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18
If the gambling is made legal and carried on under the light of day in licensed houses, there can be small gain to the morality and welfare of the community in the suppression of illegal gambling.
Elsewhere this argument has been expanded in this form. The gambling house keepers are to aid the police as detectives, and thus to ensure the arrest of criminals. Thus, if gambling houses are a source of crime, their proprietors will enable the police to drive the criminals from the Colony, Hongkong is to become a school and nursery of crime; but the criminals are not to molest the community of Hongkong. They are to be driven abroad, to prey upon the subjects of the Emperor of China in the neighbouring province of Canton, where gambling is strictly prohibited by Chinese law!
III—The third argument is that the efficiency of the now corrupted police force will be retrieved.
In order to do this the honour and morality of the British government is to be sacrificed: a fearful price to pay for an uncertain gain! But the sacrifice is unnecessary. Sir Richard admitted to the three missionaries who waited on him, that if he could only get a sufficient number of London policemen he would be able to suppress illegal gambling without resorting to the licensing system. The question is therefore reduced to one of revenue, and this argument is no more than a plea of poverty. The present European police appear to be too few for the work, and to be miserably underpaid, hence they accept bribes. It requires only an augmented expenditure, and Sir Richard is fully competent to provide for the execution of the law, and the welfare of the country without licensing gambling. Why then is the Stamp Act not put into operation?
19
His Excellency is unable to see the distinction between licensing brothels, and licensing gambling houses. (We do not see the need of imitating Sir Richard in avoiding ugly words by elegant circumlocution.) The licensing of brothels we do not care to defend, nor will we hastily condemn it, not understanding the disgusting subject. But this ordinance is professedly based upon the right of society to defend itself against the spread of a loathsome contagious disease. As such it differs entirely from the proposed licensing of gambling houses in aim, in method, in result. In aim, for it means the prevention of disease, while the other provides facilities for the practice of vice. In method, for the gambling license is to limit the number of gambling houses, whereas there appears to be no limit put to the number of brothels in Hongkong. In result, for it is said to be useful in diminishing disease, while the other will increase gambling, and its consequent crimes. When the government is prepared to arrange for the establishment of fifteen gigantic brothels, to regulate the details of their vile traffic, and to enrich the revenue by some hundreds of thousands of dollars derived from licensing them, we will admit a precedent for a similar treatment of gambling houses. Until then it is to be hoped most persons are clear-headed enough to see that there is not here "a distinction without a difference."
CONCLUSION.
The above papers are collected partly as a reply to the Governor's letter, partly for the information of the public here and in England.
NDI
407
18
If the gambling is made legal and carried on under the light of day in licensed houses, there can be small gain to the morality and welfare of the community in the suppression of illegal gambling.
Elsewhere this argument has been expanded in this form. The gambling house keepers are to aid the police as detectives, and thus to ensure the arrest of criminals. Thus, if gambling houses are a source of crime, their proprietors will enable the police to drive the criminals from the Colony, Hongkong is to become a school and nursery of crime; but the criminals are not to molest the community of Hong- kong. They are to be driven abroad, to prey upon the subjects of the Emperor of China in the neigh- bouring province of Canton, where gambling is strictly prohibited by Chinese law!
III-The third argument is that the efficiency of the now corrupted police force will be retrieved.
In order to do this the honour and morality of the British government is to be sacrificed: a fearful price to pay for an uncertain gain! But the sacrifice is unnecessary. Sir Richard admitted to the three mis. sionaries who waited on him, that if he could only get a sufficient number of London policemen he would be able to suppress illegal gambling without resorting to the licensing system. The question is therefore reduced to one of revenue, and this argument is no more than a plea of poverty. The present European police appear to be too few for the work, and to be miserably underpaid, hence they accept bribes. It requires only an augmented expenditure, and Sir Ri chard is fully competent to provide for the execution of the law, and the welfare of the country without licensing gambling. Why then is the Stamp Act not put into operation?
19
His Excellency is unable to see the distinction between licensing brothels, and licensing gambling hopses. (We do not see the need of imitating Sir Ri- charl in avoiding ugly words by elegant circumlocu- tion.) The licensing of brothels we do not care to defend, nor will we hastily condemn it, not unders tanding the disgusting subject. But this ordinance is professedly based upon the right of society to defend itself against the spread of a loathsome contagions disease. As such it differs entirely from the proposed licensing of gambling houses in aim, in method, in result. In aim, for it means the prevention of disease, while the other provides facilities for the practice of vice. In method, for the gambling license is to limit the number of gambling houses, whereas there ap- pears to be no limit put to the number of brothels in Hongkong. In result, for it is said to be useful in diminishing disease, while the other will increase gambling, and its consequent crines. When the gov. ernment is prepared to arrange for the establishment of fifteen gigantic brothels, to regulate the details of their vile traffic, and to enrich the revenue by some hundreds of thousands of dollars derived from licen- sing them, we will admit a precedent for a similar treatment of gambling houses. Until then it is to be hoped most persons are clear-headed enough to see that there is not here "a distinction without a dif- ference."
CONCLUSION.
The above papers are collected partly as a reply to the Governor's letter, partly for the information of the public here and in England.
NDI
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