630982-1899-L-C-Minute-No-14 — Page 4

1682 THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 28TH OCTOBER, 1899.

jurisdiction of Great Britain with equanimity, if not with pleasure. Had it been possible to take over the possession immediately this assumption might have been verified. But there were unavoidable delays. The question of delimitation had to be settled, and when a tenta- tive arrangement had been arrived at it was found that there was an unfortunate misconcep- tion on the part of the Chinese Government as to the effect of the Convention upon the position of the Chinese Imperial Customs authorities who had hitherto exercised jurisdiction within the leased area. At the earnest request of Her Majesty's Minister in Peking I deferred the taking over of the Territory until the 17th April, completing in the meantime the neces- sary arrangements for the carrying out of Executive functions.

Unhappily, the interval was taken advantage of by agitators who disturbed the minds of the people by statements that their lands would be forcibly taken from them and their most cherished customs forbidden. The first symptoms of hostility were shown on the 31st March when the building of a matshed at Táipó-hi was prevented, and the men engaged in erecting boundary posts were stopped from working. I saw the Viceroy on the 2nd April at Canton and pointed out that if protection was not afforded to working parties and surveying parties I could not adhere to my undertaking not to take over the Territory until the 17th. The necessary protection was promised, and surveying parties were not molested, nor was the rebuilding of the matshed prevented. What took place on the 15th of April and following days has already been laid before you. The resistance having been overcome I have endeavoured to satisfy the people that they may safely depend upon British justice, and that no man's property will be confiscated, and I have no doubt that the people will soon recognize this.

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Apart from the question of resistance to our occupation, it was found that the inhabitants suffered from frequent attacks by armed bands of robbers against whom the village watch- men were powerless, and there was a general indication of lawlessness not uncommon in South China. This necessitated a reconsideration of the Police Force necessary to secure that protection that we are bound to afford. The original estimate has been largely increased, and stations have been establishel at important points of sufficient strength to repel armed attack and furnish the necessary patrols. I am glad to say that the efforts of the Police have so far shewn satisfactory results, for of the twenty-seven cases of armed robbery reported from the New. Territory twenty-two persons have been convicted and are suffering long terms of imprisonment. I hope to see a salutary change of conditions within a short time and to be in a position to reduce the strength of the various police stations.

Simultaneously with the troubles that developed in the New Territory there arose a much more serious danger. In the beginning of April, the Plague was again upon us, and notwithstanding the unwearied exertions of the Sanitary Board and its staff, it increased in intensity and virulence all through the summer, and has only ceased its ravages with the beginning of the present month. This year there have been 1,471 cases of which 1,413 have proved fatal, the percentage of deaths being the highest on record. Feeling the overwhelm- ing importance to the community of eradicating this scourge if possible, I have watched the operations of the Sanitary Staff with the keenost anxiety. Before the discase appeared, as it was assumed that plague was primarily propagated by rats, a Committee was appointed consisting of the Captain Superintendent of Police, the Medical Officer of Health, and the Government Analyst to wage war upon the rats by poison or traps, or both, and the neces- sary funds were placed at their disposal. They appealed to the Chinese for assistance and made every effort to destroy the rats, but I believe they were not very successful. Whet the epidemic was at its height I satisfied myself by frequent personal inspection that the scavengers and the sanitary staff were doing their duty. The streets and lanes were perfectly clean, and whole strects filled with furniture while the houses were being lime- washed and disinfected bore evidence to the activity of the sanitary staff. Yet nothing seemed to stay the onward progress of the Plague, until at last it has died out in the usual course, having lingered here rather longer than in other cities of South China where no such precautions were taken. An Insanitary Dwellings Bill had already been presented to you. During the summer it has been carefully reconsidered, and in its amended form it will be again presented to you to-day. A return has been made of all the cases of Plague during the present year with all the information available that possibly