Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch Vol.

9 (1969 )
© RASHKB and author ISSN 1991-7295

CHINESE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE

LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE COUNCILS
IN HONG KONG UP TO 1941
T. C. CHENG, O.B.E., M.A.(LOND.)*
(A lecture delivered to the Branch on 29 April 1968)

On 5th April, 1843, Her Majesty Queen Victoria granted to

Hong Kong a Royal Charter which declared Hong Kong a separate
Colony. The main provisions of this Charter, published in Hong
Kong in June 1843, included, among other things, the following:
(i) There should be a Legislative Council to be composed of
the Governor and of such Public Officers within the said
Colony, or of such other persons as shall from time to
time be named or designated by Her Majesty for the
purpose;
(ii) An Executive Council should be established to advise and
assist the Governor, who was authorized to summon as an
Executive Council such persons as may from time to time
be named or designated by Her Majesty.
It was, however, not until January 1844 that the Legislative
Council first met, being composed of all officials, viz., the Governor
(Sir Henry Pottinger), the Lt.-Governor (Major-General D'Aguilar)
and the Chief Magistrate (Major Caine). The Clerk of Councils
was the Legal Adviser to the Governor (R. Burgass).
Major-General D'Aguilar and Major Caine were also appointed
members of the Executive Council.
In June 1850 the first British unofficial members were nominat-
ed to the Legislative Council. They were Messrs. David Jardine
and J. F. Adger, both elected by the unofficial Justices of the
Peace. Even at this early period of the history of Hong Kong,
dissatisfaction was already expressed, mainly among the British
community, with the small number of unofficials serving on the
Council. In the case of the Chinese, they were, however, inarticu-
late because there were then very few Chinese who were educated
through the medium of English and who could communicate
adequately in that language.1

*Mr. Cheng has been President of United College in The Chinese

University of Hong Kong since 1963. Prior to that he was in Hong Kong
Government service since 1939, his last post being Chief Assistant Secretary
for Chinese Affairs.
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8 T. C. CHENG

It was as late as February 1880 that an eligible Chinese took

his seat as an unofficial member in the Legislative Council. He
was Ng Choy, later known throughout China as Dr. Wu Ting-fang.
Ng's parents went to Singapore from Chung Shan District,* Kwang-
tung Province, and he himself was born in Singapore in 1842. He
came to Hong Kong as a boy and was educated at St. Paul's
College.2 Having served as an interpreter in the Magistrate's Court
in Hong Kong from 1861 to 1874, he was admitted to Lincoln's
Inn, London, to study law and was the first Chinese to qualify as
a barrister-at-law in January 1877. He was admitted to practise
as a barrister in the Supreme Court in Hong Kong in May the
same year.
Ng Choy's appointment to the Legislative Council was entirely
a result of the efforts of the Governor, Sir John Pope Hennessy
(April 1877-March 1882), an Irishman, and a great champion of
the Chinese community which had changed a great deal since the
1850's.^
In 1880 when Hugh Gibb, a member of the Legislative Council,
went on leave, Sir John took the opportunity to appoint Ng Choy
to a provisional seat in the Council. When he addressed the
Secretary of State on this subject, he quoted a memorial from
leading Chinese in which they asked that since the Chinese out-
numbered the foreigners by ten to one, they should be allowed a
share in the management of public affairs. He then went further
and suggested a reorganization of the Legislative Council so as
to enable Ng Choy to have a more permanent seat. The Secretary
of State was not sympathetic with Sir John's views but agreed to
Ng's appointment only on a temporary basis until Gibb's return
to Hong Kong, or for three years. One view expressed in the
Colonial Office was that should the Governor want to consult the
Legislative Council secretly or should relations with China become
strained, the presence of a Chinese member on the Council might
be awkward.4
In any case, when Ng Choy took his seat in the Legislative
Council for the first time on 19th February 1880, it was a great
occasion for rejoicings among the Chinese community and a
deputation of leading Chinese members called at Government
House to congratulate the Governor and themselves on the
appointment.5
* Then known as Hcung Shan District.
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CHINESE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF COUNCILS 9

As things turned out, Gibb did not return to Hong Kong, and
Ng Choy was therefore appointed on a three-year term. This
appointment was unfortunately interpreted by some members of
the British community as an attempt to create an anti-English
party feeling in Hong Kong.
In May 1880 when one of the magistrates went on leave, the
Governor replaced him temporarily by Ng Choy who thus became
the first Chinese to hold a senior appointment in the Hong Kong
Government. This led to a question in the House of Commons
as to why Ng Choy should combine a paid official post with an
unofficial seat in the Legislative Council; but by the time these
explanations were required the original holder of the post had
returned to the Colony.
The attitude of the British community towards him and the
Governor as a result of his appointment to the Legislative Council
as well as this parliamentary question must have embarrassed
Ng Choy very much. During this time, China having suffered
repeated defeats from the hands of foreign powers, there was a
movement in China to promote western technology and to moder-
nize China, and any Chinese who had been trained or educated
abroad would be welcome back to China.6 Thus when an invita-
tion came from China for him to serve China, Ng Choy accepted
it gladly. He left Hong Kong in 1882 before the expiry of the
3-year term in the Legislative Council, and later sent in his
resignation from Tientsin.
Ng Choy became Secretary and Legal Adviser to Viceroy Li
Hung-chang, one of the most important Chinese political figures
of the time. Now known as Wu Ting-fang, he soon rose to become
Chief Director of Railways and later Ambassador to the U.S.A.
After the founding of the Chinese Republic in 1911, he held im-
portant appointments respectively as Minister of Judicial Affairs,
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Financial Affairs. In
1917, when China entered the First World War, he was for a short
time nominated as Premier. In 1922 he became Governor of
Kwangtung and died the same year in office, soon after General
Chan Kwing-ming's revolt in Canton.7*

