undue or unfair restrictions to be laid on the Chinese, but to give them that same equality and fair play that they thought they were entitled to with all other subjects of the Queen. I was not in the Colony many weeks when there came under my notice one most serious restriction that was about to be laid upon them, and which, after consulting them, I was able to prevent. Three days before I came to the Colony, a proposal was made which would certainly have had the effect of preventing an influx of Chinese, and probably would have driven a good many out of the Colony. It was made after Sir ARTHUR KENNEDY left, three days before I arrived, and it was submitted to me because it was assumed a certain amount of force would be necessary to carry it out. The Colonial Secretary himself had great doubts as to its prudence, but he submitted it to me. It was called "Rules and Regulations with respect to Chinese graves." It was to apply solely to the Chinese. I requested the Colonial Secretary to get ten or a dozen of the most respectable Chinese that he and the Registrar General knew, to come to me and consider these particular rules. They came. Mr. CHUN AYIN was the spokesman; Mr. WAI AKWONG was present, and some leading Chinese gentlemen now in the Colony. When the document was translated to them, they began by saying that the rules had been framed without any consultation with them and without their knowledge. They pointed out that the rules so framed were inconsistent with their religion and their usages as regards graves and services for the dead. One of the rules to which Mr. CHUN AYIN especially objected was this, "Single graves shall not be more than 6 feet long by 2 ft. wide, nor less than 5 feet deep." Now, he and others pointed out as regards the depth, that they thought it a very good thing, and that a law to that effect already existed in the Colony, but with respect to the provision "not more than 6 feet long by 2 feet wide," they said that their graves were always more than 6 feet long and 2 feet wide. An ordinary Chinese coffin measures 6 feet 6 inches in length, and it is 2 feet 7 inches wide at the head. The coffin of a Chinese gentleman who has received a button or decoration--and many of our merchants who have subscribed to various benevolent objects in China possess decorations--is 7 feet 9 inches long, and even the coffin of a Chinese pauper is over 6 feet in length. Therefore, these Chinese gentlemen said to me,---"There is no necessity for any exercise of force. The effect will be that we will go away if such rules are promulgated about our graves." They reminded me of what occurred at Macao, and said it would drive people out of the Colony. I need hardly tell you that I put my veto on these rules and regulations and that I have not allowed any system to be enforced that would offend the prejudices of the Chinese on the subject of their graves.
There also came before me a proposal which showed that a special restriction had been laid upon them, and which very much concerns what I said in the opening part of my remarks about the transactions in landed property. There came before me certain reports of the Surveyor General referring to the restrictions imposed by order of the Governor in Council on the extension of Chinese premises in Hongkong. The Executive Council met to consider the reports. There was an application before me for converting certain European buildings in Queen's Road Central into Chinese structures, for building Chinese houses in Duddell Street, and there was also a proposal made by Messrs. DOUGLAS LAPRAIK & Co. to dispose of certain land for Chinese commercial purposes in another part of the Colony. The upshot of the discussion in Council was, that I was able to relax somewhat the rule that appeared to have been made--by Sir RICHARD MACDONNELL, I think it was--to restrict the building of Chinese houses, and I was able to allow Mr. CHATER to sell the property and to allow the Chinese to build their shops and stores, but, although entertaining some doubts as to the policy of not allowing Messrs. DOUGLAS LAPRAIK & Co. to sell their land to Chinese, I declined, on the advice of the Council, to permit it. But in writing to the Secretary of State I said, "I am disposed to think the line Mr. PRICE, the Surveyor General, has now drawn cannot be maintained very long in justice either to the Chinese who wish to buy property or to the Europeans who wish to sell it." I transmitted the minutes of Council and a memorandum by one of the members who opposed the slight relaxation I made in the restriction, and who expressed the opinion that the Governor should oppose the erection of Chinese shops and houses in the European business quarter of the city, and reserve the central portion of the city for English and foreign firms. He seemed to think that the increase of Chinese I anticipated would not occur, and that the future of the Colony was to be what it had been in the early days, more of a European than a Chinese community. However, Lord CARNARVON approved so far of what I did in partially removing the restriction, and so the matter rests. The three or four years that have passed since then have only shown more clearly the impolicy, indeed, the impossibility of trying to stem the free current of commercial life, and, by any artificial restrictions, of endeavouring to preserve the best parts of the town to Europeans or Americans. In fact, such restrictions are not merely restrictions on the Chinese of Hongkong; they are, indirectly, restrictions on the manufacturers of Manchester, who want the cheapest and best agents here for placing their goods on the Chinese market.
