Chapter 6 Robinson (1824~1897)

Robinson (1824~1897), also known as Luo Shimin.An Irishman of military origin, he served as Governor of the West Indies Colony.Later, he worked in the British colonies of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and other places.Was knighted. Died in 1897. During Robinson's tenure, the British and French allied forces attacked Beijing, burned down the most famous garden in the history of our country, the Old Summer Palace, and cut off the Kowloon Peninsula by virtue of the "Beijing Treaty". During Robinson's tenure, he did several things that his predecessors had not done, which historians called Hong Kong's "first time".

1. In 1860, the Hong Kong Post Office became independent from the British Post Office. On December 8, 1862, the Secretary of Post Michel officially issued Hong Kong stamps.It is the first set of stamps issued by the Hong Kong Post Office.A complete set of 7 pieces, with the image of Queen Victoria as the pattern.Later developed into: 2 points, 8 points, 12 points, 18 points, 24 points, 48 ​​points, etc. 16 kinds.The independence of the Hong Kong Post Office created conditions for the future development of the Hong Kong Postal Service. In 1876, the Hong Kong Post Office joined the Universal Postal Association.

Second, from 1862, the Hong Kong British authorities began to implement the official student system.That is, students from the British Examination Committee come to Hong Kong to receive three years of Chinese language training, and then assign various departments to do translation and other important public duties.The first batch of official students, including Denny, Shi Hufu and Tong Longquan, arrived in Hong Kong in September 1862.After Robinson, in the early days of Hong Kong's port opening, soldiers, adventurers and sailors served as political officers of the British Hong Kong government, which has gradually become a historical relic.

The fifth Robinson III built a pond to supply tap water to the urban area.Not long after taking office, Robinson encountered a drought and planned to divert water from Pok Fu Lam Reservoir.Completed in 1863, the project was the first reservoir built in Hong Kong's history.Since then, Hong Kong has had tap water. The fourth is to reform the currency system in Hong Kong. From July 1, 1862, the silver dollar was used as the accounting unit and the pound unit was abandoned.Order Hong Kong silver dollars from London as the common currency in Hong Kong, and cast copper dollars as auxiliary coins, open banks, and organize the establishment of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce.

The geographical location of the Kowloon Peninsula is very important. In the spring of 1840, Lin Zexu pointed out in a memorial, "The area around Tsim Sha Tsui is surrounded by mountains in the northeast, Jishuimen and Jitamen in the west, Leiyumen and Fotangmen in the east, and the Great Wall. Islet Giant Island is also the southwest of the mountain. Surrounded by mountains, the wind gathers energy, the waves are quiet and the waves are deep and wide. British and barbarian ships have long wanted to rely on them as their nests. As far as the seaways of Guangdong Province are concerned, all the eastwards go to Huizhou In response to the provocation by the British army, Lin Zexu asked the imperial court to build separate bridges in Tsim Sha Tsui and Kwun Chung on the Kowloon Peninsula. One fort.After the fort was completed, it was named "Punishment" and "Linchong" respectively.Lin Zexu purchased 56 cannons for the two forts, and sent more than 800 troops to garrison the mountain ridges near the forts.

Tsim Sha Tsui is on the opposite bank of Hong Kong Island, with deep water and wide harbor, which can berth ships. The terrain is flat and suitable for living.The British have long taken a fancy to this place.Yilu once asked the Qing government to cede it. The Macau Newspaper on July 9, 1841 said: Regarding urban construction, Kowloon, opposite Hong Kong, has better conditions than Hong Kong Island.After Elliott was recalled to China, the big opium dealer Matheson worried that the British government would listen to some people's remarks that Hong Kong was not suitable for Europeans to live in, give up Hong Kong Island and demand Zhoushan, Xiamen and other places. He asked London's Chatton to use his Influence, persuade the government, keep Hong Kong Island.He said that many people would like to have Kowloon, but we should have both. In 1848, the commander of the British Far East Fleet, Sima Michelle, advocated the occupation of the South Kowloon Peninsula, saying that it was a safe haven during the monsoon season, and that if it was occupied by other countries, it would pose a threat to Hong Kong Island.

