1867 — Page 127

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EMAS AGUUCED PROTOGRAPHMUSEE ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON,

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HONGKONG, 2014 February, 1868.

In forwarding the Annual Census Returns for the Year 1867, I avail myself of the opportunity of offering a few cursory remarks in elucidation of their contents, and of the progress of which they bear evidence.

2. My last Report furnished details shewing a decrease in the population generally of more than 10,000 Souls, and as I then pointed out such a decrease might faithfully be attributed to the fresh legislation which had been so lately introduced, and explanations of the purport of which had been extremely well circulated among the Chinese, although its operation had not then commenced.

Deaths

Mains: of Deaine in the Garrison of Benghong

during the Year ending 91 at December 1867.

Regiment or Corpo.

Royal Artillery.

Gene Lascar Company, R. a.

2/20 + Regiment.

god

De

Ceylon Rifles. Army Hospital Corp...

Staff.

hen-Com

and Inow

Total

2

7

7

21

20

No. 34.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

The following Report, with the Census Returns annexed for the Year 1867, is published for general

information.

By Command,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 14th March, 1868.

CECIL C. SMITH, Acting Colonial Secretary.

REGISTRAR GENERAL'S OPFICE,

57

27

(signed) J. C. Gauter, Col.

Commandant.

Garrison Office, HongKongs

27th January, 1868.

3. That such was the case, time has since completely proved; but as the provisions of the new Ordinances began to be understood in their working, and their effect upon the Native Community, those who had left, soon returned, und before the Year closed, more than 10,000 Chinese had taken up their residence here, as compared with the numbers shewn in the Returns of 1866.

4. Much labor was expended at the commencement of last Year in ascertaining the basis of the fears which were generally reported to exist among the Chinese. I found that iille rumours were audied to well grounded fears. The scope of the legisla- tion was in many cases wilfully misinterpreted, and many individuals, instead of learning for themselves by reading the ex- planatory notices which were conspicuously published and placarded by Government, and the translation of the Ordinances which they held in their hands, took fright and left the Colony.

5. It will be remembered, too, that the Festival of the New Year fell much earlier than usual, and thus, having a good reason for visiting their natire places, the Chinese residents seized the opportunity of going home, thereby reaping the double advantage of performing an alicost sacred duty and being absent from Hangkong when the provisions of the new Ordinances were to be carried into effect. I may here all that the only Ordinance which created apparently the principal spirit of ants- gonism was that by which power was given to a Medical Inspector to chose his own opportunity for intruding on the privacy of their family houses.

6. But as year by year, uninfluenced by local causes, the Chinese do leave the Colony at Christmas time to spend their own nearly approaching festive season in their own country, it is impossible to compile Census Returns, shewing the real popula- tion of Hongkong, at that time. There are, undoubtedly, more residents on shore and more boats in the Harbor during any other months in the Year than December and January, and while pointing out what I consider an error on the part of those who fixed the 31st December as the day for taking the Census, I would suggest the easy remedy of postponing the Census which would in due course be taken at the end of December 1863 to June 1869,

7. Analysing however, the present Returns, it appears that in the gross there has been an increase of 2,373 souls oveT that of 1800. But the increase is, I hold, still larger, for I have taken the liberty this Year of crossing out from the Census a Return of 2,000 persons which have hitherto been described as Vagrants. Since the mat sheds which everywhere dotted the hills have been so properly pulled down I see no justification for such a Retorn, and have, therefore, erased it from the present Tables.

It is true that those figures were inserted in 180, and I must plead guilty to baring allowed them to stand although grave doubts existed in my mind as to the truth of the estimate. My only excuse is that I followed the practice introduced by my predecessors.

8. Taking into consideration this point, the total population being 117,871, may well be considered as shewing an increase of 4,373 for the past Year. In Victoria, alone, however, the Chinese population has increased to the extent of 1,791 Fouls, and that this amount is not apparent in the grand total is to be explained by an inspection of the figures shewing the boat population, where there has been a falling off, of nearly 5,000; this great decrease is to be found almost entirely in the Villages, and may be due to the fact that, whereas prior to the intra-dve-ion of the Harbor and Coasta Ordinance numerous craft of all descriptions left the main Harbor, and retired to the Village, where the Ordinance was not expected to reach them, thus increasing the beat population in these places from 7,738 in 1865 to 13,000 in 1806, a few months enabled them to see the futility of their conduct, and they gradually came back. Hence the Returns shew that the numbers have nearly reached their former amount, a state of affairs to be expected, since there has been little or no increase of trade in the Villages.

9. I would next draw attention to Retara No. Year in the number of buildings for the Chinese, and in the number of fimilies, viz., 180 which settled in the Colony. This which shews during the past Year a fair increase over the previous latter point is, I hold, of considerable importance us evincing a gradual surmounting on the part of Native of Residents, of old prejudices-formerly deemed insurmountable by many,-aguiust bringing their wives and families to live in a British Colony, or indeed in any place out of their own cuntry.

10. To gather a correct estimate of the progress made, it must not be forgotten that during the great fire of October last more than 300 Houses were burnt to the ground. The Returns, however, being compiled in December shew a slight decrease of 189, which taken into account with the 300 burnt down, proves as I have stated, that in this important point there has been no retrogression, but the contrary, during the Year under review.

11. The decreasa in the number of houses in the Villages is to be explained by the fact that in the Assessment books, which forta the basis of the computation, no meation is now made of Tenements under the assessed value of $10 per Annum, and thus numerous hovels usually included in the Returns have been omitted,