Sessional_Paper_1901 — Page 763

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6.-That any interference whatever with the freedom of trade would be at variance with our general policy.

Nothing further was done until the 2nd November, 1877, when the Chairman (Hon. W. Keswick) of the Chamber of Commerce wrote to the Colonial Secretary drawing the attention of the Government to the want of some system of registration of the members of Chinese firms trading in Hongkong, pointing out that a Chinese firm may be composed of any number of persons and that each individual may be interested in several other firms at the same time, and offering to give further information on the subject if desired. (Appendix F.)

To his letter the Acting Colonial Secretary replied on the 5th November, 1877, stating that the subject referred to would have the Governor's (Sir John Pope Hen- nessy's) best consideration. (Appendix G.)

On the 26th August, 1878, the Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, not having received any further answer to his letter of the 2nd November, 1877, wrote asking for a reply. (Appendix H.)

On the 28th August, 1878, the Acting Colonial Secretary (Mr. J. M. Price) ́re- plied that he had been directed to state for the information of the Chamber that the question of the registration of members of Chinese firms received the careful con- sideration of Sir Arthur Kennedy who thought it would be very inexpedient to carry out such registration, and that Sir John Pope Hennessy was disposed to take the same view of the matter. He added: "His Excellency will, however, come to no "decision until he has had some further opportunity of studying the details of Chinese

trade in the Colony." (See Appendix I.)

On the 23rd September, 1878, the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce (Hon. W. Keswick) wrote to the Acting Colonial Secretary (Mr. Charles May) stating that the letter from the Acting Colonial Secretary of the 5th November (Appendix G.) had been considered by the Chamber and it had been "resolved to again revert to the subject and to bring to the attention of His Excellency the Governor that the Com- "mittee are of opinion that the publication and registration of the members of the "Chinese hongs in this Colony is much called for. The members composing foreign "firms are made known and it cannot be requiring too much of the Chinese Mercantile "Community in this Colony to conform to a rule which is voluntarily followed by other "nations, but which they decline to observe. The Chinese will not give the necessary "information on account of the responsibility which would be brought home to many "who under the present system evade their liability for losses by not appearing as "interested in concerns in the profits of which they participate, but for the losses con- "nected with which, when they occur, they avoid responsibility by not being known as 'partners in the business. The Chamber desires no interference with the Chinese form "of partnership, but it is much wished that the names of partners in hongs should be known in the interest of the mercantile public generally. A feeling of security would "be the result from such information being given and the Chamber are of opinion an "Ordinance should be passed making it necessary for hongs to declare who their "members are." (See Appendix J.)

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On the 5th October, 1878, the Acting Colonial Secretary (Mr. Charles May) acknowledged the receipt of the letter from the Chamber of the 23rd September, and stated

"Before forming any opinion of his own on the subject, His Excellency wishes to "place before the Chamber of Commerce for any observations it may think proper to "make, the objections recorded in 1875 by the local Government to such an Ordinance. "Their objections are set forth in the following minute of Mr. Administrator Austin." (Appendix K.) For a resumé of Mr. Austin's minute, see above page 2.

The matter appears to have been allowed to drop for a time as there is no further mention of it until 1881, when Sir John Pope Hennessy referred to the subject in his