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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND;
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ation than even our greatest Dependency in matters affecting internal economy. "These, how ever, are all highly controversial matters upon which opinion differs at so many points that for any one man to speak for any number of others is manifestly impossible. I can only claim to speak for that section of the community which represent by ke ping to the clear contention that whether any new development, of the opium policy adopted towards China by His Majesty's Ministers are in themselves right or wrong, wise or unwise; good, bad, or indiffereat, none of them ought to have been made to apply to this Colony without reference to this Council. In this clear contention I lay claim to speak for the commercial community as a whole. I speak with the voice of a community united in protesting against the inconsiderate exerbise of arbitrary power. The inconsiderate exercise of arbitrary power is not to be tolerated, without challenge, even when exercised in the name of the Sover sign people. Englishmen are very ready to repose their trust in despotic formulas, but it is always on the understanding that they shall not be used in a despotic manner. Whenever there is even a show of thus using power there is sure to be trouble. Every English statesman ought | to know this. No English statesman ought to forget it. We in this Colony Humbly aspire to remind one of that faol. The voice of Hong kong sounds dimly in London. We realise that only too well. We realise only too well that the voice of this Council can hardly sound at all within the walls of Westminster. But it is our duty to uplift it, nevertheless, and impelled by a sense of that duty I move
| May 30, 1908. for one will not regret and certainly the Chinese community will not regret them. But to alone the opium dens at ones without regard to cost and in obedience to orders, that is something that sticks in the throat of every spirited mem ber of this Council. I say it is not right that we should not be allowed some time to consider our position and devise means to meet whatever deficiency may arise from closing all opium dens or doing away with the opium farm altogether.
Hon Mr. PoLLOCK-I do not propose to detain the Council more than a minute or two but I feel I ought to say a few words in support of the arguments which have been put forward by the mover and seconder of this resolution, I agree with them in thinking that this a matter against which this Colony ought to protest very strongly namely that, without any previous consultation, an order should have been seat out from home to the effect that the opium establishments in this Colony were to be closed down. I agree, Sir, with the hon. member, the mover of this resolution, in deploring the fact that a similar courtesy as to consultation which appears to have been extended to the sister Colonies of Ceylon and the Straits Settlements was not also extended to this Colony. I would also venture to suggest that the authorities at home should have found a way much better than the arbitrary method adopted, of closing the opium establishments parri passu with a decrease of the poppy cultivation in China similar to the method adopted in the great dependency of India. I think, Sir, that in closing down the dens at once in this Colony which after all represents in the That the Members of this Council view number of Chinese inhabitants only a thousand th with concern the action of His Majesty's part of the whole Chinese Empire, the Home Secretary of Stats for the Colonies in issuing Government is indulging in an actof righteous- an order affecting the revenue of Hongkongness, at our expense, and I think, Sir, it is very without having previously given sufficient deplorable that they should have taken this notice to the Colonial Government to admit of extreme and arbitrary measure without pausing the matter being referred to this Council; and to consider what would be the result upon the desire to record a protest against any steps fiaauces of this Colony. As the hon, seconder of being taken to carry out the order announced this resolution has pointed out, we are at this in Parliament on the 6th instant, until His time in Hongkong somewhat in low water Majesty's Government shall have been fully financially, and as is well known there are informed of the prospective financial effect and public works which require to be carried out. before this Council shall have been called upon Prominent amongst them is the typhoon refuge to consider the methods by which it is proposed as to which there is considerable difficulty in to re-adjust the burden of taxation."
our finding the ways and means. I associate myself therefore with the protest moved by the hou member (Mr. Stewart).
and as a member of this Council I deem it my duty to oppose zealotry in this matter inasmuch as it threatens to invade those principles of con- sistency and that confidence hitherto existing under British rule and sapplying the open secret of its succeSS.