In early March 1860, British Pecklington led more than 10,000 soldiers from the navy and army to fight in China.These batches of British troops arrived on Hong Kong Island one after another, but they could not find a camp to stay in. On March 18, under the planning of Robinson and Clinton, the 44th Regiment of the British Army landed in Tsim Sha Tsui.Robinson said excitedly that the occupation of Tsim Sha Tsui paved the way for the final occupation of South Kowloon. Parker proposed to Hong Kong Governor Robinson that the Guangdong authorities lease a piece of land in Tsim Sha Tsui as a garrison for the British troops coming to China.Robinson then ordered Pacharley and Clinton to rush to Guangzhou to negotiate with Lao Chongguang.On March 20, Parker drafted a document for the lease of Tsim Sha Tsui, which was approved by Clinton and handed over to Lao Chongguang.The excuse of Bacharley and others was that the Kowloon Peninsula was infested by bad guys, the order was chaotic, and British interests were damaged.There are two ways to completely change this situation: one is to use force to drive out the bad guys and station a capable army there; the other is to draw a boundary line by the local authorities in Guangdong, and cede the land south of the line to the British like Hong Kong Island.Bacharley also said that if it is inconvenient to cede the land without the approval of the local officials, the land can be handed over to Britain by means of lease.He also said that although this method is not perfect, it is an effective measure to control or expel the gangsters before a permanent solution. He hoped that Lao Chongguang would accept this transfer method.Bacharley was the head of the three-person committee of the British and French allied forces in charge of Guangzhou, and the officials of the Qing Dynasty in Guangdong were actually tools to maintain order for them.Lao Chongguang succumbed to Pachari's coercion, and the two parties signed the document the next day and exchanged documents immediately.According to the plan proposed by Bacharley, a boundary line was drawn on the Kowloon Peninsula. Starting from a point near the south of the Kowloon Fort, including Mason Island, the area south of the line was leased to the United Kingdom, which fully satisfied Robinson’s needs. Require.Parker quickly completed the lease procedures, and said triumphantly that the Kowloon issue had been resolved. There was no doubt that this peninsula would be completely ceded to Britain in the future.Originally, Robinson expressed hesitation about the lease method because the charter issued to him by the United Kingdom did not stipulate that Hong Kong could lease land.At this time, I wrote to Bacharley to express my gratitude, saying that he "successfully made a very satisfactory arrangement for Kowloon. Except that there is no cession, we are now in the best position we can do. When I asked the Duke of Newcastle (then British Colonial Secretary ), I will not fail to point out that we depend on your tact and skill in your representations in this matter."

The British government has been deliberately occupying South Kowloon and will not be satisfied with the lease. In April 1860, before Ergin, the plenipotentiary representative of the British invasion of China and who had enforced the Treaty of Tianjin, came to China again, Russell, the foreign secretary, gave him an order saying: "The colonial minister expressed this opinion. In the new treaty, efforts should be made to stipulate the cession of the Kowloon Peninsula. According to his request, I hereby instruct Your Excellency: Don’t let him miss any opportunity that will be beneficial to obtain this cession.”

Elgin worried that Britain's occupation of the territory would arouse France's desire and threaten Britain's interests in China. Because France had made similar demands, it had some concerns.Russell then authorized Elgin Camera to act.He said: "Her Majesty's government is happy to obtain the Kowloon Peninsula, but what is the best way must be considered by you." Due to the inconvenient communication at that time, the report on Bacharley's lease of South Kowloon did not arrive in London until some days later.After receiving the report, the British government secretly ordered Erjin to occupy Kowloon in early July.The secret decree said: "Pacharley has already obtained the perpetual lease of the Kowloon Peninsula. After considering all the circumstances, he believes that it is necessary to obtain a complete cession of the Kowloon Peninsula." It also said that the area acquired this time is not large, and France will not follow suit.

According to this instruction, after burning and looting the Old Summer Palace, Elgin forced the "Beijing Treaty", in addition to extorting huge sums of money, adding ports, and adding clauses to cut off the southern Kowloon Peninsula.The Qing government was forced to sign the treaty on October 24, 1860.Article 6 of the treaty stipulates: "According to the previous February 28th of this year (March 20th in the Gregorian calendar), Lao Chongguang, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi in the Qing Dynasty, handed over the first area of ​​the Kowloon Division in East Guangdong to... Pachari on behalf of the National Committee for approval, and it will be permanent. The lease is on the record. The Emperor of the Qing Dynasty decided to hand over the territory to the Great British Monarch and his successors and to belong to the British territory, in the hope that the port will be under the jurisdiction of the port, and the common people will be safe, and the approval will be regarded as waste paper..." This Once the terms were established, the South Kowloon Peninsula was changed from a lease to a cession, and Britain officially occupied the Chinese territory south of Boundary Street on the peninsula.

