Content Focus 1: From British administration to HKSAR - main features of British administration in the first half of the 20 th century

Transcription

1 Content Focus 1: From British administration to HKSAR - main features of British administration in the first half of the 20 th century To understand the topic, teachers are recommended to read/visit the following sources: Cheng Ming ed., Hong Kong Government and Politics (Hong Kong: Oxford University Press, 2003). Study Guide on Hong Kong Government and Politics (online), Steve Tsang ed., Government and Politics (Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press,1995). Ho Pui-yan, The Administrative History of the Hong Kong Government Agencies, (Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2004). Study Guide on Hong Kong: A Reader in Social History (online), Peter Harris, Hong Kong: A Study in Bureaucracy and Politics (Hong Kong: Macmillian Publishers (HK) Ltd., 1988). David Akers-Jones, Feeling the Stone: Reminiscences (Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2004). 1

2 Source A The following pictures show the Government House located in Central in The Government House was formerly the office and residence of previous Governors of Hong Kong. It was then used as the military headquarters for the Japanese until Since its completion in 1845, the Government House had underwent a number of large-scale renovations, with the latest undertaken in 1942 when Hong Kong was under Japanese rule, such as the construction of a central tower to link the two original buildings and modifications to the roofs to add in more Japanese flavour. 2

3 Source B Governors of Hong Kong were appointed by the British Government. Each Governor was a British official who ruled Hong Kong. In general, the Governor was the head of the Hong Kong Government, and Commander-in-Chief and Vice-Admiral of Hong Kong. The following pictures show five Governors of Hong Kong. Here below are portraits of five governors. The first Governor: Henry Pottinger, The second Governor: John Francis Davis, The twenty-first Governor: Mark Young, The twenty-fifth Governor: Murray MacLehose, The twenty-eighth Governor: Christopher Patten, Note: The above portraits are to be used only in this teaching package. 3

4 Source C The following paragraph is cited from the website of the Legislative Council, HKSAR. From 26 January 1841 to 30 June 1997, Hong Kong was a British colony and its first constitution, in the form of Queen Victoria's Letters Patent entitled the Charter of the Colony of Hong Kong and proclaimed at the Government House on 26 June 1843, authorized the establishment of the Legislative Council and empowered the Governor for the time being...with the advice of the said Legislative Council...to make and enact all such Laws and Ordinances as may from time to time be required for the peace, order and good government...of Hong Kong. The Letters Patent of 1917, which replaced the 1843 Charter, added the significant words and consent after the words with the advice. Source D Pictured here is Man Mo Temple in Hollywood Road in early 20 th century (left) and in 2003 (right). In early British administrative period, the Temple acted as the local Chinese magistrate s court. The couplet at the entrance to the Temple runs, Uphold justice and forget your selfishness when you enter through this door impartially. Express what you want or what you want to get clearly without ambiguity when you are here. 4

5 Source E The following paragraph is about the function of the Man Mo Temple in the late 19th and early 20 th century. Local Chinese did not want to go to government offices. Whenever they had disputes, they gathered at Man Mo Temple to resolve them. Chinese merchants and gentries attended assemblies held at the Temple to discuss current issues. The Temple, therefore, served as the local Chinese s magistrate s court and assembly. Source F This is an extract from a publication showing the proclamation which announced British sovereignty over Hong Kong in [T]he proclamation also pacified its inhabitants by reassuring them that although they were now British subjects, they would be governed according to the laws, custom, and usage of Chinese,, so that despite the change of regime, life would remain largely the same. Source G The following extract is cited from a publication. It is about Governor Hennessy s viewpoint of the relationship between government administration and customs of local Chinese. One of the government official had submitted certain rules respecting Chinese burials and graves which were about to be carried into effect I found that they had been derived apparently for sanitary proposes only I could not avoid seeing that the rules did not show much respect for the customs or prejudices of the natives on the subject of grave Those rules had been drawn up by three European gentlemen, that the Chinese community had not been consulted and knew nothing of sweeping reform that was impending. 5

6 Source H Elsie Leung, Secretary for Justice of the HKSAR, gave a speech at the World Women Lawyers Conference in March In her speech, she mentioned the legal system adopted under British administration. Under British rule, the English Common Law and certain imperial enactments applied to Hong Kong. However, British Laws relating to marriage and succession were considered inappropriate to the people of Hong Kong and the Chinese customary law in these areas was preserved. Under Chinese customary law, married women had limited property rights and were not entitled to inheritance of family property Chinese customary marriage was potentially polygamous in that, whilst a woman should be married to one spouse during her whole lifetime, a man could have one principal wife, the t sai, and as many concubines or t sip as he could financially afford. Note: Chinese customary law in marriage was abolished in Source I In 1907 and 1910, the District Offices (North and South) were established respectively. A District Officer said in 1912: The Administration of the New Territories is now wholly in the hands of the District Officer, and the Assistant Officer (South), subject only to the higher authority of the Captain Superintendent of Police in police matters, and of the Supreme Court in civil cases with $200 at stake 6

7 Source J The following text is adapted from a publication. It is about the change in administration of the New Territories in the first half of the 20 th century. In the beginning, the New Territories was administered by an Assistant Superintendent of Police, who was also the magistrate. The primary object at that time was the maintenance of law and order. In 1907 the title of the Police Magistrate was changed to District Officer (North). And in September 1910 the Assistant Land Officer was transferred to the District Office with the title of Assistant District Officer (South). At that time, the main responsibility of the District Officers was land registration, the issue of land use permit, and hearing court cases. Source K The following is cited from an order given by the Tai Po District Office in The shores in the vicinity of Chung Him School are an important area It has been said that for convenience and in disregard of public interest, some ignorant villagers have been dredging and removing sand and stones from the area without authority. This can in fact, destroy the foundation of the bridge, hence threatening its safety. From now on, nobody is allowed to threaten public safety by dredging and removing sand and stones from the shore area of the school. 7

8 Provenance of sources Sources A: Department of History, CUHK. Source B: Wong Chi Man & Shao Long Hai, Hong Kong Governors from the First to the Last Oil Painting Portraits (Hong Kong: Yat Yuet Publication Co.) Source C: Legislative Council History of the Legislative Council (online), [accessed 23 March 2004]. Source D Right: 李 [ 2004 年 3 23 ] Left: Hong Kong Museum of History. Source E: 李 [ 2004 年 3 23 ] Source F: Y.W. Lau, A History of the Municipal Councils of Hong Kong : From the Sanitary Board to the Urban Council and the Regional Council (Hong Kong: Leisure and Cultural Service Dept., 2002), p.13. Source G: Elizabeth Sinn, Power and Charity: the Early History of the Tung Wah Hospital, Hong Kong (Hong Kong: Oxford University Press, 1989), p.8. Source H: Speech given by Ms Elsie Leung, Secretary for Justice, HKSARG, On 1 March 2001 (online), [accessed 24 March 2004]. Source I: New Territories Ordinance, 1910, cap. 91, Laws of Hong Kong. Steve Tsang, Government and Politics (Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 1995), p.39. 8

9 Source J: Antiquities and Monuments Office, HKSAR. 劉 聯 1999 年 Source K: 沈 1993 年 6 9