Tue following despatch to the Houg-16th Ju'y.
kong government has, says the China Overland Trade Report, fallen like a bombshell in the colony Downing Street, 21st May, 1891.
Let them judge the case and if necessary No. 59 of the 26th of March last, [have ts rx,—With reference to my despatch pes a sentence.of decapitation. Viceroy 1 the honour to inform en would simplify the legal process of the appointment o Fou that the question Chinese Consul at by deciding it in this way. He was an Hongkong has been further considered able and very politic man, and it and, in view of representations made on behalf of the Chiese Minister at this Court, appears from what he then said in memorialising the throne, that he to the appointment of Mr. Tso Ping Long, Her Majesty's Government have would urge increased care in select-present Chinese Consul at Singapore, ing city magistrates, and when a good to be Consul at Hongkong, for one om the understanding that he should. Be. with. man is found give him his post for drawn at the end of that time if the also it low increased power to Prefects three years successively. He would appointment should be found not to work well.—I have the honour to be, Sir, your ouvicted ey FooseRy GARaScAbse Hnehids most obedient. hnmbta =-——asa vtsrorb, The Hongkong papers, with the ex-all riots as the Chinese law shows) ception of the Telegraph, which is should be decided summarily by them addicted to taking a line of its own, are to save delay and expense. He does very angry with the despatch. They not see in the Kolao Hui any more are angry at the British government's patriotism than in any other secret having given way in the matter at all, society, but merely a disturbing force and at the way in which they have done which has to be put down by law. the thing. We do not wonder that the Unfortunately he does not take note of colony is disgusted at the arbitrary the evil resulting from the want of a way in which it has been treated by paid constabulary force attached to Lord Knutsford. Hongkong is a Crown every yamen. He does not remark on Colony, and in theory no doubt the the impossibility of expecting prompt power of the Crown is absolute there, interference with disorder when it cannot and it can dispose of the colonists as it be done xp with the help of voluntary police, whose energy is made condi-likes. But absolutism is gotting shabby and worn-out, at any rate in Englishtional on the amount of temporary speaking communities, and any Minister rewards given to them or promised. with a spark of appreciation of modern "hose voluntary thief-catchers are sentiment, not to mention common successful often, as the name implies, in courtesy, would have communicated his catching thieves, but with robberies on intentions beforehand to those prin-a large scale they are unable to cope. cipally affected. and allowed them to They are good as detectives but cannot state their objections, even if he sub-suppress a riot. This, however, is from sequently overruled them. The Home want of drill and the power to act in Government in its dealings with China concert and with presence of mind. If now is the slave of logic, and the China should ever adopt the idea of a man who is the slave of logic, paid constabulary, o large number of with unsound premisses, is hopelessly these irregular detectives would pro-unreasonable. Lord Kuutsford has bably join such a force, allured by the argued thus apparently prospect of monthly pay, and their Civilised countries are allowed to send efficiency would be greatly improved by Consuls to Hongkong drill and regular habits, if they coul China is a civilised country in any way be freed from opium smok-China must be allowed to send a Consul ing. It would be an immense advan-to Hongkong. tage to the country if the police force and he has reinforced himself thus could be so strengthened as to check The Straits Settlements and Hongkong the great tendency to live by. plunder are both crown colonies existing in many provinces. It would "China is allowed to send a Consul to then be possible to ameliorate the Si "Chita must be allowed to send " Consul criminal law. Executions would be less to Hongkong. common and - life led as more In the first of these syllogisms the sacred. With a drilled constabulary unsoundness is in the statement that and a civilised system of jail confine-China is a civilised country in our sense ment, the Viceroys would not be ask of the term. She has a high civilisafor power to decapitate being gran! tion of her own, but she has methods to Prefects and Taotais.: would of governing her which are bar-ask only for extension of the system of barons to us, and which would give a a drilled constabulary, for the protec-Chinese Consul in Hongkong a power -Sazette. over his fellow-countrymen there which is repugnant to our ideas, The fallacy in the second syllogism is too obvious to us, though it does not seem to be so to the home government; for tweutytwo years ago Lord Granville wrote to the then Governor of Hongkong, in reply to his exhaustive statement of objections to the appointment of-a Chinese Consul in Hongkong, that "it would be very difficult for Her Majesty's Government to refuse to accede to any such application if made."
When Prince Kung in 1869 wanted Chinese officials stationed at Hongkong, and Sir Rutherford Alcock, then British Minister at Peking, suggested the appointment of a Consul, the object sought to be gained was the prevention of smuggling and attention to the collection of duties in the interest of the Chinese Customs revenue. These objects have been fully attained now by the establishment of the branch of the Imperial Maritime Customs at Kowloon, so that these grounds for the tonic nas aoituny "ne" nee For Consul at Hongkong on legitimate grounds: her subjects do not require protection against the Hongkong government; they come freely to the colony and are perfectly satisfied with the laws and regulations under which they live there; and there is, moreover, a Protector of Chinese in the Hongkong government staff. There is no diplomatic business for the Consul to do in Hongkong that cannot be done hi the Viceroy at Canton; and the Consul's assistance in police matters will be no more valuable than the assistance of: the mandarin at Kowloon, who is in daily communication with the Hongkong' police. If Mr. tso Ping-lung does nothing, and he will probably do nothing for the first year, while he is on probation, there is no use in having hin there; avd there will be constant jealousy and friction-with the Hongkong government if he. displays any activity in ways useful to his government. The respectable Chinese residents in Hongkong have families on the. mainland; and the existence of a Chinese Consul in Hongkong will faci-lirate the action of the Chinese authorities if they propose to squeeze the Chinese merchants in Hongkong through their families, The fact that the Consul is in Hongkong with our permission will have the further disadvantage of making the Chinese think that we cou-sent to their being squeezed.
"The Daily Press urges another cou-sideration: that the Chinese when they see the Dragon Flag flying in Hongkong will think that China has resumed her sway over the island. On the other hand, the request to be allowed to appoint a Consul is a renewed recognition of British sovereignty. One thing a any rate the appointment of Mr. Tso Ping-lung will do: it will put the Hongkong officials on their mettle. They will have to look very sharply after the new Consul and after
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.