* In his The Chinese (Indianapolis, The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1909)

p. 196, John Stuart Thomson praises Wu and styles him "the Chesterfield
of China in all the graces of speech and manners." Ed.
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10 T. C. CHENG

While he was Legislative Councillor in Hong Kong, Ng Choy

was known to oppose the office of the Registrar-General (estab-
lished 1844), also known as Protector of Chinese and later re-
named in 1913 Secretary for Chinese Affairs, on the ground that
it was race discrimination to force Chinese and Europeans to
deal with the Government through different departments.8 During
his term of office, he was a member of a very important Education
Commission, appointed by the Governor Sir John Hennessy in
August 1880, to study the question of raising the Government
Central School into a collegiate institution, giving a higher educa-
tion in English and Science. What Sir John had in mind was
that Hong Kong would render a great service to China by starting
a collegiate institution so that young Chinese boys could come
to Hong Kong for a higher western education instead of going to
distant countries like America and England. However, the Com-
mission as a whole disagreed with the Governor. It dismissed the
idea of a Collegiate Institution on the ground of cost, and pointed
out that the great need of the majority of the local population
was a sound elementary education. Thus it was not the province
of the Government to establish, at the cost of the ratepayers, an
institution that would be mainly for the advantage of a small
number of wealthy members of the community.
Ng Choy's achievements as a Legislative Councillor in Hong
Kong were by no means great as compared with some of his
successors, as he held office for less than three years: but he had
the distinction of being the first Chinese to serve on that Council,
and since his time both the Colonial Office and the Governors of
Hong Kong have agreed on the principle of Chinese membership
of the Legislative Council.
When Sir George Bowen arrived in April 1883 as Governor, he
was in favour of having a Chinese member on the Legislative
Council but realized that it would not be easy to find a successor
to Ng Choy from "among those qualified as British subjects, a
native gentleman combining in his own person the proper social
position, independent means and education".9 In conjunction with
the question of a permanent Chinese member on the Legislative
Council, Sir George Bowen also took the opportunity of re-con-
stituting the Council. The main differences between the old and
the new Council were that a Chinese member was appointed and
that the Chamber of Commerce was invited to elect a member
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch Vol. 9 (1969 )
© RASHKB and author ISSN 1991-7295

CHINESE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF COUNCILS 11

for nomination by the Governor. The new Council met on 28th

February, 1884, and consisted of 6 officials excluding the Gover-
nor: the Chief Justice, the Colonial Secretary, the Attorney
General, the Surveyor General, the Colonial Treasurer, and the
Registrar General. There were also 5 unofficials: Mr. T. Jackson
(elected by the Chamber of Commerce), Mr. F. D. Sassoon
(elected by the Justices of the Peace), Messrs. P. Ryrie, F. B.
Johnson and Wong Shing, appointed by the Governor.
Thus in 1884 Wong Shing became the second Chinese to serve
on the Legislative Council as an unofficial member. He too was
a Cantonese from Chung Shan District. In 1841 he entered, with
two other Chinese boys, Yung Wing and Wong Foon, the Morrison
School in Macao which was later transferred to Hong Kong. In
January 1847, Dr. Robbins Brown, an American teacher in the
Morrison School, had to leave China on account of ill health. He
offered to take a few of his old pupils back to America for further
education. Yung Wing, Wong Foon and Wong Shing signified
their desire to go and, through Dr. Brown and the Morrison
Education Society, expenses for two years for the three boys were
arranged. They embarked at Whampoa on the ship "Huntress"'
and proceeded via the Cape of Good Hope, the journey taking
more than three months. Upon arrival in the U.S.A. the three
boys were admitted to the Monson Academy at Monson, Massa-
chusetts.10
As a result of ill health, Wong Shing did not manage to
acquire any academic honours during his sojourn in the United
States. On his return to China he was offered an appointment in
the Foreign Ministry. He served with Viceroy Li Hung-chang and
Marquis Tseng Chi-tze and was a member of the Chinese legation
staff in Washington. He resigned later from the Chinese diploma-
tic service and came to Hong Kong as a merchant. He was also
associated with the Anglo-Chinese College and with the London
Missionary Society for which he directed its printing establishment
under Dr. James Legge. When the Tung Wah Hospital was found-
ed in 1870, he was a founder director. He was naturalized in
December 1883 and was appointed to the Legislative Council in
February 1884. He was described as a man of property, much-
travelled, speaking good English and fully qualified to "look at
Chinese affairs with English eyes and at English affairs with
Chinese eyes"." His career as a Legislative Councillor was an
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch Vol. 9 (1969 )
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12 T. C. CHENG