After acquiring the southern tip of the Kowloon Peninsula, conflicts arose among the British stationed in Hong Kong.The military firmly advocates treating this area as a purely military base and handing it over to them for management.However, the civil affairs department wants to use it as the periphery of Hong Kong for civilian use, and the two sides have endless disputes.Until 1864, the Robinson government arbitrarily expanded the territory, extending to the deep water in the northwest.The British government decided to allocate this newly expanded land to the army, and the original area to the Hong Kong authorities and the navy, but the army can still use it when necessary.Only in this way did the internal quarrels be calmed down, and the place of Sham Shui was secretly occupied by the British. In 1861, the British colonists forced four officials of the Qing Dynasty to go to Kowloon to hold the so-called "soil grant ceremony".The ceremony took place on January 19.Parker handed a paper bag containing Kowloon soil to the Qing Dynasty officials, who asked the Qing Dynasty officials to give the bag of soil to Robinson, the Governor of Hong Kong.This is a scene that every patriotic Chinese will feel sad. After the "Beijing Treaty" was signed, South Kowloon was occupied by the British and the territory was expanded.Britain achieved its military and diplomatic goals, and also provided conditions for British businessmen to further expand their trade with China and Britain to seize greater economic benefits in Hong Kong.From South Kowloon to Hong Kong Island, the vast water area of ​​about 17 square miles actually belongs to the British.They named it "Victoria Harbour".Hong Kong is one of the three great natural harbors in the world. The harbor is wide and deep, the waves are quiet and calm, and it is not frozen all year round. Ocean-going ships with a draft of 12 meters can enter and leave freely; more than 100 ships can berthed at the same time.Due to the occupation of South Kowloon, the population of Hong Kong also increased from 94,971 in 1860 to 119,321 in 1861, an increase of 24,350, or more than 25%.These conditions are very important to the development of Hong Kong, especially the formation of an entrepot trade port.Since then, with the gradual improvement of Hong Kong's infrastructure, Hong Kong's economy centered on shipping trade has more conditions for development, and Hong Kong has begun a period of initial economic development. In 1860, the Hong Kong and Macau Shipping Company of the British capital province was established with a capital of HK$750,000.At that time, during the Second Opium War, the Hong Kong government implemented wartime laws and controlled various shipping industries.Because the company was franchised by the Hong Kong government, it took the opportunity to monopolize the shipping business and further developed the transportation between Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Macau. The first step for the British Hong Kong government to promote the development of maritime transport and trade is to establish and improve port facilities and management. In 1861, Robinson appointed Lieutenant Henry George Tang of the Navy as the Director of Hong Kong Harbor and Admiralty, the Superintendent of the Gunpowder Depot and the Chief Customs Officer.After Tang Shi took office, he put forward the "Port and Coast Act" to further control sailing ships and port ships and maintain the normal order of the port. In 1862, in order to allow many ships to have a safe place in case of sudden climate change, the safe haven of Causeway Bay was built.It laid the foundation for the future development of Hong Kong shipping trade. During Robinson's period, the ship repairing and building industry began to be established and developed, which marked that Hong Kong's maritime transportation and trade had entered a stage of development.As early as 1843, John Lin Meng, an Englishman, set up a boat row near the east corner of Hong Kong Island and built a small boat with a load of only 80 tons. In 1857, another 11.5 acres of land was bought on the coast of Shipaiwan, and a shipyard was opened. Later, a "He Pu Dock" was built in the shipyard. In July 1863, the "Hong Kong Whampoa Dock Company" jointly organized by several ship merchants was established. In 1865, it acquired the "Hepu Dockyard" and became a relatively large-scale dock company. The construction and development of wharves and warehouses are also necessary conditions for maritime trade and transportation.In the early days of the British occupation of Hong Kong, some big businessmen built warehouses for their own use. With the frequent economic activities and the increase in the import and export of goods, small businesses also needed warehouses. They were unable to build their own warehouses, so public warehouses exclusively for lease appeared. The basic facilities of the port, the gradual establishment and improvement of infrastructure such as repairing docks and dock warehouses, have accelerated the development of Hong Kong's shipping industry. In January 1863, the French cruise line also joined Hong Kong's regular shipping to Europe.Since then, British and French ships have competed in Hong Kong.The British "Pacific Cruise Company" and "Ocean Shipping Company" also added flights to the shipping lines between Hong Kong and various places. On May 29, 1861, the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce was established. At that time, all members were Western businessmen, so it was called the Western Chamber of Commerce.Although it is a private industrial and commercial association, it had a great influence on the British Hong Kong government at the beginning.Its purpose is to promote the development of Hong Kong's trade and industry, collect opinions from Hong Kong's business community, and reflect them to the Hong Kong government when necessary; accept