1866 — Page 131

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference

PELLIC.O. 133

23

BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-| ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON]

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

E

122

241.

No. 41.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

The following Report of the Registrar General, with Returns annexed for the Year 1866, is published for general information.

By Order,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 12th March, 1867.

Na 14.

W. T. MERCER, Colonial Secretary.

Registrar General's OrrICE, VICTORIA, HONGzona, 22nd February, 1867. Six--I have the honor to forward you the Census Returns for 1866, and the Statistics required for the Colonial Blue Book, as called for in your letter No. 712 of 31st December last.

The Returns shew an estimated decrease of 10,400 in the Population of the Colony compared with those for 1865. Considerable care has been taken in compiling the different Schedules and I have fair reason for believing that the Returns in their entirety exhibit a more accurate account of the Census of Hongkong, than those hitherto presented.

Free use has been made of the experience gained by this Office in former years, and the plan as submitted in my Report of 3rd December last was fully carried out.

The Mercantile crises which during the past year have affected more or less the trade of all civilized countries have left

a clear and well defined mark on the trade of the Native Merchants of Hongkong.

It has been a year of most nausual depression in business.

On examining the accounts of tradal transactions, which in ordinary course takes place at the close of the Chinese New Year, it is found that the largest amount of profit made by a single Hong did not exceed $16,000, and that those who made anything at all were very few in number,

The Rice denlers compute their losses at Four Hundred Thousand Dollars, and those who deal in general merchandise, while unable to find out what their deficiencies may be in the bulk, yet put forward one instance of a Hong in ordinary business losing $130,000 and many others whose losses were over $10,000.

And as these Hongs have thus failed to make money, a conclusion may naturally be drawn that the smaller shopkeepers bare felt most severely the ill-success of the larger dealers.

This state of affairs combined with no ill-defined feeling of fear as to the scope and effect of the fresh legislation introduced by His Excellency Sir R. G. MacDoNNELL, caused numerous familles to leave for their own villages from whence they could contemplate, without experiencing, the good or (what was expected) bad results of the operation of the new Ordinances. These people had nothing to keep them in Hongkong and saw nothing but advantage in leaving it at least for a time.

However, that they did not go away in great numbers is shewn by the Returns, for the last quarter of 1866 of the Hongkong, Canton and Macao Steam-Boat Company, which by the courtesy of the Agents I have had the opportunity of examining.

It is there seen that by the Canton and Macao routes very nearly as many persons arrived in the Colony as left. Of course other outlets have been availed of, but had there been a great exodus there can be little doubt but that the Steamers of

the Company referred to would have afforded the means of departure.

With respect to the class of persons who have gone away, I do not consider that they formed a very large portion of those whom the Colony would be interested in retaining. A wholesome fear of the new Ordinances inspired many, and their departure from Hongkong has been to our advantage.

The Boat population is slightly larger than that for 1865, though there is this marked difference. In former years the Harbor of Victoria contained by far the larger share, while the Returns for 1860 shew that the Villages claim very nearly half of the total Bout population. And as the number of Steamers, frequenting the Harbor, increases, we may naturally expect that the number of native craft will decrease, for the one cannot stand competition with the other, and the necessity for the smaller Bosts will also by degrees become less and less.

Considering all the circumstances connected with Trade and other results of the past year I think that the Returns on the whole present as favorable an appearance as could be expected, and though the Population was less on December last your than when the Census was taken in 1865, yet there are now unmistakeable signs of a daily increase.—I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient Servant,

The Honorable, W. T. MERCER,

CECIL C. SMITH, Registrar General.

Colonial Secretary.