CO129-362 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 556

the foreign merchant chooses to give long credits in the

554

hope of making large profits, he must take the risk of the

speculation turning out a bad one.

11 Jubio od Jgyle rejesÜ El

un oma mi

Normandie asenteet gakoa a

*105diq:00 oagatik

I ob mi to V

}

I venture to quote the concluding words of Sir

H. de Saumarez' minute above referred to, xh words which

I can from my own experience fully endorse:-

*If Hongkong trade is hampered by the rascality

of certain Chinese, the remedy appears to me to be that

the trading community should cease to do business with such

men or that legislation should restrict their power of

mischief. There is a remark in paragraph 9 of the deputy

registrar's memorandum which is suggestive. After proposing

such legislation as an alternative, he says that it would

probably restrict enterprise. The Colonial Secretary is

not averse to such legislation, but I incline to think

that the mercantile community of Hongkong wish to relieve

themselves of any restriction and to employ the terms

of the Article of a Treaty never meant to apply to present

circumstances, to shift the burden of responsibility from

their own shoulders to those of His Majesty's Cona:lar

Officers,