恩删改新
其禀人香港華
弊排條
膺未
胡歎盡例
底息善事港
體之頹也者竊華
紳商
等禀爲乞
於胡底頹風敗俗舊德靡有孑遺原開港伊始 也緣新例一行則業戸不堪其騷擾窮簷盡受其拘攣勞民傷財流 者有之難遵行者有之商賈聞而色變士庶見而心驚靡不交日詆 年九月二十三號本港添一例名爲養生潔淨例内有數十
特遺
安撫兩君善體 英皇帝推柔邇之至意擴懷遠之深心特令 二君律幷筆君廉那厚意招徠悉心
荷帲幪風俗禮儀盡仍其舊而門庭之内家室之中處順安常無敢爾或侮也 聖衷潛敷大澤於一千八百四十一年二月發號施令布政宣猷其畧日凡爾黎庶悉
荷灣
月壹二兩號香港憲報 一千八百四十一年二~紳商民人
於風之月
陬斯
於兹四十餘年矣奠山敷土拓阡陌於遐 陬服
仁風懷斯善政乃相率而適彼樂土願受一廛 干擅魚鹽於僻壤疫厲之災
神民有
鴻象拓
阡此
莫律不
不染壽考之數彌奇豐隆
而康樂成書莫不願其歷安無異也不謂議科議
聞搖
莫申抑鬱之愫難 英國紳商力爲代訴惟港中當道置若罔聞 憶議例局宣 律虎猛猶遜其苛病國病民鴻哀莫鳴其苦民情鼎沸人心動搖會叩權貴之門
宣門議災廛 看舖
Translation of
Enclosure 1.
To the Right Honourable Sir Henry TurnSTAN HOLLAND, BART., 22
G. C. M. G., Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies.
The humble Petition of the Chinese Justices of the Peace, merchants and other Chinese subjects in Hongkong, who pray you will have the goodness to strike out or amend certain clauses of the new Public Health Bill.
that
Repectfully Showeth,
That on the 23rd September 1887, a Bill called the Public Health
Bill was passed in Hongkong. In that Bill, are contained over 70
sections, of which some are defective, and others impracticable.
The merchants, shopkeepers and other classes of the people were in great consternation, and filled with apprehensions, when they either
read or heard of such sections of the Bill, and there was not one of them who did not join in the general murmur, and put his hand to his breast, and heave heavy sighs. For, if this Bill is enforced, the land-owners and
ratepayers will be unable to endure the troubles resulting therefrom, and the poor people will be oppressed. As it will give rise to much trouble
and waste of money, there will be no end of the evils entailed by it. Since it tends to abrogate some of their ancient customs, and interfere with their household arrangements, it will erase the good impression that was
made by the concessions conferred in the past, by the Government of this Colony. When this Colony was founded, the Queen of England not only strove to treat Her subjects at home with gentleness, but kindly remem- bered those that were far from Her, and purposely sent out here Captain ELLIOTT & MR. PREMNER, with Her instructions kindly to encourage the people to come to this Colony, and to do their utmost to make the new- comers comfortable. These two officials faithfully carried out Her inten- tions, and silently spread the beneficial influence of Her rule. In February 1841, a Proclamation was made, the sum and substance of which is, that all Chinese residents shall be protected, and their own customs and habits, as well as their notions of propriety, will be allowed to remain unchanged, and that within the threshold of their houses, no one will dare to interfere with thein (See Macao Monthly Gazette, February 1841) Being mindful of this generous assurance, and the good principles of government, your Petitioners have encouraged one another to come to this happy land, and they have willingly remained and become Her ma- jesty's subjects. From then till now is over 40 years, and during that time, yours Petitioners have cut the hills and reclaimed the sea, in order to extend the habitable land, and opened commerce and carried on traffic to make their fortune in this distant island. Never have your Petitioners suffered from any plague or epidemic, but live to an old age. Every- where there are signs of prosperity, and manifestations of happiness, and there is no one among them who does not wish that this state of things would continue, and that there should be no disturbance or change. Unexpectedly, however, the Government introduced this Bill, which, as the Chinese saying goes, “frightens the people more than a fierce tiger," and must affect the prosperity of the place and the residents. The people feel that they cannot give adequate voice to their apprehensions, their feelings have been stirred, and their minds shaken. Your Petitioners sent a deputation to wait on the authorities, but no satisfaction was given to their feelings and wishes. Although the principal members and lead- ing merchants in the British community pleaded hard for Petitioners
your the authorities disregarded what was said on their behalf, as if they had not heard it. When the 2nd and 3rd readings of the bill were proposed, all the unofficial members of the Legislative Council were strongly Even opposed to it, but the six official members united against them. when the Bill was in committee, the unofficial members were nine times
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