I admit sentimental objection to raising revenue from such as source, but an fortunately in this imperfast world it is not possible to order our affairs in conformity with the notions of an ideal polity. An ideal polity would preclude many of the ways and means that even the most civilized States and respect- able institutions adopt to support themselves. In the present aspect of the time-honoured predicament created by the contest between ideal and real conditions, we find ourselves in a difloulty. Mr. Asquith has recently said that in & difficult situation you ought to try and found yourself upon some principle that appeals to Common sense and common justice. In the hope of discovering some such principle which would enable me to approve of the proposals of His Majesty's Government I referred again to the "Times'" report of the recent great debate on the Licensing Bill. For the second time I read the speech made by the present Prime Minister in introducing it. I found it a rich mine of reasons against the course which he has presumably sanotioned with regard to our opium establishments. I found no single reason in favour of the justice of doing away with them by any instantaneous process. I did not find what I was looking for, but I found this in Mr. Balfour's reply. The result is going to be that you are not going to diminish the amount of liquor consumed; you are going to transfer the consumption of that liquor from premises over which the Magistrates and the Police have control to premises over which they have no control. That is a deplorable re. sult which certainly will not conduce to tem- perance. By the simple expedient of altering the word "liquor" to " opium these words, applied in our case, seem like words of wisdom, The Government will lose a source of revenue in addition to losing control. By giving up control of the consumption you will not make people give it up. As long as the vice is popu. lar its votaries will find a place to practise it in, There is a strong opinion that if you try to prevent the people from smoking opium they will eat it, and if you stop them from getting it to eat that they will take to alcohol. I do not Hon. Dr. Ho KAI-Sir, I rise to second the propose to discuss the relative merits of popular resolution which has been so eloquently and so poisons. I say nothing as to the comparative ably put to the Council by my hon. friend whe value of the opium vice and the drink has just sat down. I will not follow him in his habit as a relief to the monotony of hard flight of oratory, for I have neither the ability and ceaseless toil, Bor yet ૐ to the nor the desire, but I wish most emphatically to probable increase in orime and insanity if associate myself with him and, I hope, with the the latter replaces the former. I do not even rest of the unofficial members of this Council in propose to discuss the merits of the opia policy maintaining the dignity, the rightsand privileges of His Majesty's Government in relation to of this Council-(applause) -
-in maintaining the China. The issues do not arise out of the claim that this Council should be consulted on resolution and in any case they have already all matters affecting the finances and the welfare been decided. But in passing I may perhaps be of this fair colony of ours and in maintaining allowed to say that I wish that more prominence siso the right of the paolio of Hongkong to have bad been given not to the question whether a consultative voice in a matter which affects its China is sincere but whether she is capable in prosperity and its revenues, Furthermore, the matter. Unless a man like Peter the Great I associate myself with my unofficial colleagues arises to create Cosmos out of Chaos, it seems in trying to save the colony from serious losses hardly probable that anything effectual will be especially at the present moment when our done. Still, China having applied to the British revenue is on the decline and money is urgently Government, I do not see how any British required for important public works, and Minister could have met her appeal without also in asking to have sufficient time to sympathy and with a blank refusal. But readjust our finances and the burden of though Sir Edward Grey extended his sympathy taxation. For these re 1sons I join most heartily he did not abandon caution. The contents of with my unofficial colleagues in the protest the White Book recently issued on the subject contained in this resolution. At the same time contains ample proof of that. The arrange- I wish it to be understood that I do not support ment made between him and the great this resolution because 1 think the closing of philosophic Statesman who presides over the opium dens is a mistake or is undesirable the troubled destinies of India is admirable or that the opium farm is a benefit to the in that respect-so admirable that I had hoped colony or is a necessity thereto (applause). I that we were to be allowed to participate in it. think if you take the opinion, of the community, In that case there would have been no need especially of the Chinese community, you will for violent legislative enactment. Under that find a great majority will be against the opiam agreement the Opium Trade would have died out farm on account of the great inconveniences automatically in Hongkong, in ten years, if and indignities put upon them by excise officers China keeps to her part of the bargain. All we in searching their houses and persons. In fact, had todo was to close down upon it ten per cent the opium farm is regarded by them as per sunum, concurrently with the Indian reduc- blot on the fair name of this Colony and as tion. We could, I think, with reason have set up dragging its otherwise splendid and glorious a claim to ground the local rednotion of our traditions in the mad. Therefore I say, root licensed bouses upon the principle which justi-out all the opium deus, abolish the opium farm filed cautious treatment of the Indian revenue and which applies with equal force to our revenus. It seems to me that a great Crown Colony should not be treated with less consider.
and everything else,
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The COLONIAL SECRETARY+Public houses Hon. Dr. Ho KAI-Yes, Anything. Opium dens, public houses, farms and anything else.
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His EXCELLENCY-Gentlemen, the telegram which I received from the Secretary of State for the Colonies on the subject of the closing of opium divans does not refer to the whole of the opium establishments as has been stated but to the opiam "dans as they are commonly called in England. This telegram, which I read to the Connoil at the last meeting, stated that steps should be taken to close the opium dens bat did not state that they were to be closed to-day or to-morrow and I may say that in my reply I dealt very fully with the points which have been raised by the hon member and my learned friend on my left (Mr. Pollock) and other speakers, namly the financial condition of the colony, and the way in which the closing of the divans would affect the revenue which we reosive from the Opium Farm. In the secretary of State's reply, which being marked confidential I could not read to you verbatim but of which
gave you the main purport, he agreed to wait the arrival of my despatch conditionally upon steps being taken to give effect as far as possible to the policy which he had enunciated. In his original! telegram also he said that a despatch would follow. I think, therefore, that although I per- sanally agree with a great deal of what has been said by different speakers today, it is some- what premature to deal in heroios at the present stage of the matter. I think that we rely upon the statesmanship of the British Cabinet. We know, as the first speaker pointed out, that in the Licensing Bill which the present Government have brought in, they have recognised the principle of allowing time for existing licenses to expire. We know that both sides of the House, Unionists as well as Liberals, jin in the general policy in regard to the suppression of opiam and the mover of this resolution read a very striking passage from Mr. Balfour's speech showing how strongly the opposition feel that any steps taken to restrict the liquor trafo în
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