China Mail leading article of 9th August, 1899.
160
Some years ago, the suggestion was made that a Royal Commission should be appointed to enquire into several questions connected with the recently acquired territory at Kowloon. The reason advanced for a Royal Commission was that certain parties were so mixed up in the affair that if strict impartiality were desired the enquiry should be made either judicially or by upright men free from local connections or prejudices. In other words, to use plain Anglo-Saxon, rank land jobbery is alleged to be one of the causes of the Colony's troubles in the New Territory. This is likely to prevent the Colony, while burdened with all the additional expense of policing and managing the New Territory, from deriving that benefit from its new asset which was prophesied by the Hon. C. P. Chater and the other original advocates of extension.
On the 8th April last, the Hongkong Government Gazette contained the Queen's Order in Council of October 20, 1898, relating to the New Territory, also the Local Communities and Tribunals Ordinance providing for the administration, with the necessary rules and regulations. There is also His Excellency the Governor's proclamation fixing the date of placing the newly-leased territory under this administration as from April 17, 1899. In making such a change from unwritten law and custom to the British aegis, it was an imperative necessity that the people concerned should be fully informed of the change in their status, in order to prevent ill-founded fears as to the security of their lives, liberty and possessions. The position was this. A population of about 100,000 people, more or less, of three distinct races, permeated with tradition, superstition and inbred dread and distrust of officialdom, who had been allowed to rule themselves through their village Councils without interference by the District Magistrate unless there was a chance of squeeze and exaction, was turned over to an alien system whose impartial justice they certainly will
17.
China Mail leading article of 9th August, 1899.
160
Some years ago, the suggestion was made that a Royal Commission should be appointed to enquire into several ques- tions connected with the recently acquired territory at Kow- loon. The reason advanced for a Royal Commission was that certain parties were so mixed up in the affair that if strict impartiality were desired the enquiry should be made either judicially or by upright men free from local connections or prejudices. In other words, to use plain Anglo-Saxon, rank land jobbery is alleged to be one of the causes of the Colo- ny's troubles in the New Territory. This is likely to prevent the Colony, while burdened with all the additional expense of policing and managing the New Territory, from deriving that benefit from its new asset which was prophesied by the Hon: C. P. Chater and the other original advocates of extension. On the 8th April last, the Hongkong Government Gazette con- tained the Queen's Order in Council of October 20, 1898, re-
lating to the New Territory, also the Local Communities and
Tribunals Ordinance providing for the administration, with the
necessary rules and regulations. There is also His Excellency
the Governor's proclamation fixing the date of placing the
newly-leased territory under this administration as from April
17, 1899. In making such a change from unwritten law and cus-
tom to the British aegis, it was an imperative necessity that
the people concerned should be fully informed of the change
in their status, in order to prevent ill-founded fears as to
the security of their lives, liberty and possessions. The po-
sition was this. A population of about 100,000 people, more
or less, of three distinct races, permeated with tradition,
superstition and inbred dread and distrust of officialdom, who
had been allowed to rule themselves through their village Coun
cils without interference by the District Magistrate unless
there was a chance of squeeze and exaction, was turned over
to an alien system whose impartial justice they certainly
will
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