uneventful one, and he was noted for his co-operative attitude

towards Government policies. This at least had the merit of
demonstrating that no hazard was likely to result from having a
Chinese representative permanently on the Legislative Council.
When his six-year term was up in 1890, he asked not to be re-
appointed, and a very prominent "local boy", Dr. Ho Kai (later
Sir Kai Ho Kai) succeeded him.
Dr. Ho Kai, born in Hong Kong in 1859, was the fourth son
of the Rev. Ho Tsun-shin (alias Ho Fuk-tong) of the London
Missionary Society. Having studied Chinese for several years, he
was admitted to Class 4 of the Central School in 1870 at the age
of 12. He was an extremely clever and hardworking boy for,
according to the school record, he was already in Class 1, the
top form, in September 1871. He completed his studies at the
Central School the following year, and proceeded to Palmer
House School, Margate, England. From there he entered St.
Thomas' Medical and Surgical College and received the degrees
of Bachelor of Medicine and Master of Surgery from the Univer-
sity of Aberdeen in 1879. In the same year, he was admitted as a
member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England by examina-
tion. He then turned to the study of law and was admitted to
Lincoln's Inn in May 1879. He was Senior Equity Scholar, Lin-
coln's Inn, in 1881 in which year he passed the finals with flying
colours and also married a charming English girl, Alice, the eldest
daughter of the late John Walkden of Blackheath. On his return
to Hong Kong in 1882 with his newly-wedded wife, he first prac-
tised medicine but was unsuccessful, because the Chinese at that
time were not prepared to avail themselves of western medical
treatment unless it was offered free. He then turned to the Bar
and since 1882 had practised as a barrister in Hong Kong.
Until his death in 1914, Dr. Ho Kai rendered his services freely
and ungrudgingly to the Hong Kong community. For many years
he was a valuable member of many important committees, includ-
ing the Standing Law Committee, the Public Works Committee,
the Examination Board, the Medical Board, the Sanitary Board,
the Po Leung Kuk Committee, the Tung Wah Hospital Advisory
Committee, the District Watch Force Committee, the Architects'
Advisory Board and the Advisory Committee of the Hong Kong
Technical Institute. For 26 years he was a Justice of the Peace
and for 25 years he represented the Chinese community on the
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch Vol. 9 (1969 )
© RASHKB and author ISSN 1991-7295
CHINESE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF COUNCILS 13

Legislative Council. He was awarded the C.M.G. in 1892 and

created a knight bachelor in 1912. His achievements were many
and varied.
Ho Kai's first and foremost contribution to Hong Kong was
the promotion of western treatment and western medical education
among the Chinese, despite the fact that he himself ceased practis-
ing western medicine soon after his return to Hong Kong. In
the year 1884, when his wife died, he offered to provide the cost
of building a hospial as a memorial to her. Thus the Alice
Memorial Hospital, under the control of the London Missionary
Society, was first opened in Hollywood Road in February 1887.12
The formation of a medical school in Hong Kong had been
discussed by Dr. Ho Kai, Dr. (later Sir) James Cantlie and Dr.
(later Sir) Patrick Manson who is often referred to as the
"father of tropical medicine". With the opening of the Alice
Memorial Hospital, the opportunity was therefore taken to start
a medical school. Dr. Manson happened to be Chairman of both
the Hospital's management committee as well as of the newly-
founded Hong Kong Medical Society, and so was able to enlist
the support of the profession. With Dr. Manson as its dean, the
Hong Kong College of Medicine was formally inauguated on 1st
October 1887 and Li Hung-chang, Viceroy of Kwangtung, was
Patron of the College until 1901. Dr. Ho Kai was the Rector's
Assessor of the College as well as professor of medical jurispru-
dence. He held the latter post for nearly 20 years. This College
had the distinction of having Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the founder of the
Chinese Republic, as one of its first two graduates in 1892. In
1912 when the University of Hong Kong was founded, the College
merged with it to form the Faculty of Medicine of the new univer-
sity. Dr. Ho Kai also played an important part in the founding of
the University of Hong Kong and was a member of the University
Council. When the University was formally opened on 11th
March 1912 by the Governor Sir Frederick (later Lord) Lugard,
the occasion was also marked by the grant of a knighthood to
Dr. Ho Kai.

The work of the Alice Memorial Hospital grew and it was

not long before an extension was necessary. There was no land
available adjoining the hospital in Hollywood Road, so the London
Missionary Society gave a site on Bonham Road for the purpose.
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14 T. C. CHENG

Another advance was made in 1904 when several prominent

Chinese, led by Dr. Ho Kai and Mr. Chau Siu-ki (the late father
of Sir Tsun-nin Chau), collected the necessary funds, and, also with
a land grant from the London Missionary Society, started the
Alice Memorial Maternity Hospital, the first maternity hospital
in Hong Kong.
In 1907 when the Chinese started another hospital, along the
lines of the Tung Wah Hospital, in Kowloon — the Kwong Wah
Hospital — Dr. Ho Kai was the motivating force and he became
the Chairman of the first Board of Directors of the new hospital.
In this important venture, he had the staunch support of the
Honourable Wei Yuk, his Chinese colleague in the Legislative
Council, and Lau Chu-pak, both of whom served as directors of
the first Board.
Having received a western education himself, Dr. Ho Kai was
very keen to spread such education among the Chinese youth.
Apart from being an active member of the governing body of
Queen's College, he and other Chinese leaders, including Tso
Seen-wan, founded St. Stephen's Boys College in 1902. In 1901
a number of leading Chinese, including Dr. Ho Kai and Mr. Tso
Seen-wan, had submitted a petition to the Governor setting forth
their view that a need had arisen for a Chinese High School run
on western lines. The fees were to be sufficient to keep the school
without cost to the Colony. In such a school the sons of influential
Chinese parents could be trained for public service and be instruct-
ed in all that was best in both British and Chinese cultures. The
scheme was approved in principle and the Church Missionary
Society stepped in to help and established St. Stephen's Boys
College on Bonham Road. In 1928 it moved to its present site in
Stanley with extensive playing fields. It has catered to Chinese
children from wealthy homes and has tried to establish something
of the tradition of the English public school. It has since occupied
a unique and important place in Hong Kong as an exempted and
independent school.

In addition, Dr. Ho Kai was a very far-sighted land developer.