consultations from the Hong Kong government on issues affecting Hong Kong's industry, trade and economic development, etc., so in fact control In 1886, Zhang Zhidong, on behalf of the Qing government, requested the establishment of a consulate in Hong Kong, which was opposed by the association and was shelved.Since 1884, there has been an unwritten practice in Hong Kong that each term of the Legislative Council must have a member of the Council.The chairman of the association has always been a British person.From an economic point of view, it plays a positive role in promoting the development of Hong Kong's industry, commerce and foreign trade. With the development of various infrastructures, Hong Kong's import and export trade volume has increased significantly.However, Britain's victory in the Opium War was also a victory in importing opium into China.At that time, opium was still the mainstay of Hong Kong's trade, and the poison to the Chinese people was even more serious.According to statistics, in 1864, Hong Kong imported 20 million taels of opium, 7 million taels of cotton fabrics, 5 million taels of woolen goods, and 2 million taels of hardware.The imported opium is mainly sold to mainland China and parts of Asia.The types of goods exported by Hong Kong are only 12 million taels of silk, 29 million taels of tea, and 6 million taels of cotton.It can be seen from the statistics that the amount of opium trade is huge, and the main source of tax revenue for the Hong Kong government still depends on the large amount of opium trafficking.Britain's development in Hong Kong has been at the expense of China's entire interests from the very beginning. The superior geographical location makes Hong Kong gradually become the commercial center of the Far East.After the British occupied Hong Kong, they set up customs in Hong Kong to collect taxes. All ships passing through Hong Kong had to collect taxes, which greatly affected the economy of South my country.In Hong Kong, exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous donations emerge in endlessly, and tax revenues increase year by year.When Davies was in office, the tax revenue in 1846 was 27,046 pounds. By 1864, when Robinson was in power, the tax revenue reached 132,884 pounds. Hong Kong Chinese businessmen were deeply dissatisfied with the tax system at that time, thinking that it was "donate without goods", which was unbearable.Therefore, although many businessmen own properties in Hong Kong, they would rather make sacrifices and go back to the mainland, so Hong Kong's business once declined. In 1861, Hong Kong's financial balance was balanced and there was money to be made.This year's total assets exceeded debts by 4,300 pounds, and the source of income came from increased taxes, the largest of which were license tax, land tax, and police donations.At that time, due to the development of commerce and the rise of land prices, people who bought and sold land made a lot of money, so the land tax also increased significantly.In addition to the actual benefits obtained during the aggression, the British government has already begun to obtain a large amount of pound income from the development of Hong Kong's economy. In 1865, the European economic crisis affected the Hong Kong market, business was depressed, and tax revenue was reduced, so the Hong Kong British government passed the "Stamp Duty Act".Although the merchants strongly opposed it, the authorities still enforced it. The Chinese who accounted for the vast majority of Hong Kong’s population, on the one hand, strengthened their own unity and struggle during this period, and on the other hand, determined to manage, develop and strengthen the Chinese economy. Political status has initially improved. In 1860, the Robinson government implemented the "License Act", stipulating that all businessmen in Hong Kong must obtain licenses and pay license fees.The charge has drawn opposition from businessmen.The first objection was the strike of the pawnshop industry. As a result, the Hong Kong government had to reduce the license fee.Then, all the porters and boat owners in Hong Kong also opposed the license fee and registration, and went on strike, which persisted for more than three months, and they did not resume business until the Hong Kong government revised the regulations. In 1862, porters in Hong Kong opposed the forced registration by the authorities and went on strike again.Except for a few foreign merchants, almost all of these businessmen, bearers, boat owners, and dock workers were Chinese. During the struggle, they raised their national consciousness, strengthened their unity, and won initial victories. The unity and strength of the Chinese are not only due to the large number of people, but also due to the continuous strengthening of the economic power of the Chinese. Chinese business capital in Hong Kong has gradually become a force that has considerable influence on Hong Kong.As early as the period of the fourth governor, Baoling, he estimated that there were 143 people who paid land rent of more than ten pounds a year, and Chinese accounted for 42 people.Judging from the number of people he estimated based on economic status, Chinese with a certain economic power accounted for a considerable number. The British wanted to rule Hong Kong, and the lack of Chinese translators has always plagued the previous governors.The biggest problem at that time was that the Chinese who were serving the Hong Kong government or doing business in Hong Kong had poor English proficiency. Apart from simple daily conversations, they had no English training in other aspects at all.And even fewer British people in Hong Kong know Chinese.Because Gao Heer is proficient in Chinese, he is an official interpreter for the Hong Kong Magistrates, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Chief Registrar of the Government and Division of