March 21, 1896.]
as the Bishop remarked on Wednesday, it is the protection of foreigners as such, not as missionaries, that is the object aimed at, the fact nevertheless remains that if the foreigners in question had not been mission- aries they would not have been where they were and the trouble would never have arisen. For our own part, we hold, suppos- ing the discretion of the missionaries to be trustworthy, that the more they penetrate into the country the better, for it all means opening the way for extended foreign inter course; but unfortunately missionaries are not uniformly discreet, and an indiscreet man or woman in such a position may work an infinity of mischief. Then again, coming back to the question of the attitude of the foreign communities in China towards mis- sionary work, there is often a want of per- sonal sympathy between missionaries and their fellow countrymen that accounts to some extent for the indifference of the latter to the great movement in progress.. That the worldly should sneer at the religious is only in accordance with what has prevailed from time immemorial, but over and above that we find honourable and upright men, men of fine sympathies to whose nature a sneer at anything good would be repugnant, who have a distaste to any close association with missionary work in general and who, if they put their names down on a sub scription list or lend a nominal support to some particular branch of the work, do so more out of complaisance than from any active good will. To hospitals of course men of all creeds and views can readily subscribe, for the relief of the sick is an object that appeals to all alike, but the same reasons do not exist with regard to proselytising work.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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men who will boldly face danger and risk those primarily affected. The doctor who their lives in a search,. it may be, for the has to treat diseases in the human being has North Pole, or, as in the case of Dr. AOYAMA, an advantage over the veterinary_surgeon in investigating a medical problem. Most inasmuch as his patient can usually assist men would like to prove themselves heroes him by a description of his symptoms, but if the opportunity offered, but the good the Hongkong Government in its wisdom fortune comes to few. The missionary body thinks the Chinese community should be are no doubt as heroic in disposition as treated on veterinary principles. It must any other body of men, but there is no be admitted that the Chinese members, with reason to suppose that they are more the exception of the Hon. Dr. Ho KaL, so, while as to self-sacrifice in entering upon have not hitherto given the Board much their calling, it can be held to exist only assistance, but that is due to the accident of if we accept inclination and a call of duty unfortunate selection by the Governor and as equivalent terms. Duty may and often does not affect the principle that the Chinese does coincide with inclination, but self- should be accorded a hearing if they have sacrifice only appears when duty is volun-anything to say. The chief defect in the tarily performed in opposition to inclination and to self-interest.
THE RECONSTITUTION OF THE SANITARY BOARD.
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The Board us it existed before the late disruption was very well constituted. Com- merce, medicine, law, and civil engineering were all represented. All that was required was a little enlargement of membership, so as to facilitate the interchange of diverse views, and greater freedom of action. In- stead of carrying out reform on these lines, however, the Government has adopted a re- actionary policy that would be more. in keeping with the traditious of the Tsungli Yame than with those of an enlightened British administration.
At the last meeting of the Legislative Council the Hon. C. P. CHATER, referring to the confirmation of certain by-laws passed by the Sanitary Board, said :- Having in mind the painful experience of the past, and knowing as I do that a few sporadic cases of plague have recently made their appearance, I am loth even to appear to in any way hamper the Government in regard to any "measure they may see fit to take with a view of eradicating this disease. I there- fore, at the present, refrain from criticising these by-laws, though I seo serious objection to their operation. I trust, however, that "when the Government is satisfied that the colody is thoroughly cleansed they will consent to reconsider this matter." Under the new constitution of the Sanitary Board probably many sets of by-laws will be passed to which the hon. gentleman may see serious objection, for little regard will be had to public feeling or public convenience, and equally he may refrain from criticism. either of the by-laws themselves or of their administration. Why Hongkong does
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Bill, however, is its reduction of the un- official element generally. In dealing with questions of public sanitation it is desirable that as far as possible all the public interests affected should be represented in the making of the regulations and their administration, so (10th March.)