Just before he died, he and Au Tak,13 a prominent merchant who
was a director of the Tung Wah Hospital in 1908, formed the
Kai Tak Land Development Company to plan the development
of the area in the neighbourhood of the present Kai Tak Airport,
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CHINESE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF COUNCILS 15

including a big reclamation project.14 The name of the company

contained the names of the partners, "Kai" from Ho Kai and
"Tak" from Au Tak. Hence the name of our airport may be taken
as a name in commemoration of both Ho Kai and Au Tak.
Although very westernized himself, Dr. Ho Kai always enter-
tained a very sympathetic understanding of the Chinese masses.
In May 1887 when the Government introduced the Public Health
Bill, Dr. Ho Kai, to the surprise of his European friends, opposed
it strongly as a member of the Sanitary Board. He accused the
Bill of making the "mistake of treating Chinese as if they were
Europeans" and argued that to improve standards indiscriminately
would mean cutting down the available building space, and
forcing rentals to go up,15 thereby causing great hardship to the
poorer Chinese. Because of his opposition the Bill had to be
amended substantially. This is only one example of why Ho Kai
was so much respected by the Chinese community as its leader and
forthright spokesman.
In addition to his interest in Hong Kong affairs, Ho Kai, like
many educated Chinese of his time, was very much concerned with
the modernization and reformation movements that were going
on in China. On 8th February 1887, the China Mail carried a
reprint of an article by Marquis Tseng Chi-tze, Chinese Minister
to Great Britain and Russia, entitled "China, the Sleep and the
Awakening". On 16th February 1887, Ho Kai published, under
the pen-name "Sinensis", a long article in the China Mail refuting
many points raised by Marquis Tseng. In subsequent years he
wrote quite a number of articles, voicing his ideas on political and
economic reforms in China, and refuting the views of such Chinese
personages as Viceroy Chang Chi-tung and Kang Yu-wei, the
reformer who aroused the ire of the formidable Empress Dowager.
In 1897 he was offered a post in China by his brother-in-law,
Wu Ting-fang.16 However, he went to Shanghai to have a look
at things for himself and he decided to return to Hong Kong.
In 1895, when Dr. Sun Yat-sen, one of his students in the
Hong Kong College of Medicine and founder of the Chinese
Republic, started the Hsing Chung Hui, a revolutionary organiza-
tion, in Hong Kong, he had the assistance and support of Dr.
Ho Kai. Indeed Dr. Ho took an active part in planning some of
the early abortive attempts in Canton to overthrow the Manchu
Government.
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16 T. C. CHENG

Dr. Ho died in September 1914 at the age of 55 leaving over

ten sons and daughters by his second wife who was a Chinese.
The fourth Chinese to serve on the Legislative Council was
Wei Yuk, son-in-law of Mr. Wong Shing. He had another name
Wei Bo-shan17 and Po Shan Road is named after him. He was
born in Hong Kong in 1849 of a wealthy family, his father, Wei
Kwong, being compradore to the Hong Kong branch of the
Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London and China (now the
Mercantile Bank Ltd.). After many years of Chinese studies under
private tutors, he entered the Government Central School. In 1867,
at the age of 18, he proceeded to England to attend the Leicester
Stoneygate School. In 1868 he went to Scotland and studied for
four years at the Dollar Institution. After a European tour, he
returned to Hong Kong in 1872 and then worked in China for a
short period. When his father died in 1879 he succeeded him as
compradore to the bank. He was a very public-spirited citizen,
well-known for his charming manners and pleasant personality.
In 1880 he was elected a director of the Tung Wah Hospital and
in 1887 became its Chairman. He was appointed a Justice of the
Peace in 1883.
Wei Yuk's appointment to the Legislative Council was addi-
tional to and not in replacement of Ho Kai, and came about as
follows.
During 1894, the Governor, Sir William Robinson, forwarded
to the Secretary of State a petition signed by the Honourable
Messrs. Thomas Whitehead, Paul Chater, Ho Kai and other residents
in the Colony, asking for unofficial membership in the Executive
Council; "free election of representatives of British nationality in
the Legislative Council"; "a majority of such representatives in
the Legislative Council"; and freedom of the official members to
vote according to their conscientious convictions.18
The Secretary of State, Lord Ripon, criticized the petitioners'
demands as lacking in clarity on the ground that the petitioners
"asked for the free election of representatives of British nationa-
lity without reference to the qualifications of the voters". Thus if
the petitioners intended that only those from the British Islands
should vote and be eligible for election, this would exclude the
Chinese who comprised nine-tenths of the entire population. He
dismissed the claim to have a majority of elected representatives,
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CHINESE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF COUNCILS 17

and stated that free debate by officials was impossible because

paid servants must support Government measures or resign.
However, in a confidential letter to the Governor, Lord Ripon
agreed that unofficial representation on the Legislative Council
should be enlarged and that there should be two unofficial members
nominated to the Executive Council. Considering the extent of
the Chinese contribution to Hong Kong and the undesirability of
making any distinctions of race, he was of the opinion that one
of them ought to be a Chinese. In his reply, the Governor, Sir
William Robinson, doubted the advisability of the proposed in-
crease in the Legislative Council and opposed having a Chinese
on the Executive Council on the ground that he "could not and
would not be an independent member". He also added that the
Chinese did not understand representative Government.
In 1896, the new Secretary of State, Joseph Chamberlain, ap-
proved the appointment of an extra unofficial in the Legislative
Council, preferably a Chinese, and the appointment of two un-
official members for the first time in the Executive Council. Thus
in 1896 Wei Yuk became an unofficial member in the Legislative
Council, and Messrs. Paul Chater and J. Bell-Irving of Jardine,
Matheson & Co., took their seats in the Executive Council on
22nd October, 1896. From the year 1896 to 1929 there were two
Chinese unofficial members serving concurrently on the Legislative
Council.
Although he was junior to Dr. Ho Kai in the Legislative
Council yet because he was older in age and much more Chinese
in his mentality and approach, he was just as much respected by
the Chinese as was Dr. Ho Kai. He did a good deal to bridge the
gap between the Europeans and the Chinese on the one hand, and
the Government and the Chinese population on the other. His
advice was highly respected by the Government especially at
times of strikes and troubles among the Chinese masses, e.g., the
coolie strike against the health regulations for plague prevention
in 1894. He was noted for his ability to settle matters amicably
before they assumed serious proportions. He was very much con-
cerned with law and order among the Chinese masses because in
those early days riff-raff and political refugees from South China
continued to come into Hong Kong. Thus it was at his suggestion
that the District Watch Force was formed in 1888, the district
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18 T. C. CHENG