Chinese Civil Affairs, and Chief Interpreter of the Government.Later, he colluded with pirates, took bribes and was dismissed from his post.However, due to the lack of an interpreter, the Hong Kong government had to invite him back and restore him to his original post.It can be seen that there is a shortage of translation talents.Norton Kathy once recorded Parker, a practicing lawyer in Hong Kong in 1849, about the lack of Chinese and English translation in the courtroom: "In civil cases, there is no interpreter at all, because the Chinese cannot find an interpreter and cannot try their cases. In criminal cases On the one hand, of course, there is the interpreter Gao Heer, but he is also the deputy police chief, so he is often the main witness for the prosecution of the accused. His two tasks are fundamentally in conflict." In order to solve the problem of Chinese translation, the Hong Kong government once wrote to the Colonial Department in London, requesting the appointment of additional Chinese professors at the Royal College, stipulating that all government students who are willing to serve in the Far East, if they choose Chinese, they will be recruited preferentially once they pass the exam.At that time, it was also suggested that government schools in Hong Kong should set up training courses for Chinese interpreters, so as to train professionals in Chinese translation. On March 23, 1861, at the meeting of the Legislative Council, Robinson proposed a set of plans for cultivating translation professionals that he prepared to submit to London for approval.He expounded on the difficulties Hong Kong has felt due to the lack of Chinese translation talents since its opening as a port, and the fact that various suggestions put forward by people from all walks of life to improve the situation of the lack of translation talents have no results.Robinson said: "At present, there is no suitable interpreter available, and there is no ready-made method to cultivate and supply such talents. In the past, clerks serving the government were encouraged to learn Chinese, but it turned out that, and it is true, after From 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, there is no extra or enough energy to study the difficult Chinese language, and it is a well-known fact that Chinese language is not easy to learn. My plan is to select government students Must be under the age of 20, and should be selected from various academies, not limited to King’s College, such as the current selection of consular personnel. And one hundred pounds should be given for medical treatment and travel expenses, and even more after arriving in China An annual allowance of 200 pounds should be provided, and dormitories should be provided, and good teachers should be hired for them. After 3 years of study and examination, the annual salary is 400 pounds, without board and board; after two years, the salary can be increased to 500 pounds, and should be recommended Those who go to general clerk organizations will be given priority in hiring. Reassess every six months to see if there is any progress. If the conduct is not good, or if you don’t study hard, you will be sent back to your country, and the allowances you paid in the past will be recovered. About this point Therefore, when the selected government students leave the UK and come to Hong Kong, they must first obtain a guarantor, and if necessary, they must pay for all expenses incurred thereby." Robinson repeatedly emphasized the urgency of implementing the officer-student plan.He said that without a proper interpreter proficient in Chinese, it is really impossible to handle the administration of this government with 120,000 Chinese residents.He also told an interesting but important story about translation. Legge, a friend and scholar of the governor of Hong Kong, had a watch stolen from his daughter. The thief was caught later, and the only witness was a small worker who was working outside the house at that time.In court, witnesses said he was "sprinkling gray water on the wall" when he saw the thief steal the watch.However, the prosecution's interpreter translated the testimony of the witness as saying that the witness was "sleeping on the wall" when the thief did the theft.The court was in an uproar, how could a person who was sleeping alone testify that he saw someone stealing something, and he couldn’t sleep on the wall!Fortunately, Dr. James Legge was proficient in Chinese, and immediately corrected the translation mistakes, so that the case was properly handled. The Legislative Council session approved Robinson's officer-student scheme, which was approved by the Office of State in London. The plan was announced in the Hong Kong Government Gazette on October 12, 1861. In April 1862, the first batch of official students were selected. They arrived in Hong Kong from England in September and began to study Chinese language. The Hong Kong dollar was officially used in Hong Kong starting with Robinson, the fifth governor.In the early days of the British occupation of Hong Kong, there were various currency systems.Taking into account the actual situation at the time, the first Governor, Pottinger, announced on March 29 and April 27, 1842 that British gold and silver coins, Chinese silver and copper coins, Spanish and Mexican silver dollars, etc., would be used as Hong Kong's temporary common currency. At the end of 1844, in order to make the Hong Kong currency system correspond to the British currency system and realize the standardization of the colonial monetary system, the British government announced that the British pound was the legal tender of Hong Kong.However, Hong Kong residents are accustomed to using silver and copper coins, and it is difficult to change them temporarily. On May 1, 1845, according to the order of Davis, the second Governor of Hong Kong, Bruce, the Secretary of State, issued a