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Persons desirous of starting any industry will be given more than one lot, and pre- aumably every encouragement, consistent with obtaining a reasonably speedy return for capital extended, would be conceded by the proprietary Lords of the Manor.

It must not be imagined that, because we found the statements attributed to Mr Bo Amel to differ from our own observations on Saturday luat, we condemn the scheme for constructing a rival Chinese city on the

borders of the Oulony. We admire the enterprise, and

think there

we

A possibility of constructing a re sidential and even

manufacturing

V

centre in the neighbourhood of Bamshulpo under British protection. The ana-shore may be too shallow at this point to admit of the approach of large vessels, but the son struation of railway from Hongkong to Canton, one of the pet schemes of some of Hoogkong's fonciers, will compensate for that, and manufactured goods might be car ried cheaply enough to the wharven at Kowloon. The proximity of the plague cemetery at Laichikok is objectionable, but science should soon remove objections on that score. There is most certainly a need for suburbs to the city of Victoria, "suburbs where respectable wealthy Chinese can bring their wives and families, thus in ducing them to become true colonists. The interferende of the well-meaning but foolish people of Exeter Hall in regard

to the immoral cänker is playing and havoc with Hongkong as a place of re- aidence for respectable Chinese, sinoa the removal of restrictions has had the io- evitable effect of increased immorality over a wider area in the city of Viotoris. To some extent at least the existence of higher-priced dwelling houses of more luxurious construc- tion, and alinated in the suburbs, would have the effect of counteracting the evil effects of Exeter Hall. But a new city on our borders, entirely with o Chinese Jarla- diotion, will, on the other band, be a source

of absolute danger to the Colony. What- ever excellent ideas its projectors may have, and we give them credit for the best, another Chinese city in the vladnity of Bengkong will become an additional source of danger to the Colony. It would also lead to an increase of orime, and for a proof of that it is unnecessary to go beyond the re- oorde of the past month's orime. Three of the most serious orimes committed in the city of Victoria during the past month, ex- capting the case of alleged murder on board a sampan, were, we believe, committed by men having their habitat in Chinese 8am- aboips, and all three had been previously banished from the Colony and deported to Canton. Only one of the men was arrested in the attempt to commit murder; the others stomped to Samshulpo or Kowloon Oity. Nor can we forget the threat of the Chinese dorlog the plague epidemic of 1804 and again during the strike of 1898 to esta blish a Obinete city of refuge at Samabulpo to which they could resort whenever their caprice diolated a wholessis boycott of the Oolony. To protest the Colony from posti. lease and orime it is necessary, therefore, that the whole territory forming the Kows loon Peninsula should" ba ceded to the Colony of Hongkong, and an it has long bean obvious that the noquialtion of this jers ritory is essential for the proper and effec- tive defence of the Colony from foreign in- vasion, we hope the British authorities will regard the new menace ag one mora argui ment for prompt sotion. The highest of all motives, the instinct of self-preservation, demand an extension of the territorial fron- tier,

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference

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C.O.

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