ENG-2011 — Page 507

History 435

Under a convention signed in Peking on June 9, 1898, the New Territories comprising the area north of Kowloon up to the Shum Chun (Shenzhen) River and 235 islands was leased for 99 years. The move was directed against France and Russia, not against China, whose warships were allowed to use the wharf at Kowloon City. There, Chinese authority was permitted to continue 'except insofar as may be inconsistent with the military requirements for the defence of Hong Kong'. However, an order-in-council of December 27, 1899, revoked this clause and the British unilaterally took over Kowloon City. There was some opposition when the British took over the New Territories in April 1899, but this eventually dissipated. The area was declared to be part of the overall territory of Hong Kong but was administered separately from the urban area.

Initial Growth

The new settlement did not go well at first. It attracted unruly elements, while fever and typhoons threatened life and property. Crime was rife. The population rose from 32 983 (31 463 or 95 per cent Chinese) in 1851 to 878 947 (859 425 or 97.8 per cent Chinese) in 1931. The Chinese influx was unexpected because it was not anticipated they would choose to live under a foreign flag.

The Chinese asked only to be left alone and thrived under a liberal British rule. Hong Kong became a centre of Chinese emigration and trade with Chinese communities abroad. Ocean-going shipping using the port increased from 2 889 ships in 1860 to 23 881 in 1939. The dominance of the China trade forced Hong Kong to conform to Chinese usage and to adopt the silver dollar as the currency unit in 1862. In 1935, when China went off silver, Hong Kong had to follow suit with an equivalent 'managed' dollar.

Hong Kong's administration followed the normal pattern for a British territory overseas, with a governor nominated by Whitehall and nominated Executive and Legislative Councils with official majorities. The first non-government members of the Legislative Council were nominated in 1850, and the first Chinese in 1880 (Singapore-born lawyer Ng Choy); the first non-government members of the Executive Council appeared in 1896, and the first Chinese in 1926 (Sir Shouson Chow). In 1972, the long-standing arrangement that two electoral bodies - the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and the Unofficial Justices of the Peace were each allowed to nominate a member to the Legislative Council, was discontinued.

British residents pressed strongly for self-government several times but the UK Government consistently refused to allow it, saying the Chinese majority would be subject to the control of a small European minority. A Sanitary Board set up in 1883, became partly elected in 1887 and developed into an Urban Council in 1936.

The intention, at first, was to govern the Chinese through Chinese magistrates seconded from the Mainland. But this system of parallel administrations was only half-heartedly applied and broke down mainly because of the weight of crime. It was completely abandoned in 1865 in favour of the principle of equality of all races. before the law. In that year, the Governor's instructions were significantly amended