CO129-177 - Sir Kennedy Acting Governor Austin Lieut Governor Hennessy - 1877 [1-5] — Page 154

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| appointment, and subsequently a civil office; when he ascended rapidly the ladder of officialdom until he was promoted to a governorship. The first goverment he held was in Gambia, where he distinguished him- self by his good administration. Then he was transferred to the governorship of Sierra Leone, there he also discharged the duties of Consul-General with ability and satisfac- tion. He then had the government of Western Australia; then of Vancouver's Island; then of the West African Settle- ments, and finally, 1872, he was appointed Governor of Hongkong, having thus been four years now in this government.

This veteran minister is held by the English Government to be of as mueli im. portance as the vitals are to the human being, and His Excellency sustains the positions graciously bestowed on him by the display of great talent in his administration. From the day, when His Excellency first antered upon his official career, he has now performed the toils of fifty years' service, and the present is his sixth government. He is now the protecting power of a place thousands of miles away from home, and he is praised everywhere and by everyone. We were in hopes that we should long enjoy the benefit of his protection and the blessing of his impartial kindness, but in this we are disappointed, for the effulgense of his blessed countenance will shortly be removed from us, but we shall, nevertheless, think of him without persing.

We have heard that His Excellency has been appointed to the governorship of Queensland in Australia, and he is to leave us now. What are we to do? The public response is "let us reduce the good administration of His Excellency in Hongkong to writing by way of a perpetual remembrance." We have therefore to record that His Excellency has always been earnest in the encouragement of good government, and most sinoere in the protection of his subjects. Hongkong is a place where Chinese and foreigners mingle together, and is of but a short distance from Canton. It is, moreover, a place where bad characters can easily conceal their tracks and hide their footprints. But since the assumption of the government by His Excellency, he has enforced the Law of Deportation; and vagabonds catching wind of it have to keep at a respectful distance from Hongkong, and dare not sot unscru- pulously as the "Chi" Bird; so that they do not even excite the bark of dogs. More- over, while the Police are ever vigilant in their captures, the officials are systematic in carrying out the law, the object being to drive away bad charactere with earnestness, that good and peaceful citi- zens may enjoy a quiet residence here, and follow their avocations peacefully. There- fore the tranquillity of Hongkong for the last few years has been greater than has been known in former years. This shews the good government of His Excellency in the detection of crime and in the protection of the peaceful.

As to the Gaol, one would expect from the number of men confined in it that there would be difficulty in maintaining it in a sanitary state, but His Excellency has paid much attention to the subject, and has taken great interest in the cases tried. He has also informed the Chinese community that if they have any grievances to complain of, they can lay them before him personally. Therefore, with the mirror of Justice of "Tsun" hanging high above, there is not single case of wrongful detention in the prison of "Cho, But His Excellency also takes care of good citizens and educates the talented. He sets aside sums of money to Assist the various schools, the students of which are periodically examined, and are liberally rewarded, whilst the schools are awarded gratuities according to the progress the students make. Thus, in the redress of grievances and in the support of education, His Excelleney's good administration is also

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But of all that he does in his earnest desire to promote the welfare of the people and in the universal dispensation of his benevolent protection, there is none which compares with his putting down the slave trede, and the traffic in women:

Maono derived profit from the slave trade, and has caused misery to numberless men. Excellency was greatly moved by this state of things, and reported minutely to ble government requesting communication with Fortugal, which eventually stopped this evil, Has Extelloney prohibiting, at the same Hime, the ships in Hongkong from partici

pating in the boolte trade, The evil was thus got rid of and the air was purified; there has been since no kidnapping of men, Virtuous women and female children are likewise prohibited from being dealt in for purposes of immorality. Thus honest wor men are protected from farm, and this is very important in the interests of morality, This protection of both men and women la another instance of His Excellency's godd administration:

The above crude expressions set forth only s few of the most important points of Eis Excellency's good administration which we beg respectfully to record. As to His Ex- Bellency's other good qualities, they are too numerous to he detailed, (la Chinese his- toty, we have the legend of) General “Trill” who left behind hits a boot, and of “Men Tusk

whose likeness was preserved. These are instances of the departures from the seat of government of canonized officials, when the people they governed showed their sorrowful feelinga by holding go to the shafts of their earriages and by throwing themselves in the way of the wheels of their vobielen. Now that we hear of His Ex- cellency's departure being at hand, our desire to immortalise his good name, as if engraved on stone or tablet, has been doubly intensified. We therefore thus sing

his praises:

When the veteran minister of England Sways his rule in this Island,

His goodness overdowe me the waters of the

Ocean

And universal is his kindness in its dispensa-

tion.

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Oh! Your Excellency is now leaving, Can we refrain from you remembering? Should your Excellency come back to us again, Boundless joy shall we ever sustain,

Hongkong,

day of the 1st moon of the third year of Kwang- st, (corresponding to day of February 1877).

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Mc Lee Sik Chuen then read the address in the Chinese language.