I also had the opportunity of consulting the Chinese on another proposal. There came to me a resolution from the Chamber of Commerce, in which the Chamber proposed that the Government should adopt a system of registering all the sleeping partners in Chinese houses of business. They showed that it was exceedingly difficult to find out who had money in a Chinese trading concern, and recommended that the natives should be compelled by law, and under adequate penalties, to register every person who had a share, no matter how small, in a Chinese business. The Chamber of Commerce added that they had no desire to apply this system to the European houses, but wished it to be applied to Chinese businesses only.
undue or unfair restrictions to be laid on the Chinese, but to give them that same equality and fair play that they thought they were entitled to with all other subjects of the Queen. I was not in the Colony many weeks when there came under my notice one most serious restriction that was about to be laid upon them, and which, after consulting them, I was able to prevent. Three days before I came to the Colony, a proposal was made which would certainly have had the effect of preventing an influx of Chinese, and probably would have driven a good many out of the Colony. It was made after Sir ARTHUR KENNEDY left, three days before I arrived, and it was submitted to me because it was assumed a certain amount of force would be necessary to carry it out. The Colonial Secretary himself had great doubts as to its prudence, but he submitted it to me. It was called "Rules and Regulations with respect to Chinese graves." It was to apply solely to the Chinese. I requested the Colonial Secretary to get ten or a dozen of the most respectable Chinese that he and the Registrar General knew, to come to me and consider these particular rules. They came. Mr. CHUN AYIN was the spokesman; Mr. WAI AKWONG was present, and some leading Chinese gentlemen now in the Colony. When the document was translated to them, they began by saying that the rules had been framed without any consultation with them and without their knowledge. They pointed out that the rules so framed were inconsistent with their religion and their usages as regards graves and services for the dead. One of the rules to which Mr. CHUN AYIN especially objected was this, "Single graves shall not be more than 6 feet long by 2 ft. wide, nor less than 5 feet deep." Now, he and others pointed out as regards the depth, that they thought it a very good thing, and that a law to that effect already existed in the Colony, but with respect to the provision "not more than 6 feet long by 2 feet wide," they said that their graves were always more than 6 feet long and 2 feet wide. An ordinary Chinese coffin measures 6 feet 6 inches in length, and it is 2 feet 7 inches wide at the head. The coffin of a Chinese gentleman who has received a button or decoration--and many of our merchants who have subscribed to various benevo- lent objects in China possess decorations-is 7 feet 9 inches long, and even the coffin of a Chinese pauper is over 6 feet in length. Therefore, these Chinese gentlemen said to me,---"There is no neces- sity for any exercise of force. The effect will be that we will go away if such rules are promulgated "about our graves." They reminded me of what occurred at Macao, and said it would drive people out of the Colony. I need hardly tell you that I put my veto on these rules and regulations and that I have not allowed any system to be enforced that would offend the prejudices of the Chinese on the subject of their graves.
፡፡
There also came before me a proposal which showed that a special restriction had been laid upon them, and which very much concerns what I said in the opening part of my remarks about the transactions in landed property. There came before me certain reports of the Surveyor General referring to the restrictions imposed by order of the Governor in Council on the extension of Chinese premises in Hongkong. The Executive Council met to consider the reports. There was an appli- cation before me for converting certain European buildings in Queen's Road Central into Chinese structures, for building Chinese houses in Duddell Street, and there was also a proposal made by Messrs. DOUGLAS LAPRAIK & Co. to dispose of certain land for Chinese commercial purposes in another part of the Colony. The upshot of the discussion in Council was, that I was able to relax somewhat the rule that appeared to have been made-by Sir RICHARD MACDONNELL, I think it was-to restric the building of Chinese houses, and I was able to allow Mr. CHATER to sell the property and to allow the Chinese to build their shops and stores, but, although entertaining some doubts as to the policy o not allowing Messrs. DOUGLAS LAPRAIK & Co. to sell their land to Chinese, I declined, on the advice o the Council, to permit it. But in writing to the Secretary of State I said, "I am disposed to think the "line Mr. PRICE, the Surveyor General, has now drawn cannot be maintained very long in justic "either to the Chinese who wish to buy property or to the Europeans who wish to sell it." I trans mitted the minutes of Council and a memorandum by one of the members who opposed the sligh relaxation I made in the restriction, and who expressed the opinion that the Governor should oppos the erection of Chinese shops and houses in the European business quarter of the city, and reserve th central portion of the city for English and foreign firms. He seemed to think that the increase Chinese I anticipated would not occur, and that the future of the Colony was to be what it had been i the early days, more of a European than a Chinese community. However, Lord CARNARVON approve so far of what I did in partially removing the restriction, and so the matter rests. The three or for years that have passed since then have only shown more clearly the impolicy, indeed, the impossibility of trying to stem the free current of commercial life, and, by any artificial restrictions, of endeavourin to preserve the best parts of the town to Europeans or Americans. In fact, such restrictions are no merely restrictions on the Chinese of Hongkong; they are, indirectly, restrictions on the manufacture of Manchester, who want the cheapest and best agents here for placing their goods on the Chir
market.
I also had the opportunity of consulting the Chinese on another proposal. There came to me resolution from the Chamber of Commerce, in which the Chamber proposed that the Governme should adopt a system of registering all the sleeping partners in Chinese houses of business. The showed that it was exceedingly difficult to find out who had money in a Chinese trading concern, an recommended that the natives should be compelled by law, and under adequate penalties, to regist every person who had a share, no matter how small, in a Chinese business. The Chamber of Cor merce added that they had no desire to apply this system to the European houses, but wished it to
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