watchmen being paid for with subscriptions from the Chinese

community.* In 1893 a District Watch Force Committee was formed
with the Registrar General (Protector of Chinese) as Chairman,19
and from that time onwards up to 1941 many prominent Chinese
leaders served on that Committee. Indeed, for many years, it was
more or less a tradition for prominent Chinese who wished to
render public service to the Colony to begin their public career
with this Committee and then, in the case of those who had a
knowledge of English, to proceed to the Sanitary Board (which
was replaced by the Urban Council in 1935) and thence to the
Legislative Council.
For some years Wei Yuk was more or less an unofficial liaison
officer between Hong Kong and the Manchu Government, and the
latter was indebted to him in no small degree for the assistance he
rendered in bringing to justice Chinese criminals who had fled
from Chinese territory to Hong Kong. He was so respected by
the Chinese in South China that, following the successful revolu-
tion in 1911, when Admiral Li Tsun, Commander of the Chinese
Imperial Naval Detachments of Kwangtung and Kwangsi Pro-
vinces, declared his surrender to the revolutionary forces directed
by Dr. Sun Yat-sen's deputy, Hu Han-min from Hong Kong, Mr.
Wei Yuk was asked to act as the guarantor of good faith on both
sides! 20
In 1894, a fierce bubonic plague broke out in Hong Kong
which accounted for over 2,000 deaths mainly in the oldest Chinese
section of Hong Kong, viz., Tai Ping Shan (the present Po Hing
Fong). In 1896 and subsequent years the plague recurred to a
greater or less degree every spring. As there was little scientific
knowledge of the plague and as there was no western treatment
for this, Government decided to take drastic measures including
the cleansing and disinfecting of infected areas, compulsory re-
moval of the sick and house-to-house visitation carried out
generally by the military. As it was very un-Chinese to allow sick
parents or relatives to be removed from their homes to die in
strange hospital rooms, and as the Chinese looked upon house
visitation as interference and intrusion upon their privacy and
personal liberty, they adopted an attitude of passive resistance and
often hid away the dead and the sick. Wei Yuk was able to do

* See chapter 4, "District Watchmen" of Regulation of Chinese Ordin-

ance, No. 13 of 1888.
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CHINESE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF COUNCILS 19

an outstanding job in these difficult times in enlightening the

Chinese masses and in explaining to them the purpose of the
Government measures. For these invaluable services he was
later presented with a gold medal and a letter of thanks from
the general public of Hong Kong.
Wei Yuk was also a far-sighted person, for it was he who first
seriously pursued the idea of constructing a railway from Kowloon
to Canton and thence to Peking. He spent large sums in fur-
therance of the scheme which failed, however, owing to the ob-
stacles placed in its way by officials in China.21
Wei Yuk served on many Government and public committees.
While not being noted for long speeches, he was always clear and
precise in expressing his views and advice. He retired from public
service in 1917 at the age of 68. For his invaluable services to the
Colony, he was awarded the C.M.G. in 1908 and knighted in 1919.
He died in 1922.
When Sir Kai Ho Kai retired in February 1914, his place in
the Legislative Council was filled by Lau Chu-pak, who was born
in Hong Kong in 1866. He was a brilliant scholar at the Central
School and in 1885 was the first boy to be awarded the Stewart
Scholarship.22 After leaving the Central School, he was for a
time chief clerk at the Hong Kong Observatory. Later he became
a tea merchant and amassed a fortune. He was a generous bene-
factor of education and helped financially many poor children to
complete their schooling. With Ho Fook, he was co-founder, in
1900, of the Chinese Merchants Bureau which was renamed in
1913 the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. Before he was appoint-
ed to the Legislative Council, he was for many years an active
member of the District Watch Force Committee, the Sanitary
Board, the Board of Education and the Council of the University
of Hong Kong. He was Chairman of the Po Leung Kuk in 1903,
a founder-director of the Kwong Wah Hospital in 1907 and
Chairman of Tung Wah Hospital in 1909/1910. In January 1909
when a powerful committee was nominated, with the Governor
Sir Frederick Lugard as Chairman, to raise funds to start the
University of Hong Kong, Lau, Dr. Ho Kai and Wei Yuk were
all members of the Committee.

Lau Chu-pak's concern in education was demonstrated in 1916

when he suggested, in a Legislative Council meeting, that the
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20 T. C. CHENG

authorities should look into the teaching of Chinese boys in Eng-

lish so as to increase the efficiency of the teaching of English. As
a result, a Committee was appointed in 1917 "to enquire into
the teaching of the English language to Chinese boys in Govern-
ment schools, and to examine the question whether by a reduction
in the number of other subjects more time can be devoted to such
teaching". The Committee reported the same year, but did not
recommend any changes in the school curriculum. However, they
recommended (a) small classes, better buildings and better-paid
teachers which would bring better results, and (b) the appointment
of one English teacher to a maximum of 120 pupils. The Com-
mittee also advocated medical inspection of pupils in Government
schools, as a result of which a system of medical examination was
instituted the following year.
In recognition of Lau's services towards his fellow-men in
Hong Kong, the Chinese Government conferred upon him "The
Order of the Excellent Crop, Third Class" in 1916. He died in
1922.
There is a Chinese belief that "good deeds will be rewarded by
bearing good offspring". This seems only too true in his case, for
his eldest son, Lau Tak-po, founded the Hong Kong & Yaumati
Ferry Company and his eldest grandson, Lau Chan-kwok, J.P. is
now the Managing Director of the Company.
When Sir Boshan Wei Yuk retired from the Legislative Coun-
cil in 1917, he was succeeded by Ho Fook, younger half-brother
of the late Sir Robert Hotung. He was another outstanding student
of the Central School. In 1878 when the Governor, Sir John Pope
Hennessy, attended his first Prize Giving at the Central School,
Ho Fook, then in Class 2, received from him a prize in the form
of a gold pencil case.23 He served in the Compradore's Depart-
ment of Jardine, Matheson & Company and in 1900 was a founder
of the Chinese Merchants Bureau. He remained in the Legislative
Council for only four years and retired in 1921.
Ho Fook was a generous benefactor of education. In 1917 he
donated HK$50,000 to the University of Hong Kong for the
erection and equipment of the School of Physiology. He also
endowed prizes in all the faculties of the University. Like the
Honourable Lau Chu-pak he produced some very fine offspring.24
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CHINESK UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF COUNCILS 21