proclamation to amend the previous general currency system.The notice stipulates that the Spanish silver dollar, the Mexican silver dollar, the Indian rupee and its broken silver chips, and the common Chinese copper coin (made money) are the legal currency of Hong Kong.The notice specifically pointed out that all British common currency, regardless of banknotes or coins, shall be legal and common currency in Hong Kong.However, due to difficulties in casting and transportation, there were very few British pounds in circulation in the Hong Kong market at that time.In fact, the currency unit in circulation is still dominated by silver dollars, and 1 yuan is calculated with 7 cents and 2 cents of silver.This is in fact following the currency system of China at that time. Hong Kong's initial monetary system mainly adopted the silver standard, but the government's financial expenditures were based on the gold standard (pound sterling) as the unit of account.During the 21 years from 1841 to 1861, all official revenue and expenditure budgets in Hong Kong were calculated in pounds.In real life, the income and expenditure are mostly in various silver coins.This causes a lot of confusion and hassle in calculations. Robinson believed that the gold standard was not suitable for Hong Kong's environment.So according to his order, in 1862, he announced the abolition of the legal tender regulations of the pound sterling, changed to the silver dollar as the unit of calculation, and announced the decree of the silver standard system.The Financial Secretary uses Hong Kong dollars as the unit of calculation for budgets and final accounts.The surplus was shipped back to the UK to buy sterling as a reserve.This was the beginning of the name Hong Kong dollar appearing in official documents. Since Robinson ordered the Financial Secretary to use the Hong Kong dollar as the unit of calculation in financial matters, Hong Kong should have its own currency in circulation.So he minted three kinds of Hong Kong coins in the United Kingdom: a copper coin of one cent, a silver coin of one penny, and a copper coin of one thousandth of a dollar.Among these three kinds of coins, the copper coins of "Hong Kong One Cent" were first transported to Hong Kong for circulation.This copper coin has Queen Victoria's profile portrait on the front; the words "Hong Kong One Immortal" are written in both Chinese and English on the back, and the minting date is 1863. Governor mediates club dispute In the early days of British rule, Hong Kong residents lived in a very chaotic society. Conflicts between Hong Kong and British troops, military police, and government businessmen continued. Conflicts occurred at any time, and residents had no stable space. There is a club in Hong Kong called "New Company", which is organized by the British.It not only does not accept Chinese as members, even the British themselves are often rejected when they apply for membership.During Robinson's tenure, there were many contradictions in the club. According to the foreign language newspapers in Hong Kong at that time, the club's constitution stipulated that members of the British navy and army could join the club.However, from 1859 to 1860, members of this club found that whenever a British soldier applied for membership, he was always rejected when voting at the executive committee review meeting.Some people began to inquire about the inside story, but the club's high-level personnel were all tight-lipped and refused to disclose information. There was a traditional rule in the club that all regular members would always sign and keep accounts when they drank and dined in the clubhouse.At this time, a new rule was suddenly announced: all naval members who drink or dine in the clubhouse must pay in cash and cannot keep accounts.A newspaper revealed that the cause of this incident was that due to the uncertain transfer of naval personnel, some members often left without paying their accounts when they left Hong Kong, which caused the club to suffer a lot of losses. Therefore, the right of naval members to keep accounts was cancelled. .The newspaper also revealed that in recent years, the association has criticized military members for this reason. The British navy and army stationed in Hong Kong were outraged by the club's new regulations, and the navy was the first to act.Naval officers in full armor, led by the chief, lined up to the club to question and demand to announce who the naval members who had absconded due to arrears were.Unwilling to show weakness, the club say they have a right to keep their secrets, refusing to announce.The Navy said that if the name of the ower and the amount owed to the Navy were revealed, they would be willing to pay, but the club still refused to disclose.The naval officers announced on the spot that all of them had withdrawn from the club.Then, the army also came to support the navy and asked the club to agree to the navy's request.The club still refused, so the Army members also announced their withdrawal. This turmoil lasted until Christmas in 1860, when Governor Robinson had to come forward to mediate and asked everyone to shake hands and reconcile on "Christmas Eve" for the sake of "God", and the situation temporarily subsided. In the early years, the navy and army personnel in Hong Kong often had disputes with the police for whoring prostitutes.The police wanted to make money from prostitutes, so they appeared near the brothels at night. The prostitute soldiers felt that the police were in the way, so the navy and army teamed up to deal with the police.In order to eat, drink, prostitute and gamble, the British navy, army and police not only made a mess, but also acted lawlessly, disturbing the nearby residents and people. More than 100 years ago, Lyndhurst Street was the center of Hong Kong, and the nearby Hollywood Road and Court Street were full of brothels, bars, and