665
serve order. The emplacement for guns and the intrenchments at Taipohi were never made by peasants without some direction from a person having military training of some sort.
21. Two of the letters found in the meeting house mention Major Fong, who was one of the Viceroy's officers, in charge of the forces for the 'preservation of order". One letter would appear to show that the Viceroy wished to warn the people, but the other contains the significant hint that Major Fong will not in any way use force but will freely allow all the villages to carry out their own settled plans".
22. During the entire proceedings I have been careful to treat the Viceroy and his authorities with the same scrupulous regard for international obligations as if China were a great European power. The result has shown an utter disregard of the responsibility assumed by the Viceroy of Canton, and a serious loss of life for it is idle to ignore the fact that the assailants have suffered serious losses in their four days hopeless contest against disciplined forces. Nor can I look upon such needless loss of life with equanimity. The statements of Ng-Ki-Chung and Tang-Kok-Lam and the letters found in the meeting house show that those people possess some of the qualities that make good subjects, and, foolish as their opposition may have been, with exception of the murder of Cheung-Tsoi after the fight at Kam-Tin, their action displayed no moral turpitude. With Her Majesty's Government
665
serve order. The emplacement for guns and the intrenchments
at Taipohi were never made by peasants without some direction
from a person having military training of some sort.
21. Two of the letters found in the meet-
ing house mention Major Fong, who was one of the Viceroy's
officers, in charge of the forces for the 'preservation of or-
der". One letter would appear to show that the Viceroy wishei
to warn the people, but the other contains the significant
hint that Major Fong*will not in any way use force but will
freely allow all the villages to carry out their own settled
plans".
22. During the entire proceedings I have
been careful to treat the Viceroy and his authorities with
the same scrupulous regard for international obligations as
if China were a great European power. The result has shown
an utter disregard of the responsibility assumed by the Vice-
roy of Canton, and a serious loss of life for it is idle to
ignore the fact that the assailants have suffered serious los-
ses in their four days hopeless contest against disciplined forces. Nor can I look upon such needless loss of life with
equanimity. The statements of Ng-Ki-Chung and Tang-Kok-Lam
and the letters found in the meeting house show that those
people possess some of the qualities that make good subjects, and, foolish as their opposition may have been, with excep tion of the murder of Cheung-Tsoi after the fight at Kam-Tin,
their action displayed no moral turpitude. With Her Majesty's
Government
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