that stupid mistakes, unnecessarily oppressive The Bill eflecting an alteration in the con- steps, and useless friction may be avoided. stitution of the Sanitary Board comes up We want in the first place business common for first reading at the meeting of the sense to determine the action to be taken by Legislative Council this afternoon. It is a the Board on the advice of its technical reactionary and mischievous measure, de-advisers, and if to that we can add the signed for the curtailment of popular pri-practical knowledge possessed by doctors vileges, and fraught with grave peril to the and architects so much the better. interests of property and the trade of the colony. It is stated in the objects and reasons that it has been framed upon the lines suggested by the majority of the un- official members who were consulted upon the subject in 1894. We hope the gentle men who are thus charged with the respon- sibility of this miserable Bill have by this time seen reason to modify their views and that they will join with their colleagues in opposing the measure, and that they will Perhaps some explanation of the dis-emphasis their opposition by not waiting for favour with which missionaries as a body he second reading, but will move its reject are viewed may be found in the claim tion as soon as it is brought in. Should the often put forward on their behalf that Bill be forced through, as no doubt it will they live lives of special self-sacrifice, for be, by the official phalanx, it will be the those who fail to detect the self-sacrifice duty of the unofficial members to see that a are inclined to think that their whole suspending clause is introduced so that it career is a fraud and a sham.. And speak- may not come into force until the community ing generally there is no special self has had an opportunity of petitioning Her sacrifice in the case. Missionaries enter on Majesty against it. This is not a mere ques- their career with the same honest and tion of sentiment, but one which touches every earnest intentions that are entertained by man in his home and his pocket. The Bill all upright men entering any other pro- establishes what in practice will prove an fession to do their duty, but they select the intolerable tyranny. Very large and com- career because it happens to accord with prehensive powers have been conferred by the their inclination. Of two brothers one Public Health Acts upon the Sanitary Board elects to be a missionary, another to go to as a popularly constituted body, and what sea, both following the bent of their incli-
is now proposed is that those powers shall nations; the chances are that the sailor will be exercised by a small official coteric. be called upon to undergo infinitely greater Under section 4 of the Publié IIcalth hardships than the missionary, especially if Ordinance of 1887 the Sanitary Board was the lot of the latter should be cast in such to consist of four official and six ui- countries as India or China, but he gets no official members. Under the new Bill it is public credit as a possible martyr, though to consist of three official and two unofficial he is very likely to be drowned. Nor must members. Of the six unofficial (members it be forgotten that to some entrance upon under the old constitution two were to be a missionary life means a distinct step elected by the ratepayers on the jury list upwards in the social scale; as mis- and four (two boing Chinese) wero to be sionaries they at once secure a measure appointed by the Governor. Under the of social distinction that they would not new constitution both the official members command as. .clerks or tradesmen until are to be elected by the ratepayers on the after long years of hard work and perhaps jury list. It is improbable that any China- not at all. That does not derogate from man will ever be elected and, the Chinese the value of their labour nor from their claim community will therefore remain unrepre- for any credit tlut may be due them for its sented. That is a defect, though not the honest and successful performance, but it most serious one in the Bill. When we are does derogate from their claim to have made trying to impose an enlightened system of a sacrifice of self in leaving the tradesman's sanitation upon the Chinese community wo counter or the clerk's desk to enter upon a ought at least to give our native fellow genteel profession. True the annals of mis- residents the opportunity of making their sionary work contain many cases of true and voice officially heard, so that in dealing with noble heroism, but heroism is not especially the numerous difficult problems that arise characteristic of the profession. Not to the body responsible for their solution speak of the army and navy, heroes are to may have the advantage of knowing be found also. in the ranks of science, I the feelings, views, and wishes
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not become a great manufacturing centre is a question which has for some time past engaged attention and various reasons have been assigned to account for the fact that this colony should lag so far behind Shang- hai. The principal reason, however, and one which embraces most of the others that have been mentioned, is that the form of government is unsuitable to the eircum- stances, and with such au old man of the sea op its ck the colony can make no progress. The spirit animating the Government is dearly manifested in the Bill to be introduced in the Legisla tive Council this afternoon. Three officials are to constitute the Sanitary Board (the unofficials won't count in the matter) and may run things in such a way as to frighten
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