On Ho Fook's retirement from the Legislative Council in 1921,

he was succeeded by Chow Shou-son (later Sir Shouson Chow)
who, together with Sir Robert Hotung, were often referred to as
the two grand old men of Hong Kong in the 1940's and 1950's.
Chow was born in 1862.* In 1874, he was sent, together with
29 other Chinese boys, by the Manchu Government to the United
States to pursue higher western studies. This was the third of four
batches of young Chinese scholars who, through the efforts of
Yung Wing, were sent to America by the Manchu Government
in the years 1872 to 1875.25 Young Chow was eventually admitted
to Columbia University where he remained until 1881 when the
Chinese Educational Mission in the United States was disbanded
and all the boys were brought back to China.
While in North America the Chinese boys, totalling 120, were
under the supervision of some ignorant and stupid Manchu officials
who did not understand what the boys were learning and who
were not in sympathy with their activities. These officials sent
back to China reports saying that instead of concentrating on
their academic studies, the boys were taking part in all sorts of
barbarian games and athletic activities. Worst of all, some of
the bovs were going out with American girls and were being
converted into Christians. A report ended by a recommendation
that they must be returned to China immediately, otherwise they
would lose all interest and patriotic feelings towards China. This
recommendation was readily accepted and the boys were back
in China in 1881. Many of the boys made good use of the know-
ledge they acquired and turned out later to be leading engineers,
railway builders, diplomats and admirals in China.
Chow Shou-son was at first assigned to the Chinese Customs
but later became, at various times, Manager of the China Merchant
Steamship Navigation Company in Tientsin and Managing Director
of the Peking-Mukden Railway. He also held appointments in the
Foreign Ministry and was at one time a Chinese consul in Korea.
After the founding of the Chinese Republic in 1911, he came to
Hong Kong to engage in business and later became Chairman of
the Boards of Directors of the Bank of East Asia, the China
Entertainment and Land Development Company and the China
Emporium.
* His family hud been settled in one of the Hong Kong villages for
nearly two hundred years. See JHKBRAS vol. 7 (1967), pp. 164-166.
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22 T. C. CHENG

In May 1915, Japan forced the Republic of China, then under

the premiership of Yuan Shih-kai, to accept the "Twenty-one
Demands". Four years later, in 1919, the Chinese delegation failed
at the Peace Conference in Paris to prevent the "transfer" of
Germany's "rights and privileges" in the Shantung Province to
Japan. As a result of this complete disregard of China's sove-
reignty by the foreign powers, thousands of students took part in
processions demonstrating against foreign militarism and oppres-
sion in China on 4 May 1919. In response, students, merchants
and workers throughout China also staged demonstrations and
strikes thereby sparking off in China the "May 4 Movement".
Chinese national feelings were also stirred by the Nationalist
Party, the Kuomintang (or K.M.T.) who now pressed for the
abolition of extra-territorial rights and unequal treaties and the
retrocession of foreign concessions. All these had serious reper-
cussions in Hong Kong and in 1922 the first of a series of seamen's
strikes began. On 30th May 1925 certain Chinese demonstrators
were shot and killed by British policemen in the International
Settlements in Shanghai. This led to more serious strikes and
demonstrations in Shanghai, Canton and Hong Kong, culminating
in an economic boycott which paralysed Hong Kong.
During this period the Chinese unofficials, viz., Chow Shou-
son, Ng Hon-tsz (who died in May 1923) and Robert Kotewall
(who succeeded Ng Hon-tsz), and other prominent Chinese leaders,
including Sir Robert Hotung and the directors of Tung Wah
Hospital, stood solidly by the Government. Some of them actually
acted as unofficial middlemen in negotiations between Hong Kong
and the seamen's representatives in Canton. The services rendered
by Chow Shou-son and Robert Kotewall during this crisis were
so valuable and outstanding that speedy recognition was accorded
to them. In 1926 Chow was created a knight. Kotewall was given
the honorary degree of LL.D. by the University of Hong Kong
and the following year was awarded the C.M.G.
It may be of interest to quote here the Governor Sir Cecil
dementi's remarks made in early 1926 at a Legislative Council
meeting about the big strike of 1925 and the boycott that followed:
"We are determined to give full protection to the people of Hong
Kong, and to put down with a firm hand any conspiracy to in-
timidate or otherwise to cause trouble among labourers and
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CHINESE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF COUNCILS 23