salt water girls.As soon as 5 o'clock in the evening, they hung up the lights and opened the door to receive guests. Sailors and beer soldiers came one after another.At first, the navy and the army demarcated each other's spheres of influence and did not invade each other, but the police took the opportunity to ask for bribes and appeared everywhere.First there was a triangular conflict, and then the navy and army joined forces to deal with the police.In order to cope with the conflict between the navy, army and police, the British Hong Kong authorities had to dispatch a special team organized by foreign businessmen voluntarily to patrol. Hong Kong has been supplied with tap water for more than 130 years, and the credit should go to the fifth Governor-General Robinson. In the early years, Hong Kong was rich in natural water sources. From the opening of the port to 1863, the drinking water supply of Hong Kong residents was completely dependent on natural mountain water and well water.At that time, Aberdeen had Waterfall Bay, the Peak and Pok Fu Lam Village had waterfalls, and the Sheung Wan had puddle water, which was sufficient to supply water for citizens and port development. After Robinson took office, he found that Hong Kong's water use methods were still backward, and residents still drank natural water, which was impure and prone to various diseases.He believes that building ponds, storing natural water, processing and filtering, and supplying residents is a matter of urgency.He decided to follow the example of the United Kingdom and supply tap water to citizens.Therefore, in 1859, the Hong Kong government issued a list and offered a reward of 1,000 gold pounds, soliciting proposals for the construction of ponds and tap water facilities.As a result, Ronin, an engineer of the British Army, was selected for the list.He suggested building a reservoir in the Pok Fu Lam Valley, installing a catchment channel, and transporting the water to the reservoir on Bonham Road in the Mid-Levels, and then supplying the districts separately.Luo Ning's plan was adopted by Robinson, and construction started immediately.After four years of construction, it was completed in 1863 and named Pok Fu Lam Reservoir. This was the first artificial pond in Hong Kong. Since then, Hong Kong has had tap water supply.The water supply equipment is only to install faucets on the street, which is called "water mains" in Hong Kong, and users need to go to the street to get water.At that time, it was stipulated that each household was supplied with 6 gallons of water per person per day, and no water fee was charged, because when the reservoir was built, all residents in Hong Kong had paid for the project.Users who exceed 6 gallons will be charged an additional water fee. The water fee is not only charged, but also added to the rate. 2% of the rate is the water fee, and finally transferred to the Water Bureau. The newly built Pokfulam Reservoir has a water storage capacity of 2 million gallons.Later, it was continuously expanded, and the second phase of the project was completed in 1871, and the water storage capacity increased to 66 million gallons. In 1895, the pond's storage capacity was increased to 70.4 million gallons. In the 1850s and 1860s, the population of Hong Kong was still relatively small, and the problem of water supply had not yet emerged. With the increase of population and the development of industry and commerce, the problem of water supply became more and more prominent, and became a difficult problem for successive governors of Hong Kong. In 1860, after Robinson succeeded the governor of Hong Kong, he continued to carry out the reclamation project that had not been completed during the tenure of Bowling.Robinson settled the dispute between the Hong Kong government and the owners of the shore, and the reclamation and embankment repair project went smoothly. Most of the projects were completed in 1862.However, during the construction process, the project was intermittent, which affected the quality. At the same time, the contractors also cut corners and made tampering. As soon as the dam project was completed, collapses and fractures began to occur, and repairs were urgently needed. Taking advantage of the opportunity of dam repair, Robinson proposed a new reclamation plan.He proposed to rebuild the seaside embankment in the central area, extend the embankment outward, and fill in another 100 feet to obtain more land. On August 15, 1864, the surveyor of the Hong Kong government announced a new embankment expansion plan to the industrial and commercial owners along the coast.The official claimed that due to the poor construction quality of the embankment, there were hidden dangers and had to be rebuilt.Take advantage of the opportunity of renovation to expand the reclamation area.The land obtained after reclamation can be used free of charge by the owners for several years, but the owners along the coast need to bear the cost of reclamation and road construction in exchange. However, relevant property owners along the coast refused to accept Robinson's embankment reclamation plan.On September 13 of that year, the owners of the central waterfront held a meeting to discuss the Robinson plan, unanimously opposed the reconstruction of the waterfront embankment, and jointly submitted a letter to the Secretary of State, requesting the Hong Kong government to stop implementing the project plan.Because it was decided by the Governor, the Secretary of State refused to accept the owner's opinion, and announced that the plan to reclaim the sea and build embankments in the Central District would remain unchanged.Both sides refused to give in.With regard to this dispute between the Hong Kong government and the owner, Robinson had no choice but to take a cold approach, temporarily shelving the plan of reclamation and embankment repair, and leaving it to his