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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 16TH FEBRUARY, 1878.
Mr. No Cuor then read the English translation, which is as follows:--
"To His Excellency JOHN POPE HENNESSY, C.M.G., Governor, and Commander-in-Chief of the
Colony of Hongkong and its Dependencies, &c., &c., &c.
"MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY, We on behalf of the Chinese Community of Hongkong are grateful to Your Excellency for the honour you have done us by paying a visit here on this occasion. The Colony has been established now for about 36 years, and this Hospital for 9 years, but we believe it is the first instance in the history of Hongkong of a Governor making a formal call on the Chinese on the occasion of their New Year.
"Your Excellency's liberal policy of treating and respecting all classes of people alike over whom you govern, without distinction of race, is well known and appreciated by us all, and if an illustration is needed, this visit is another instance of it. Your Excellency has not been long with us, but we feel certain in this, that in Your Excellency we have a just, impartial, and humane Governor. The active steps taken by Your Excellency to relieve the sufferings of the wounded persons occasioned by the sad catastrophe of the Fesso are beyond all praise and fully confirm our opinion, Your Excellency took a deep interest in their unfortunate case and personally visited them both in Gaol and in this Hospital, and when some of the prisoners in the Gaol had attended on them, Your Excellency, as an approval of their conduct, considerately pardoned them according to the degrees of offences of which they have been convicted.
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"We may, therefore, safely conclude that from Your Excellency we need fear no harsh measures or class enactments which may press hardly on us, but that whatever incasures enacted during the tenure of your high office will, we may be sure, tend to increase the prosperity of the Colony and to promote the welfare of all the inhabitants, natives as well as foreigners. In conclusion we beg again to thank Your Excellency for your kind visit to-day: we heartly wish Your Excellency and Mrs. HENNESSY happiness and prosperity, and trust that Your Excellency may long remain as Governor of this Colony." His Excellency then suid:-Mr. LEONG-ON, and Members of the Committee of this Hospital,-I In that address receive with the greatest satisfaction the address that has now been presented to me. you say that it is my policy to make no distinction between any class, or creed, or nationality; but, in truth, that is not my policy alone, it is the policy of the Sovereign I have the honour to represent. When we remember that England is the greatest colonial empire on the face of the globe, the reason is that that policy of perfect fair play and justice to all is the Colonial policy of the British Government; and I this in the presence of my gallant friend, Admiral HILLYAR, who in all quarters of the globe has seen that policy carried out by himself and everyone who represents the Queen of England. It is the fixed policy of England. The result certainly is gratifying to all of us, and must be gratifying to Her Majesty's Government. Here in this Colony, established six and thirty years, what do we find to-day? We find that Hongkong its commercial movement exceeds, far exceeds, the whole of the West Indian Islands. We know also that in the value of its shipping and commerce it exceeds the flourishing colonies in Australia. The value of this commerce is immense and it is of great advantage to England. Well, in developing that commerce no doubt England sent to this Colony and still sends here commercial men well fitted for the task, but these men are assisted by those I see round me to-day. Is there nothing that we Europeans can learn from the Chinese community of Hongkong? What causes commercial greatness?-Industry, temperance, probity in commercial dealings. All these are characteristics of the Chinese that I am now addressing; and I say there is no country in Europe that may not learn an example in commercial probity, in the strict payment of debts, in industry, from the Chinese community of Hongkong.
You have touched in your address upon that sad calamity which occurred not long ago in this Colony by which nearly a hundred persons were killed. Even from such an event we may take some These are useful lessons, and in connection with it there is something which we ought to be proud of. critical times; and that terrible event showed that in the Harbour of Hongkong we had an adequate representative of the British Navy, for with promptitude the signal was made by Admiral HILLYAR, and from every one of Her Majesty's ships in the Harbour there went instantly a medical officer to attend upon the wounded. It is public spirit of that kind; that zcal, promptitude, and readiness for duty which has always distinguished the British Navy, that has made it successful in the past, and which at this very moment, perhaps while I am speaking, may be again demanded on the part of ships in Her Majesty's service to maintain the honour of our flag. Therefore, I say that from what then occurred, we ourselves can learn a useful lesson. I rejoice to know that amongst the naval officers present to-day is the medical attendant in the Admiral's own ship, who, I understand, is about to receive from you some testimony of the appreciation, the just and proper appreciation, that you entertain of the devotion with which that gentleman discharged the duties be then undertook.
This institution has done an immense amount of good. That there should be benevolent institutions wherever there is a Chinese community, we all know. We know that in all the great cities of China, there are institutions where the aged and destitute are cared for; and why should there not be such institutions in Hongkong? The whole expenses of this institution are defrayed by the voluntary contributions of the Chinese community, and I am happy to remind you that the EARL OF KIMBERLEY, while he was Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, conveyed to my predecessor, Sir ARTHUR KENNEDY, the sense of Her Majesty's Government of the admirable example that the Chinese commu- nity had set in establishing this institution; and I shall now be able, from the visit I have paid to-day,
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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 16TH FEBRUARY, 1878.