merchants in this Colony. In all necessary measures to that end,

I know that I can rely upon the whole-hearted support of this
Council". At the same meeting, the Senior Unofficial member, Sir
Henry Pollock, paid the following tribute to Sir Shouson Chow
and Robert Kotewall; "During the last seven months, in parti-
cular, we have felt indebted not only to Sir Shouson Chow but
also to his Chinese colleague on the Council. We, Sir, behind
the scenes, can appreciate perhaps more fully than the general
public the work of the Chinese members of this Council during
the period I have referred to".
On 9th July 1926, Sir Shouson Chow was also appointed the
first Chinese member of the Executive Council, following the
death of Sir Paul Chater who had served on that Council since
1896.26 Although the appointment was made on personal grounds,
it was evident that political considerations also came in, viz., to
pacify anti-British sentiment in China and to further encourage
the loyalty of local Chinese towards Hong Kong.
Sir Shouson Chow served on both Councils until 1930, when
he resigned from the Legislative Council. He continued, however,
to be a member of the Executive Council until he retired in 1936.
He died many years after the war, in 1959.
When Lau Chu-pak retired from the Legislative Council in
1922, he was succeeded by Ng Hon-tsz who was born in 1877
and was compradore to Shewan, Tomes, Ltd. He was a director
of the Tung Wah Hospital in 1907 and was a founder of the
Tsan Yuk Hospital. He was at various times a member of the
District Watch Force Committee, the Sanitary Board and the
Council of the University of Hong Kong. He served in the Legis-
lative Council for only two years and died in 1923 while in office.
After his death, Sir Henry Pollock remarked at the Legislative
Council meeting held on 10th May 1923 that Mr. Ng had always
been a "wise, sound and faithful councillor".
Mr. Robert Kotewall, who succeeded Ng Hon-tsz as a member
of the Legislative Council in 1923, was born in Hong Kong in
1880. Educated at the Central School as well as the Diocesan
Boys' School, he was a noted English as well as Chinese scholar
and was a very good speaker. After a distinguished career in the
Hong Kong Government until 1916, he turned to business and
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24 T. C. CHENG

founded a company named after himself. He was also General

Manager of Chinese Estate, Ltd., and adviser to the Hong Kong
and Yaumati Ferry Company. He was Honorary Adviser to the
Chinese Government as well as the Kwangtung Provincial Govern-
ment. In 1924, he turned down a Chinese offer to be ambassador
to England. He was a member of the Legislative Council for 13
years, from 1923 to 1936, and a member of the Executive Council
for 5 years from 1936 to 1941. He was created a knight bachelor
in 1938.
The big strike of 1925 was followed by a boycott of British
goods and shipping in China until 10 October 1926, resulting in
a serious economic depression in Hong Kong. Mainly through the
persuasiveness of Robert Kotewall a special loan of £1,600,000
with an interest rate of 5\% was arranged from the British Govern-
ment to assist the merchants of the Colony until normal trading
was resumed. Because of this, the Chinese gave him the nickname
of "Silver Tongue". Sir Robert Kotewall died after the war in
1949.27

In 1929, the Legislative Council was enlarged through the

initiative of the Governor, Sir Cecil Clementi, who was a noted
Chinese scholar. The number of officials was increased from eight
to ten, including the Governor, and the number of unofficials was
increased from six to eight. Of the two additional unofficial
members, one was to be a Chinese and the other a Portuguese.
Thus the number of Chinese unofficials was increased from two
to three and the Portuguese community was represented for the
first time on the Council by Mr. Jose Pedro Braga.
In addition to Sir Shouson Chow and Robert Kotewall, Dr. Tso
Seen-wan became the third Chinese member of the Legislative
Council in 1929. Dr. Tso, born in 1868, studied law in England.
In 1896 he started his practice as a solicitor in Hong Kong to-
gether with a partner named Hodgson. In 1902, he, Dr. Ho Kai
and some other Chinese leaders were responsible for the founding
of St. Stephen's Boys College. He served on the Sanitary Board
in 1918 and was appointed a J.P. the same year. As early as 1916,
he was awarded the honorary degree of LL.D. by the University
of Hong Kong, and in 1928 and 1935 was awarded the O.B.E.
and C.B.E. respectively. He served on the Legislative Council
from 1929 to 1937 when he resigned.
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CHINESE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF COUNCILS 25

Dr. Tso was noted as a very frank, honest and outspoken

person. On 26th August 1936 when Mr. (later Sir) M. K. Lo
proposed a motion in the Legislative Council that the censorship
of the Chinese press should be abrogated, he opposed it by saying
that, although he appreciated the principle of the freedom of the
press within certain limits he must ask that local conditions and
the interest of the Colony, and in particular of the Chinese com-
munity, should be taken into consideration as of first importance.
He argued that as there was so much unrest and uncertainty in
the political atmosphere in the Far East as a result of Japanese
aggression in China, it was very easy and quite natural for the
Chinese papers to over-step their bounds by giving expressions
to their feelings on matters Chinese. Such expressions, if undesira-
ble and unchecked, might create misunderstandings outside and
stir up trouble inside the Colony. He advocated that prevention
was better than cure; for, if bad feeling or bad blood were stirred
among the masses, especially among the less intelligent sections
of the Chinese community, it would be most difficult to restrain
or pacify. He felt therefore that Government should continue to
censor the Chinese press, although the better controlled English
press needed little, if any, censorship. Although Lo's motion was
also opposed by other members and was lost, Dr. Tso's frank
remarks led to fierce criticisms and even hostility against him
by the Chinese press and the Chinese public. This was probably
the cause of his resignation in 1937.
In 1931, when Sir Shouson Chow left the Legislative Council,
he was succeeded by Mr. Chau Tsun-nin, now Sir Tsun-nin Chau.
Sir Tsun-nin, born in 1893, is the seventh son of the late Chau
Siu-ki who was acting Legislative Councillor in the years 1921,
1923 and 1924. Having received his early education at St. Stephen's
Boys College, he completed his university studies at Oxford. He
was then admitted to Middle Temple and became a barrister. In
1914 he returned to Hong Kong and, after practising as a barris-
ter for a few months, turned to business. He was appointed a
J.P. in 1923 and a member of the Sanitary Board in 1929. He
was a member of the Legislative Council from 1931 to 1939, and
was awarded the C.B.E. in 1938. After the war he was appointed
to the Executive Council and was created a knight bachelor in
1956. He retired in 1959.
When Robert Kotewall retired from the Legislative Council
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26 T. C. CHENG

