The purification of this Augean stable is still proceeding. On Thursday morning the 30th Sept, fifteen Indian constables were dismissed by order of BLE. the Governor for receiving bribes from the gambling house in Cheung Hing Street. Tt is bo-lieved that in the case of some of the dismissed European inspectors an appeal will be made to the Secretary of State against the decision of the Hongkong government. I do not think, however, that such an appeal would avail to alter the decision already arrived at. I think, however, that in some cases the total loss of pension might be reconsidered. The system hes been much at fault as well as the men. I think that it has now been sufficiently shown that the attempt to suppress gambling in a Chinese population is not only fruitless of good results, but prolific of evil in that the sly rubling hells have succeeded in demoraliing the Police Force, and will corrupt any that may be found in the future.
If the Colonial Office had not allowed
crowd of fanatical tabbies at Exeter Hall, itself to be overruled. by the shrieking the system erected by Sir Richard Macdonnell, that able and fearless Governor, would no doubt still be working, and the Police would not be exposed to the insidious temptations to which so many well meaning men have succumbed. I suppose that even now, with a great majority at their back and a strong man at the Colonial Office, the Salisbury Government will not venture to so far defy the saints as to legalize gambling in Hongkong for the better preservation of morality and good order! Yet, if they would, I am convinced that the results would be most satisfactory on the whole. Gambling would not become more provalent—no vice flourishes so much as when made it—and the Police would be able to maintain better order, while they would be relieved from a constant temptation to forsake the path of rectitude.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.