
HENRY A. BLAKE,
Governor, &c.
No. 245.
FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TLC.O. 882
mwimmi
5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
25035.
(No. 231.)
No. 244.
GOVERNOR SIR H. A. BLAKE to MR. CHAMBERLAIN. (Received September 18, 1899.)
[Answered by No. 260.]
SIR,
Government House, Hong Kong, August 18, 1899. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 108, of 18th June,* on the subject of certain Ordinances not excluded from operation in the New Territory.
2. With reference to paragraph 2 it was not intended to make any byelaws ap- plicable to the New Territory except under Ordinances in force in that area.
3. As regards paragraph 3 it was submitted by the Acting-Treasurer that the Ordinance would not affect the present inhabitants of the New Territory to any extent, as it is found that it does not practically affect the outlying villages in the Colony, and in the event of cases coming up where ignorance should be pleaded the Collector has power under Ordinance 26 of 1895, to modify or waive the penalty on stamping after execution, a power that would, of course, be equitably exercised. It was also considered that as probably there would be an influx of capitalists with large interests into the New Territory, it would be better to allow the Stamp Ordinance to apply. The same con- sideration applied to the Rating and Probate Ordinances.
think
4. With reference to the Gambling Ordinance, I considered the question most carefully and by the light of experience acquired since my arrival in the Colony. There was nothing between extending the Gambling Ordinance, allowing unrestrained gamb hing, and adopting a system of licensed gambling-houses. To the latter course there are very great objections except we are prepared to adopt that system in Hong Kong. The Ordinance was therefore extended, and at the same time the police were instructed not to interfere except so far as to prevent public disorder.
In a short time the respectable inhabitants of Kowloon and Sham-shui-poo, both situated close to the late Kowloon boundary, made complaints to the police that all the bad characters in the district collected at the gambling dene, and that their safety was imperilled. They therefore begged that gambling should be stopped. Thereupon the Ordinance so far as gambling-houses were concerned was acted upon those places. The gambling there had been stopped for the past two or three years by the Chinese authorities at the request of this Government, but the houses were opened on our occupation.
Later on, representations were made by the Captain Superintendent Police that the gambling-houses were doing much mischief in the New Territory. The respectable people objected to it, but they said that it was the business of the Government to sup- press the public gambling, as if their objections were publicly put forward it might entail violence to them by the gamblers. I therefore authorized the police to prevent public
• No. 189.
(Secret.)
SIR,
(Received September 19, 1899.)
[Answered by No. 249:]
Foreign Office, September 18 1899.
I HAVE laid before the Marquess of Salisbury your letter, 24081/99, secret, of the 18th instant,* relative to the occupation of Sham Chun.
I am directed by His Lordship to state in reply that he agrees in principle with the views expressed by Mr. Chamberlain on this subject, but that under the actual circum- stances of the moment, it appears desirable that a further delay should intervene before any action is taken in the matter.
28781.
Sm
(No. 901.)
No. 246.
I am, &c.,
F. H. VILLIERS.
MR. CHAMBERLAIN to GOVERNOR SIR H. A. BLAKE.
[Answered by No. 281; see also No. 285.]
Downing Street, September 22, 1899.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 202, of the 31st July last, and to approve the Rules which you enclosed fixing for one year the Crown rent payable on agricultural land in the "New Territories."
2. I should be glad if you would be good enough to furnish me with an estimate of the revenue to be derived from this source.
28783.
No. 247.
I have, &c.,
J. CHAMBERLAIN.
BERLA
MR. CHAMBERLAIN to GOVERNOR SI H. A. BLAKE.
(No. 204.)
Downing Street, September 22, 1899.
SIL,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 204, of the 31st July last, and to sanction the expenditure of a sum not exceeding $35,000 in con- nection with the survey of the New Territory.
* No. 240.
↑ No. 235.
↑ No. 236.