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September 22, 1906.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The Secretary of State has telegraphed :- "Your telegram of 18th September received with great regret. I especially deplore the great loss of life which the storm has caused. I shall be glad to learn further particulars and fall details by post of the measures taken for the relief of sufferers. I would wish you to express on behalf of His Majesty's Government their sympathy with the community of Hong- kong at this great disaster."
Lord Elgin has also sent the following message, which I shall ask you to receive standing :-
“I am commanded by His Majesty the King to express the deep regret with which His Majesty has learned of the great calamity which has befallen the Colony of Hongkong. His Majesty grieved to read of the immense loss of life among the Chinese population which your telegram reports. I am to convey through you an expression of His Majesty's sympathy with the immediate sufferers and with the whole com- munity."
I propose that the King's message should be placarded in the town in English and Chinese, and I ask you to approve of the following replies which I suggest should be sent in reply to the telegrams I have read to you :—
To Sir Henry Blake I propcze to telegraph:-
The Legislative Council on behalf of the people of Hongkong express their gratitude for your sympathetic message.'
"
To the Governor of Macao I propose to telegraph:-
has afforded and is affording shelter to the many Chinese left destitut? by the loss of their floating habitations. The Commodore readily met my request to send out all craft that were left to him and were not themselves damaged to pick up any persons that might be found olinging to wreckage outside the harbour. Unfortunately the new typhoon, signalled about six o'clock last night, brought an end to the period during which it could be hoped to save such persons. Two torpedo boat destroyers that were out on this duty last night were, am glad to say, able to regain the harbour this morning. The Commander of the United States vessel Callao volunteered to co-operate with our own Naval Authorities, and his offer was gladly accepted. The Military Authorities kindly let me have 150 men yesterday to clear wreckage which it was thought might cover bodies, and my hon. and gallant friend on my right has been good enough to promise me other working parties to clear wharves at present so blocked as to prevent the business of loading and unloading ships proceeding (applause). We have now to consider what steps should be taken to afford relief to the large number of Chinese who have lost their homes and properties. The majority have, unfortunately, also lost their lives, and so are beyond relief. The Chinese charitable institutions are, I understand, looking after the immediate needs of those who are left destitute. But some more permanent assist ance is required, sad for this I
propose that a public subscription should be started. I consulted yesterday morning the directors of the Tang Wa Hospital, the Po Leung Kok and the District Watch Committees in this matter, and they agreed to start at once raising a charitable fund. They agreed also that Dr. Ho Kai, Mr. Wei Yak, Mr. Fang Wa-chun. Mr. Lau Chu-pak and Mr. Fang Chi-ngong (Chairman of Tung Wa directors) should represent them on a general committee, to which I propose to appoint also Sir Paul Chater, Mr. E. A. Hewett, Mr. W. J. Gresson, Capt. Barnes-Lawrence, the Registrar-General and Mr. H. E. R. Hunter, if they will kindly consent to serve. I will ask Mr. Hunter to act also as treasurer to the committee and to receive a donation of $500 from myself and $100 from the Colonial Secretary. I propose that this Council should vote to the fund & sam equal to that obtained from private subscrip- tions. As regards further assistance from the Government, I should like the committee to consider whether any scheme by which the Government would lend money on security, but without interest, for the building of native craft which would ba helpful to junk-owners and not unduly onerous од the Government could be devised. They must bear in mind that the Government's losses have been heavy, and it would be ineffectual for Government to grant money with one hand and take it away by additional taxation with the other. In many cases of loss of life all that we can give is, from the nature of the case, our sym. pathy. The Colony will, i am sure, grieve that a French torpedo-boat destroyer should have been lost while enjoying the hospitality of our port, and that this loss should have been accompanied by that of five brave sailors. I took it upon myself to express sympathy to Admiral Richard, the French Commander-in. Chief in the Far East, and have received a telegram in reply saying how deeply this expression had touched the whole French Far Eastern fleet. The Council will forgive me if I now refer for a moment to a personal as well as a public loss. I fear that there are no grounds for hope that we shall ever see again Bishop Hoare. He was a man we all respected, and those among us who knew him well loved him well. I am sure that the Council and the public sympathize deeply with his bereaved wife and children. The Colony in its turn has received sympathy which it will value. Sir Henry Blake has telegraphed from Kandy :
"I desire to express deep sympathy with the people of Hongkong in the serious calamity repeating the disaster of 1900."
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The Governor of Macao has telegraphed :- "Je prie que votre Excellence vouloir bien accepter l'expression de notre sympathie et sincares condoléances par la catastrophe qui a touché Hongkong",
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must also join with Your Excellency in express ings deepest sympathy with Mrs. Hoare în her great loss. The Bishop was a man very much respected by all who knew him and beloved by all who have his acquaintance or claim his friendship. been privileged to make
To all those who have suffered lossES, especially losses of relations and friends, we extend our sympathy,
and I hopy that in a very short time, when the committee gets to work, we shall be able to relieve many in distress.
