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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
UNVEILING THE QUEEN'S STATUE. ¦
A MAGNIFICENT CEREMONY.
necessary
ture in
Was
[June 4, 1896.
The two thousand troops were all in position this commanding position, in the best part of at five o'clock and presented a very fine appear- this city, named after our Queen, we feel that ance. Then, at some distance behind, was the our statue could find, in all this island, no crowd of spectators who were not provided with more ennobling site. Sir, with the exception On the afternoon of the 28th May His tickets. And such a crowd too! There were of Newfoundland, which was occupied about Excellency the Governor, Sir William Ro- thousands upon thousands present and if the 1500, it was not until the early part of the 17th binson, K.C.M.G., performed the ceremony
tremendous throng be an index to the extent of century that Great Britain. first began to of unveiling the statue of Her Majesty the loyalty of Hongkong residents, that loyalty colonise in earnest. Thenceforward, however, the Queen, which has been erected by must indeed be in the uttermost depths of their down to the present time, colony after colony was acquired. Gauged by the test existing to- the people of Hongkong in commemoration hearts. Standing on the hillocks of stones near of the Jubilee of Her Majesty's reign. The the New Reclamation offices was a very big day, her earlier acquisitions were; in the nature ceremony was really the completion of the throng of sightseers who were evidently deter- of things, comparatively unimportant; but Eng Jubilee celebrations of nine years ago. In 1887 mined to obtain as good a view as possible of land's colonies have strengthened with England's the residents of Hongkong fittingly and most the gorgeous panorama before them. In addi- strength, and grown with her commercial pros- loyally commemorated the fiftieth year of Her tion thousands. of Chinese assembled in the perity and power, until, one possession after Majesty's reign, and it was then thought that neighbourhood of the cricket field, and, looking another emerging from its incipient doubts and a statue of the Queen should be erected in the further behind, one could see that all the veran- difficulties, they have gained their present status, colony. The suggestion was followed by prac
dahs commanding a view of the site were and culminated in forging the magnificent tical action. A Committee was formed, sub-filled with people who certainly had a magni- chain which, starting from the Mother Country, scriptions rolled in, the commission for the ficent spectacle to feast upon. Such a blaze now girdles the earth with British soil. Of a vast crowd in 80 this chain Hongkong forms one of the links; statue was sent to England, and in 1890 the of colour and such work of the sculptor, Signor M. Raggi, was
small a circle were never seen before in
a strong and a lasting one, we may be permitted completed. The statue
to hope, and to those assembled here, and to WB8 exhibited in Hongkong. As the time for the commence- London and then forwarded to Hongkong. ment of the proceedings drew near the you, sir, as their Governor, it cannot but be But in order to have the status erected upon troops were stationed in the places assigned interesting to remember that, after Her Majesty's the most suitable site in the colony it was
to them, and one particularly interesting fea- accession to the throne, this was the first colony to wait until part of the New
the display
the presence in that Great Britain acquired. Your Excellency, Reclamation was finished, and it is to this that front of the statue of two men drawn from it is not possible to predict from the shadows
the the long but unavoidable delay has been due. each of
corps in the colony. By which the future is casting before what Hong- Some months ago the site for the statue was a quarter past five everything was in readi- kong will yet develop into. It is not possible to decided upon and yesterday was very appro-
ness for the reception of His Excellency surmise with any accuracy the part which will priately fixed for the celebration of Her the Governor, and an eager look-out was kept ultimately be allotted to her to play in the inter- Majesty's seventy-seventh birthday and the for the first signs of his approach. A minute national theatre of the world. These questions unveiling of the Jubilee Commemoration Statue or two before 5.30-His Excellency is always lie in the womb of the future, and the future alone can answer them; but that she is destined by His Excellency the Governor. At.sunrise punctual in keeping his engagements--he was all the ships in the harbour were gaily dressed observed at the top of Wardley Street, and by to be always an important factor in both and at noon the usual salutes were fired the time the clock had struck the half hour His Imperial and local concerns, I for one have no doubt whatever. Such is her natural position, from the British and foreign men-of-war in Excellency, with his staff, had arrived in the the harbour and also from the shore battery. grand stand. As soon as he was seen the troops lying, as she does, on the fringe of the adjacent But of course it was the afternoon ceremony smartly shouldered arms and on reaching the Empire; such is her mercantile value, being, as she is, the Eastern gate through which must that everyone in the colony looked forward statue His Excellency was met by the members to with whetted appetites, the outcome of a fer- of the Jubilee Committee at present in the pass the commerce of the West, that it is hardly vant and loyal regard for our Queen.
colony, viz.-Hon. C. P. Chater, Chairman and too much to believe that she must of necessity bon. treasurer; Hon. J. H. Stewart Look-always constitute an element to be carefully hart, hon. secretary; Hon. E. R. Belilios, and fully weighed. Great and important move- Hon. Ho Kai, Messrs. T. Jackson, J. J. ments have lately taken place in the Far East, Francis, C., H. N. Mody, A. P. MacEwen, possibly greater and more important changes Simul- yet are even now in contemplation which will Wai Yuk, Ho Amei, and Li Shing. taneously with the reception by the Committee enforce the gravest attention of diplomacy, and Her Majesty's Government, in its decison upon the Royal Standard was unfurled and there was a momentary pause while photographs were those events, in its determination of the path to taken.
