CO129-131 - Sir MacDonnell - 1868 [6-7] — Page 226

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18. In conclusion I am desired to state that there is perfect harmony of opinion between the Governor and this Chamber in all that can be affirmed as to the injurious effects of Gaming in the abstract, and the disagreeable nature of the alternative which circumstances peculiar to this Colony have pressed on the Execu- tive here. This Government however had only a choice between the vile Past and a modification of it by calling in the interested assistance of the Chinese and permitting that to be done under regulated surveillance which was formerly done under circumstances fraught with far inore dangerous consequences to the com- munity,

19. Nothing has yet occurred, and nothing has been proved to show that the choice made by the Government was not the best for the Public interests, and His Excellency believes that such is the opinion of the most numerous and most intelligent portion of this community.

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient Servant,

I Gardiner Motion

Colonial Secretary,

APPENDIX A.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, 23RD MAY, 1868.

The Council met, according to appointment, on Saturday, at 4 P..

GAMING LICENSES.

The Honorable W. KESWICK, wished to know if he should be in order in asking His Excellency whether anything could be stated in reference to the money received under the Gambling Ordinance.

The GOVERNOR said that properly speaking notice ought to have been given of such a question. It was rather a difficult one to answer completely. There was much explanation which might be given, and a great deal which it was impor- tant that the Council should know, but if he were even to limit himself merely to correcting the misstatements which had been made in connexion with the subject, all the time which they had at their disposal for legislation would be taken up, He was quite ready, however, (but only with the permission of the Council, as it would be a departure from the usual routine) to answer Mr. Keswick's question. His answer was, that there had been no change whatever in the aspect of this matter. Nothing had been yet settled as to the disposal of money received as License fees, since the subject was first mooted. The original problem still remained unsolved, namely, what to do with the money if it were taken, or how to achieve the results required if it were not taken. He would, however, like the Council to know how consistent the policy of the Executive had been in this matter from the first. [His Excellency here sent for a volume of despatches, and read some extracts from 1866 to 1868.] So long back as the 9th of May, 1867, he had said that if the Home Government could devise any simple method of relieving the police from the harrassing and demoralising duty of suppressing secret Gambling Houses he would be glad to try it. Nevertheless, he was far from saying that he had exhausted all the means possible to imagine, because he had tried all which he could himself think of. He went on, he said, in that despatch to state that the Executive Council agreed with him in thinking there was no other effectual plan to suppress secret Gambling with its peculiar ill consequences, but that of enlisting the aid of Chinese on behalf of the objects which the Government had in view by giving them a pecuniary interest to support the views of the Government.

Again, on the 29th May last year, he had argued that it was impossible to expect the hearty co-operation of the Chinese, unless the amount charged for the Licenses was sufficiently high to leave a margin of profit only sufficient to make the Licensees careful to avoid penalties imposed for faults, either of omission or commission. Therefore any project for the issue of Licenses which excluded receipt. of fees altogether would ex necessitate rei fail to accomplish the most legitimate purpose of such Licenses.

From that day to this (and there were some earlier despatches on the subject which he had not at hand just then), the opinions of the Government on this subject had been precisely the same. He could not in fact give Mr. Keswick a clearer insight into the views of the Government than was contained in a speech of his addressed to the Council in August last, in which he had said, "whatever addition comes to your means from that source, can only be viewed as the acci- dental, and unsought result of a policy to which the Government is reluctantly driven in pursuit of an object of great public importance, and one which is entirely distinct from the acquisition of Revenue."