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HON. ME. HEWETT-Sir, after the remarks made by the senior unofficial member, very little remains for me to say; but I think, representing the section of the community I have the honour to do in this Chamber, it is only fitting I should refer to some of the points in Your Excellency's remarks. The loss to the Colony is, we all know, unfortunately very great and the loss of life is terrible; but I feel confident that already the Colony is pulling itself together, and that it will not be long before we get the whole of our business in train and that the progress of Hongkong will go on as if com paratively speaking there had been no such check. Your Excellency has referred to the question of appointing a commission to deal with the point raised very generally amongst the public as to whether earlier notice might have been given of the approaching storm by the Observatory and consequently a mitigation brought about of the great disaster which has befallen us. Holding the position I have the honour to do, I have made it my business to make inquiries from certain experta competent to form an opinion, and feel quite confident that the finding of the commission will be that it will exonerate the Director and staff of the Observatory. I trust sincerely that this will be so, and firmly believe that it will. With regard to the relief fund, Legislative Council of Hongkong express I am sure Your Excellency's proposal will meet their heartfelt thanks for the sympathy of His with the most cordial support of the whole Majesty's Government on the disastrous effects community. The committee will no doubt get of the storm of September 18th. The Council, to work at the earliest possible moment, Chinese Charitable Institutions, European for we all know that on occasions of firms and residents will do what is in their this sort there is only one axiom to work power to relieve the distressed."
upon and that is "Those who give quickly In reply to His Majesty's message I give twice." Your Excellency referred to to say-"Please convey to His the possibility of advances being made Majesty the King this humble expression of under certain conditions to former registered the great appreciation of the Colony of Hong-owners of cargo boats to enable them to recover kong, represented by its Legislative Council, for His Most Gracious Majesty's sympathy for the catastrophe which has befallen the Colony, and inform His Majesty that his people here respond with feelings of deepest loyalty to his loving care of them in this their distress (applause).
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La Colonie représenté› par le Conseil Legislatif vous remercie cordialement pour votra depèche si sympathique."
To the Secretary of State I propose to telegraph:-
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propose
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In conclusion. I would say that I am confid- ent that the Colony will bear the trial that has come to it with that characteristic which was looked upon by the ancient Romans as the highest of virtues, and is certainly an attribute of every great people, including both the British and Chinese-I mean equanimity, or the equal mind. Hongkong has had a set-back, but this will, I feel sure, call forth additional energy and earnestness of purpose, so that it will not be long before it will have retrieved its losses and advanced further than ever towards its great commercial and civilising ends. (applause.
Hon. Dr. Ho KAI-Sir, 1 am sure members of the Council have listened with great interest to the various messages and telegrams sont to us condoling with us in our calamity, notably the gracious message of His Most Gracious Majesty the King, and also those from the Secretary of State, the Governor of Macad and Sir Henry Blake. We all deeply deplore the sad catastrophe, and I am sure, as Your Excellency has just mentioned, that the community will bear its losses of life and property with a resolute equanimity. At the same time it is well that those who are που able to help themselves and those who have auffered should have help from those able to afford it, and I am pleased indeed, relief committee which will at Sir, that you have already appointed a once take measures to relieve the suffering. I am sure every member of that committee will work for the sufferers, and anything which the Government can do in the way of assisting will be, I am sure, appreciated by the whole of the Chinese community. Members of the Council
themselves. The proposal is a sound one, and will receive the earnest consideration of the com. mittee. It should result in great good to the native shipping population who have suffered so terribly in this disaster. Another point to which I must refer, and I feel justified in doing
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is the sympathetic remarks made by Your Excellency with regard to the loss of Bishop Hoare. I feel confident that I am as well qualified as any one in the Colony to endorse the remarks of Your Excellency and the senior unofficial member. I have had the honour of his friendship for nearly thirty years, and I am sure the community will endorse me when I say that he was an upright and God-fearing man, and that uprightly, sincerely and without fear or favour he carried out the work provided for him by his Master, and in the execution of which he lost his life. We deplore his untimely loss and join in offering our most sincere and respectful sympathy to those left to mourn him. It is satisfactory in the trouble in which we find ourselves to find sympathy from outside. The gracious message of His Majesty I am sure will be received by the whole Colony with grateful affection. The messages from the Sporetary of State, the Governor of Macao And Sir Henry Blake all express syn thy which we know is thoroughly sincere. it is necessary for me mora. I am sure we are all Your Excellency for the which you dealt with the you have taken to endes' misfortunes of those w bay (applause).
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H18 EXCELLENCY-It is n ceed with the business qá thự The Council stands adjou week.
JAPAN'S SYN The following messag Viscount Hayashi th Imperial Japanese Co meeting:- Convey expression of very/
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