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and from the minute inspection that the Admiral and myself have made of this Hospital, to do that which my predecessors have done,-bear testimony to the admirable way in which it has been conducted. It has been my duty to visit many hospitals; men in my position must do so; but I am bound to say that I have never gone through the wards of any hospital in any country in which I found better ventilation, and less of that hospital character, that we so often see, and unfortunately so often experience, than in this building. I see that in this institution you understand the great value of cleanliness and fresh air. One of my predecessors, Sir RICHARD MACDONNELL, speaking at this table perhaps, and referring to his visit, made a similar observation, adding that it would be a fortunate thing for the Colony, if our own Civil Hospital had been so well built, and if the windows, doors and other means of ventilation were as adequately constructed as you have them here. Now, gentlemen, I do not on this occasion desire to sit down without bearing my testimony also, as Governor of this Colony, to what has been, from time to time, done by the Committee of this Hospital on other subjects of public importance. Many years ago, the attention of the Government was directed to a scandal, which also attracted the notice of my gallant friend, Admiral HILLYAR, the evils of the coolie trade, and one of my predecessors called the attention of the Secretary of State to the fact that the communications from the Tung Wah Hospital were those which gave him the first intimation of the evils perpetrated in that trade. While the Government of that day had to thank the Committee of the Tung Wah Hospital, it is my duty now publicly to do the same. It is not many weeks since you drew the attention of the Government to that which undoubtedly was a grave abuse. You brought to my notice the fact that it was the practice to issue tickets to Chinese Emigrants in this Colony for a certain sum of money; the tickets purported that that sum was paid in full, whereas, as you pointed out, in reality but a very small sum was paid, and the emigrant was expected to bind himself for so long a period as two years, to work off his passage, in the sugar plantations of the Sandwich Islands. That was an infraction of our law. It was you who drew our attention to it, and it is my public duty to thank you, as I now do, for the valuable information you thus conveyed to the Government.
I am sure
only express the sentiments of the European gentlemen that I see around me, and of may gallant friend, Admiral HILLYAR, and of his Officers, in cordially wishing you a happy New Year, and long continued prosperity; and I need hardly add that if I can in any way promote that prosperity, it will afford me indeed great satisfaction when the time comes, and I inake up my own accounts, on leaving this Colony.
Mr. NG CHOY then interpreted the substance of His Excellency's speech to the Chinese present, a great majority of whom did not understand English.
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Mr. WAI AKWONG then rose to present a silver cup to Dr. MowLL, for the services he rendered to the sufferers by the explosion of the S. S. Yesso. The cup
very handsomely chased in Chinese style, and is a piece of exquisite workmanship from Canton. It stands on a nicely carved black-wood pedestal, and bears the following inscription:Presented to Rd. W. MoWLL, Esq., M.D., R.N., by the Chinese Community of Hongkong, as an expression of their high estimation of his medical abilities, and gratitude for his kind attention as displayed "towards the sufferers from the accident on board the S. S. J'esso, 22nd November, 1877, Hongkong." In presenting it to Dr. MowLL, Mr. WAI AKWONG said it was a small token of their esteem and gratitude, and he begged the doctor to accept it.
Dr. Mown replied in a few appropriate words, and said no one deplored the sad accident more than he did, and that in attending on the sufferers, he was only doing his duty for the cause of humanity. He thanked the Chinese for their kind gift, and said he would ever prize it.
Tea was again brought in, and after sipping it, His Excellency rose to depart. The Chinese Band again struck up, and a salute of three salvoes was fired.
No. 29.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
FAMINE. NORTH-CHINA.
The following Papers in reference thereto, are published for general information.
By Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 15th February, 1878.
J. GARDINER AUSTIN, Colonial Secretary,
CHINESE FAMINE Relief Fund,
SHANGHAI, 29th January, 1878. Sm,-In name of the Chinese Famine Relief Committee, we take the liberty of addressing you on the subject of the Famine now raging in the North of China. The accounts that have reached the Committee are most distressing and there is occasion for immediate action in the matter. These accounts have been published in the local papers here, and we beg to refer you to them for information. It will be seen that the Famine extends over at least four provinces, Shensi, Shansi, Chilli and Homan, and is far more terrible than it was last year in Shantung. It includes a population of nine millions, thousands of whom are dying daily from sheer starvation. Not only are wonen and children being freely sold for a mere pittance, but human flesh is resorted to as a means of subsistence in many
instances.
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