THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 16TH FEBRUARY, 1878.
Mr. NG CHOY then read the English translation, which is as follows:---
"To His Excellency JOHN POPE HENNESSY, C.M.G., Governor, and Commander-in-Chief of the
Colony of Hongkong and its Dependencies, &c., &c., &c.
"MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY,We on behalf of the Chinese Community of Hongkong are grateful to Your Excellency for the honour you have done us by paying a visit here on this occasion. The Colony has been established now for about 36 years, and this Hospital for 9 years, but we believe it is the first instance in the history of Hongkong of a Governor making a formal cail on the Chinese on the occasion of their New Year.
"Your Excellency's liberal policy of treating and respecting all classes of people alike over whom you govern, without distinction of race, is well known and appreciated by us all, and if an illustration is needed, this visit is another instance of it. Your Excellency has not been long with us, but we feel certain in this, that in Your Excellency we have a just, impartial, and humane Governor. The active steps taken by Your Excellency to relieve the sufferings of the wounded persons occasioned by the sad catastrophe of the Yesso are beyond all praise and fully confirm our opinion. Your Excellency took a deep interest in their unfortunate case and personally visited them both in Gaol and in this Hospital, and when some of the prisoners in the Gaol had attended on them, Your Excellency, as an approval of their conduct, considerately pardoned them according to the degrees of offences of which they have been convicted.
66 We may, therefore, safely conclude that from Your Excellency we need fear no harsh measures or class enactments which may press hardly on us, but that whatever measures enacted during the tenure of your high office will, we may be sure, tend to increase the prosperity of the Colony and to promote the welfare of all the inhabitants, natives as well as foreigners. In conclusion we beg again to thank Your Excellency for your kind visit to-day: we heartly wish Your Excellency and Mrs. HENNESSY happiness and prosperity, and trust that Your Excellency may long remain as Governor of this Colony." His Excellency then said:-Mr. LEONG-ON, and Members of the Committee of this Hospital,-I receive with the greatest satisfaction the address that has now been presented to me. In that address you say that it is my policy to make no distinction between any class, or creed, or nationality; but, in truth, that is not my policy alone, it is the policy of the Sovereign I have the honour to represent. When we remember that England is the greatest colonial empire on the face of the globe, the reason is that that policy of perfect fair play and justice to all is the Colonial policy of the British Government; and I say this in the presence of my gallant friend, Admiral HILLYAR, who in all quarters of the globe has seen that policy carried out by himself and everyone who represents the Queen of England. It is the fixed policy of England. The result certainly is gratifying to all of us, and must be gratifying to Her Majesty's Government. Here in this Colony, established six and thirty years, what do we find to-day? We find that Hongkong in its commercial movement exceeds, far exceeds, the whole of the West Indian Islands. We know also that in the value of its shipping and commerce it exceeds the flourishing colonies in Australia. The value of this commerce is immense and it is of great advantage. to England. Well, in developing that commerce no doubt England sent to this Colony and still sends here commercial men well fitted for the task, but these men are assisted by those I see round me to-day. Is there nothing that we Europeans can learn from the Chinese community of Hongkong? What causes commercial greatness?--Industry, temperance, probity in commercial dealings. All these are characteristics of the Chinese that I am now addressing; and I say there is no country in Europe that may not learn an example in commercial probity, in the strict payment of debts, in industry, from the Chinese community of Hongkong.
You have touched in your address upon that sad calamity which occurred not long ago in this Colony by which nearly a hundred persons were killed. Even from such an event we may take some useful lessons, and in connection with it there is something which we ought to be proud of. These are critical times; and that terrible event showed that in the Harbour of Hongkong we had an adequate representative of the British Navy, for with promptitude the signal was made by Admiral HILLYAR, and from every one of Her Majesty's ships in the Harbour there went instantly a medical officer to attend upen the wounded. It is public spirit of that kind; that zeal, promptitude, and readiness for duty which has always distinguished the British Navy, that has made it successful in the past, and which at this very moment, perhaps while I am speaking, may be again demanded on the part of ships in Her Majesty's service to maintain the honour of our flag. Therefore, I say that from what then occurred, we ourselves can learn a useful lesson. I rejoice to know that amongst the naval officers present to-day is the medical attendant in the Admiral's own ship, who, I understand, is about to receive from you some testimony of the appreciation, the just and proper appreciation, that you entertain of the devotion with which that gentleman discharged the duties he then undertook.
This institution has done an immense amount of good. That there should be benevolent institutions wherever there is a Chinese community, we all know. We know that in all the great cities of China, there are institutions where the aged and destitute are cared for; and why should there not be such institutions in Hongkong? The whole expenses of this institution are defrayed by the voluntary contributions of the Chinese community, and I am happy to remind you that the EARL OF KIMBERLEY, while he was Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, conveyed to my predecessor, Sir ARTHUR KENNEDY, the sense of Her Majesty's Government of the admirable xample that the Chinese commu- nity had set in establishing this institution; and I shall now be able, from the visit I have paid to-day,
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