pursue, can hardly omit Hongkong from its Hon. C. P. Chater then addressed His Ex-serious consideration. In saying this, I do not cellency and said-Your Excellency, as Chair- forget that her place in the colonies of the man of the Jubilee Committee, and on behalf of Crown, if won in some part by her own vigour, the community of the colony, I have the great is largely due to her standing in line with those other colonies which together constitute the honour of asking you to meet us to-day for the purpose of unveiling the statue of Her Majesty brotherhood known to-day as Greater Britain. Queen Victoria. I need not enlarge upon the Sir, in the evolution of time generation.
will succeed generation in Hongkong, new interest, the tervent and loyal interest, which
firms will arise, new projects will be formed; the residents of this island take in this cere- monial. I need not state that we are met to- new personalities will seek to advance the colony's influence and promote her enterprise long after names familiar enough now have vanished into the past and been forgotten. Yet will this statue remain, to impress upon those who follow us the rights and privileges which, under British laws, they will ever enjoy, the security which the British Constitution throws over those who live within the sphere of its protection, and above all, sir, the freedom, the greatest benefit perhaps that mankind has ever known, which exists to-day, and always must exist, beneath the royal standard of Great Britain. I now ask your Excellency to unveil the statue.
The arrangements for the ceremony were on a very extensive scale, and it says much for the tactful management of Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart, the Honorary Secretary to the movement, and those gentlemen who assisted him, particularly in the reception of the guests at the grand stand, that there was no bitch whatever in the proceedings. Invitations to witness the ceremony were issued to as many people as pos- sible, irrespective of position, calling, or national- ity. The grand stand, which was erected by Mr. Danby, accommodated just over a thousand people, for all of whom chairs were provided. The police arrangements, too, were very care. fully made by Mr. H. B. Lethbridge, the Acting Captain Superintendent of Police, and they worked quite smoothly, there being, owing to the admirable instructions issued to the force, no undue crushing at any point.
wear
The ceremony was timed to commence at 5.30. At 4.30 ticket-holders began to arrive, and at 5 o'clock most of the seats which had been specially reserved for officials were oc cupied. At 5.15 the sight from the grand stand was certainly the most picturesque ever witnessed in the colony. The mighty King of Day shone in all his glory; Queen's wea- ther undoubtedly it was, and a gentle breeze pleasantly tempered the powerful rays of the sun, which, however, did not play into the grand stand for very long after the guests commenced to arrive, as the rattan covering acted as a very welcome shield. Every British official in the colony was present, and those who were privileged to
uniforms did so, while included amongst the other spectators were all the Consuls in the colony in their respective uniforms and all the principal residents, most of whom were accompanied by ladies. The view look- ing towards the grand stand was exceedingly pretty, the many and various uniforms of the officials and the ladies' dresses being a sight to dwell upon. Immediately over the space re- served for His Excellency the Governor was the coat of arms surmounted by the Crown, and the Union Jack, while the Royal Standard proudly showed itself a little behind. Directly opposite the centre of the stand was the statue, which was hidden from view by the Royal Standard, and on the steps palms and ferns, which were supplied by Mr. Ford, served to heighten the picturesqueness
of the view.
gether to discharge a most unusual and excep- tional function. I need hardly remind you, sir, that the event which has given birth to these proceedings is one which, only a few years ago, stirred to the depths the hearts of the British race in every quarter of the world, for was not that event the Jubilee of Our Most Gracious Sovereign? If any proof were needed of the feeling which dominates us at the moment, I would ask you to look at this concourse of Her Majesty's subjects, gathered here to offer their loyal and respectful homage to the Throne. I would ask you to look at the Representatives of the other Powers, who, with fellow-countrymen of theirs, who are resident here, have come to Your do honour to this auspicious event. Excellency, as we all know, Her Majesty's Jubilee occurred in the year 1887, and it will perhaps be not unfitting if I mention the reason why this statue has not been erected before. It was not because Hongkong was one whit be- hind other British colonies in wishing to prove its dutiful regard for Her who reigns over us; it was not because we did not desire to have in our midst a memento of the ruler to whom we owe allegiance. No, sir. It was because we recognised that such a statue as this should be placed in an appropriate and conspicuous spot, a spot worthy, if that could be so, by its very position to do honour to the occasion, and until this great work, this reclamation on which we are now standing, was practically finished, we had no such place to offer. Under your Government this portion of the reclamation has now been happily accomplished, and here in
At the conclusion of Mr. Chater's address Mr. Bowdler went across to the statue and
returned with the cord, which he handed to His Excellency for the purpose of unveiling
the statue.
His EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR said-Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I have accepted with great pleasure the invitation of the Jubilee Committee, and of the loyal community of Hongkong, to unveil this statue of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. I feel highly honoured at having to take so prominent a part in this in- teresting function, and am glad to think that my name will for all time be connected with it. This immense concourse of Her Majesty's loyal subjects, and of the Representatives of other Powers with their fellow-countrymen, is a sight which will never be forgotten by those who are witnessing it. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, this statue is to commemorate the Jubilee. of Her Majesty in 1887. Let me therefore
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