His Excellency then rose to reply. He read as follows:

The

MY FRIENDS,-I thank you very cordial- ly for your address. I am gratified to learn that you repose confidence in the Govern- ment and the administration of justice in this Colony, I bave only obeyed the in- structions of Her Majesty the Queen in the adoption of measures which you consi- der beneficial to the Chinese Community, and the Legislative Council has cordially aasiated in passing them into law. British nation is both just and generous to all who live under the protection of its far. The obefience to law, and, the main- tenance of order, which have sharacterizad the Chinese community of Hongkong dur- ing my administration, demands my warm- est acknowledgements. 1 shall alwaYI cherish the remembrance of the kindly relations which have szisted unbroken be- tween us. I bid you a respectful farewell,

A. E. KENNEDY,

His Excellency, having read his reply, sdded : I would not wish to confine my reply to your very kind address with these very few 'ormal words. 1 regret greatly that I cannot speak your language so an to make myself understood to you all, but you, doubtless, though the medium of my friend on the right, who speaks English so perfectly and through the medium of the reporters, will learn something of what I desire to say to you. You all know, indeed by experience, that the law, and obedience to the law, is the only sure and safe bond of union between all classes of the commt. nity. There are many classes, and many races in this Colony, but there is only one law. You are all from the highest to the lowest in this Colony, amenable to the same law; all are equal here before the law, and I believe, so far as i know and so far as 1 bave been able to influence the administra- tion of the law, that the same has been ad- ministered here with fairness, justice, and strict impartiality. I bave never known a Chinaman or a member of suy other natio. uality wronged before any tribunal in the Colony. Our judges and magistrates are bound by law to administer justice between man and man, but to make law valuable in any community, we must have the cordial co-operation of the maares of the people to support them in short, there is no use in making laws unless we can obtain the con- fidence and support of the people in general in enforcing those laws. That, I am happy to say of the Chinese community here,

they have been eminently distinguished for. A more law-abiding, orderly people, I have never had to deal with in the course of my now somewhat long, experience; 1 do not think I am likely to have auch a peaceable and satisfactory time elsewhere than I have had here. I feel it, and I feel it very deeply, because it not only refleos credit upon myself personally to some ex tent, but also reflecta great credit upon all the public officers of this Colony who bave been my, main-stay in achieving that, and It goes further-it through me reflects are- dit upon those who sent me bere ; and, finally, your contentment and happiness and belief that justice is dealt out to you, is most acceptable and grateful to our Queen, who is at the head of us all. I hope this satisfactory state of affairs may long con tinue. I have done my best to reconcile the different races and nationalities here into one harmonious mass. I think that work is very nearly done, and I hope it will be completed. There is plenty of room for all here. You all know the entire freedom there is here for persons and inde. It contraste very favourably with some of the laws and dolugs in your own country; that you are beginning to know, and I have material proof that you have confidence in the Government and the fig under which you live. The way in which the Chines community are investing their money here in land and real property is an un- failing proof of this, because I well know your good judgment: I well know your prudence and how hardly you earn your money and how carefully you keep it; and I know that no Chinaman, would spend one dollar in this Colony unless he knew that the law protected both his property and person to the utmost, I know that on the part of my own country and on the part of the public officers here their strong desire is that they should live in good harmony and fellowship with the Ohfuese sa fellow-citizens. I have no better wish for you all than that this should be The reat you can do for yourselveN, You are progressing, thriving and prosperous, and I trust that you own bedome more so. Though I am leaving you, you know there are newspaper and other means of com. munication through which I shall bear of you. I believe also there will be an in- dressing trade between Australia and Ohls na: Many of your countrymen go there; they come and go, and you may be sure that wherever I And them, so long as they bobave well and obey the law as they have done here, they will find a protestor in me I have only again to thank you for your kind address and to wish you all prosperity and happiness.

Mr Brassey ↑ As Sir Arthur Kennedy haa referred to the very unustial virðumstanÇO that a member of the British Parliament happens to be present aš ä veremony of this nature, I kak, leave to say one or two words. I beg to mature the Chinese gentle. men who are pressit as members of shin Deputation that there is a universal feeling in the Parliament of Buglanda universál desire that all foreigners of whatever nationality or religion who inhabit the British lalanda gr any of the dependendiss of the British Empire should receive nut only just but gönerðué treatment from our Government, and there is a los sutious desire felt that hot only should justjes be done to all foreigasms, bus that foreigners should feel contented under British rule. Well, gentlemen, such being, as i gan ma- sure you they are, the sinouse sentimente of the members of the British Parliament, it does afford to me the greatest satisfaction to have been present on this occasion, and to receive such indisputable proofs of the success with which Sir Arthur Kennedy, in his high position as representative of Her Majesty and Government of Hong- kong, has succeeded in carrying out the policy of his country. That success reflects very high oredit upon Sir Arthur Kennedy, I may further add that it affords me very great pleasure to have heard from Sir Arthur Kennedy such expressions, no doubt well merited expressions, of satis faction with the conduct and demeanour of the Chinese population of Hongkong. I thank you very much, gentlemen, for having listened to these few words, and I can assure you that among the many incidents of my long voyage round the world this occasion, of to-day, is the most gratifying and inter- esting.

Mr Chun Ayin, having translated the substance of Mr Brassey's address to his

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