CO129-322 - Acting Governor May - 1904 [1-5] — Page 635

633

interests of the Colony as a whole that the European Community should be enabled to continue to live in the Colony under conditions in which their health will be preserved. The prayer of the Petitioners appeared to me so reasonable and the arguments with which they supported their Petition so forceful, that after consulting the Executive Council who advised that the wishes of the Petitioners should be given effect to by legislation, I took steps without delay in that behalf, being convinced that the future welfare of the Community as a whole was at stake,

4.

My first step was to approach the representatives of the Chinese Community in the Legislative Council Dr. Ho Kai and Mr. Wei Yuk. These gentlemen admitted the reasonableness of what the European section of the Community desired, but urged that certain exemptions should be provided for and that a power of exemption in very special cases should be given to the Governor in Council. At the same time they made it clear that they could not commit themselves to support the Bill on behalf of the Chinese Community till the latter had had an opportunity of considering the measure. I agreed to make the modifications indicated and the Bill was read a first time on the 28th of March.

5.

After the Bill had been so read and published in the Gazette, I had in the presence of the Colonial Secretary and Registrar-General various interviews with the Chinese Members of Council and other prominent Chinese citizens at which the object of the legislation was carefully explained, and in order that the Chinese Community as a whole should be made thoroughly conversant with the object of the measure, I instructed