successor to resolve. In 1867, Hong Kong was hit by a big storm, and the embankment of the Central District was destroyed. McDonald, who succeeded Robinson as the governor of Hong Kong, proposed a new plan to build the embankment and wharf, and appointed Keto engineer to preside over the construction.Like his predecessors Baoling and Robinson, McDonald's plan to rebuild the embankment by the sea was resisted by the owners.The Hong Kong government sent officials to discuss with the owner the plan to rebuild the embankment in the Central District, but there was still a huge difference in opinions and reached a stalemate.McDonald did not learn from Robinson and put the plan on hold, but tried his best to fight for it.After researching with the Department of Justice, he decided to sue some owners of the waterfront in court, accusing them of not fulfilling the land lease law and not responsible for repairing the embankment under their jurisdiction. On February 7, 1868, the special court started the trial. After hearing the arguments of both parties, the judge actually sided with the owner and acquitted the defendant.Put Governor McDonald in an embarrassing situation. During the handover period between the fifth Governor of Hong Kong Robinson and the sixth Governor of Hong Kong Macdonald, a humble bank formed and opened. It has developed into a large international bank, which has influenced Hong Kong's financial and financial decision-making and management. This is HSBC. HSBC Bank was established in 1864 and opened in 1865 to issue banknotes. When it was registered, its assets were only 15 million Hong Kong dollars.The founder is Su Dalan.He joined Jardine, a British business consortium, with businessmen from Germany, the United States, and Persia to form a joint investment.The first prime minister was French, and the board of directors included representatives of German businessmen.Later, business groups from other countries withdrew one after another, leaving only the British. During the Des Voeux period in 1886, the first bank building of HSBC was completed, which was later demolished and rebuilt. In October 1935, a new bank building was completed on Des Voeux Road, the banking district of Hong Kong.It is the second HSBC Building, with an area of ​​56,000 square feet, a total of 14 floors, and a height of 247.5 feet. The weight of the entire building is about 70,000 tons. It was the most majestic building in the Far East at that time.Its vaults are built entirely of reinforced concrete, with electric controls actuating steel gates.It is said that even if fire or other mechanical violence is used, nothing can be damaged.There are 7,221 safes in the warehouse, the highest among banks in Hong Kong.The opening ceremony of the new building was presided over by Acting Governor Shi Mei, and a 20-foot-long string of firecrackers was set off. At this time, the assets of HSBC Bank had accumulated to more than 50 million yuan.The share capital is divided into Hong Kong dollar shares and British pound shares. The price of Hong Kong dollar shares is 125 yuan per share, and the price of British pound shares is 12.5 pounds per share, which is equivalent to Hong Kong dollar shares. HSBC has accumulated wealth since its establishment. In addition to its own business strategy, it also has the privileges granted by the British royal charter and relevant laws, and enjoys preferential treatment and convenience that other banks cannot obtain.就20世纪80年代香港市面所流通的港币来说，每10张中就有8张是汇丰发行的。 据陈谦先生在《香港旧事见闻录》中所载，早在19世纪七八十年代，香港纸币的发行权，主要由港英政府授权三家银行发行，英资上海汇丰银行数量最多，其次是英资渣打银行，再次是有利银行。它们发行的纸币面额，有1元、5元、10元、50元、100元、500元等，后来汇丰发行1000元大额。香港的纸币，不只在香港地区，中国华南地区也相当流行。港币的不稳定，给中国居民带来极大的灾难，而银行家和港英当局却从中获得巨额利润。 发行纸币，须要先备有足够的金银实物，或者外汇作为保证，才能使纸币价值稳定。在香港作为发行纸币的贮备金额，与发行纸币的数额相差很远。使纸币价值相当不稳定。一旦遇到战争，或者英镑贬值，美元升值，都影响到港币本身的价值。使持有港币的百姓受到无形的损失，甚而导致银行挤兑，银号倒闭，商场不景气，形成灾难，而损失最大的当然是为数最多的一般中国居民。 据陈勋所著《香港杂记》记载，从1887年至1891年五年中间，香港三大银行签发的通用银数字，就知道英国人获利多少。1888年，共签发通用银币6034984元，实际存仓现银只有2552500元；1890年，共签发通用银币6073332元，实际仓存现银2775833元；1891年，共签发通用银币6050122元，存仓现银实际只有2650833元。此外每年铸出通用硬银币、铜币尚有7216125元。发行币和作为保证的库存两相对比，从1887年至1891年合计签发港币额共为28970786元，存仓现银为13001999元，实际存仓现银还不到签发通用银币额的45％。 由陈先生这一详细对比，不难令人想到，英资银行、香港政府、英国政府，从香港和中国人民手中搜刮去多少钱财。英国政府高层人士却曾手拍胸脯、毫不脸红的声言，英国没有从香港拿走一个仙。按照陈先生的计算方法，一百多年来，仅发行钞票一事，就足以使英国高官无言以对。 汇丰银行，除了享有签发港币发行的特权以控制金融市场外，大量贷款给腐败的清政府，也使它攫取了巨额利息。据有关人士统计，清政府大额向英国和汇丰银行贷款计有：1865年清廷同治时期，向英国借款143万英镑，分2年6次偿还，在香港交付，这是中国向外国借款的开始。1867年又向英国借款120万英镑，以海关税作抵；左宗棠平定新疆叛乱之后，急需经济上救援，1877年，清政府向汇丰银行借贷白银5万两，以温州、上海、广东、汉口的关税与税票做为担保；慈禧太后为修建颐和园，1879年再向汇丰银行借款1615万两，还是以海关关税和税票为担保，年利息10%~12％左右。1894年，清廷国库亏空，再向汇丰银行借债1000万两，按照汇丰行规，年息7厘，98扣，期限20年，前10年付息，后10年还本。1895年，中日签订《马关条约》，中国损失惨重，再向汇丰银行举债300万镑，仍以海关关税和票据为抵押。年息6厘，92扣，期限20年，前5年付息，后15年还本。以上只是几宗数额巨大的借贷，清政府仰赖汇丰银行的贷款，借以弥补财政的浩大赤字，更是习以为常的事。财政上的依赖除了利息之外，必然造成政治经济和外交上的屈辱妥协。 以上两笔帐，虽然属于不同的敛财方式，但都说明了一个道理，汇丰同清政府的依赖关系，汇丰和香港，汇丰与中国的关系。 据郑固固教授《花甲铜狮说汇丰》的文章所载，汇丰银行发展到上世纪90年代，已有大约11730亿港元的资产，成为香港首选存款银行和主要的按揭银行，在全港设有225间分行，加上它持股61.5％股权的恒生银行的135家分行，总数则达360间之多。 当然，汇丰银行有自己一套特殊的经营策略，它一设立便是几国参与的具有跨国银行的性质，同时经营宗旨明确。杨思贤先生所著《香港沧桑》一书记载过这样一段故事，1935年第二座汇丰大厦落成典礼上，汇丰司理祁礼宾演说时，引述了两个小故事： 他说，有一位朋友问道，“这么一座雄伟的建筑，会使胆小的人踌躇不前，不敢进去作小的交易。”他听了，只是笑笑。 他又说，有一位少年遇见自己的“大班”，说：“我不敢将小量的余钱放到汇丰，怕它拒绝接受办理。” 礼宾的“大班”这样回答那个少年：“亲爱的朋友，敝行绝无太小或太大的东西。” 他说引用的两个小故事，主要反映了汇丰主理人的宗旨是：来者不拒，一概欢迎。 这次盛典观礼台上来宾的安排，更具汇丰的经营手法，受邀来宾中，上海人3名，广州人3名，香港人2名。这既体现了代表的广泛性，又显示了地区的重要性。 所以，它的营业不能不一直处于兴旺蓬勃状态。据统计，1937年的纯利已达一千五百四十三万余元，1938年达到一千五百二十九万余元，1939年为一千三百三十五余万元，1940年近一千四百万元。 按照香港经济的发展，广东社科院教授刘泽生，把香港近代150多年的历史，划分为五个阶段，第一个阶段1841年英国侵占香港起至1860年，为转口港始创时期。这20年左右的时间内，香港经历了前面叙述的璞鼎查、戴维斯、般含、宝灵、罗便臣五任总督。开埠之初，香港只是一个荒野渔村，1841年仅有人口7450人，到1861年，人口增加到119321人，逐渐发展成为一个商业贸易港，当然，贸易的主要货物是毒害中国人民的鸦片。1992年6月18日，香港《新报》一篇文章按照各总督的是非功过，把这一时期归结为“帝国主义时期”。大概是指这5位总督，包括英国伦敦，主要精力都是用在侵占中国领土上。下一章开始，我们将记述从1866年第六任麦当奴起，至1885年第九任宝云止的四位总督，其间共19年的时间，被称为“华人抬头时期”。虽然英国人依然百般歧视、压制香港的中国居民，但是，香港的中国商人经营有术，事业发展迅速，到1880年，华人经济已成为港岛举足轻重的力量。当时，在每季度缴纳地税1000元以上的18家企业中，只有一家渣甸洋行是英资企业，其余17家全是华商企业。 1866年3月11日，麦当奴接任香港第六任总督，直到1872年4月，在职六年。