in 1936 he was succeeded by Mr. (later Sir) Man-kam Lo. Sir

Man-kam, born in 1893, was the eldest son of the late Lo Cheung-
shiu, J.P., who was Chairman of the Tung Wah Hospital in 1915.
He was also the son-in-law of the late Sir Robert Hotung. Sir
Man-kam went to England to study law in his youth and later
founded the solicitors' firm, Messrs. Lo & Lo, his partner then
being his younger brother, M. W. Lo. He was appointed a J.P.
in 1921 and served on the District Watch Force Committee, the
Sanitary Board and many other Boards and Committees. He was
Chairman of the Tung Wah Hospital in 1929 and was a member
of the Legislative Council from 1936 to 1941. After the war he
was appointed to the Executive Council and was knighted in 1948.
Sir Man-kam was not only a brilliant lawyer but also a very
conscientious and outspoken member of the Legislative and the
Executive Councils in his time. His views and advice were always
highly esteemed by the Government. He died suddenly in 1959.
In his book Via Ports, a recent Governor of Hong Kong, Sir
Alexander Grantham, had this to say about Sir Man-kam: "Out-
standing amongst them (i.e., Executive Council Members) was
Sir Man-kam Lo, whose death in 1959 was a great loss to the
Colony. He had a first class brain, great moral courage and a
capacity for digging down into details without getting lost in
them. I can picture him at a meeting of the Council when some
difficult or controversial subject was under discussion. Another
member would be expounding his views. From the glint in 'M.K.'s'
eyes and the way his lips were moving, I knew he had something
forceful to say. I could hardly wait for the previous speaker to
finish and to hear 'M.K.'. Then again, when a complex but dull
matter was being dealt with by the circulation of papers, on which
members would write their opinions, I would look to see what
'M.K.' had written and, as often as not, save myself the tedium of
reading all the other minutes. He was invariably right to the
point".28
When Dr. Tso Seen-wan resigned from the Legislative Council
in 1937, he was succeeded by Dr. Li Shu-fan who, born in 1887,
received his early medical training at the Hong Kong College of
Medicine and later at Edinburgh University. In 1964 he published
his autobiography, entitled Hong Kong Surgeon and it is
recommended that any one wishing to know more about the late
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CHINESE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF COUNCILS 27

Dr. Li and Hong Kong should read this very interesting book.29
Dr. Li died on 24th November 1966.
The last Chinese to hold a substantive appointment on the
Legislative Council before 1941 is Mr. Thomas Tam who received
his legal training in England and practised as a barrister in Hong
Kong. He was appointed a J.P. in 1933 and was a member of the
Legislative Council from 1939 to 1941. After the war he served
as a magistrate and was awarded the O.B.E. in 1951. He has
been in retirement since 1958.
Besides the above, there were three persons who served at one
time or another for short periods on the Legislative Council.
They were Chan Kai-ming30 who acted as a Legislative Councillor
in 1918, Chau Siu-ki" who acted as a Legislative Councillor in
1921, 1923 and 1924 and finally Li Tse-fong32 who acted as a
Legislative Councillor in 1939.
A list showing the names of the Chinese Unofficials and the
years in which they served in the Legislative/Executive Council
is appended after the Notes which begin on the following page.
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28 T. C. CHENG

NOTES
1
During these early years, schools like the Morrison School, operated
by the Morrison Education Society founded by Dr. Robert Morrison, the
Anglo-Chinese School (or Ying Wah School) operated by Dr. James Legge
of the London Missionary Society (Dr. Legge is best known for his trans-
lation of the Chinese classics and for his appointment as the first professor
of Chinese at Oxford University in 1874), and St. Paul's College operated
by the Anglican Bishop, were dismal failures whether from the missionary
or from the educational point of view. In 1855, the Governor Sir John
Bowring had this to say about St. Paul's College: "For the last six years,
£250 a year has been voted by Parliament to the Bishop's College for the
education of 6 persons destined to the public service, and not a single
individual from that College has been yet declared competent to undertake
the meanest department of an interpreter's duty . . . ." See E. J. Eitel,
Europe in China, London; Luzac and Co., 1895, p. 349.
2
On p. 60 of Fragrant Harbour by G. B. Endacott and A. Hinton, a
statement was made that Ng Choy was "educated at the old Central School
(Queen's College)". I find no evidence to support this.
3
As a result of the founding of the Government Central School (the
present Queen's College) in 1862, a number of educated Chinese well-versed
in both Chinese and English had been produced, who began to regard
Hong Kong as their home town and who began to develop a keen interest
in the welfare of Hong Kong. Thus leading Chinese founded the Tung
Wah Hospital in 1870 and the Po Leung Kuk in 1880. It is of interest to
note that in the 1870's, the educated Chinese actually pressed for the
election of representatives to form a Chinese Municipal Board. In 1878,
when the foreign community protested against Sir John Hennessy's policy
of lenient treatment of prisoners, the Chinese in Hong Kong for the first
time despatched an address to Queen Victoria which was in effect a vote
of confidence in the Government.
4
G. B. Endacott, Government and People in Hong Kong, p. 94.
5
G. B. Endacott, Government and People in Hong Kong, p. 94.
6 In 1862 an Institute of Foreign Languages was founded in Peking and
translation bureaux were established to translate scientific books into Chinese.
In 1866 the first modern shipbuilding yard was started in Foochow, Fukien,
and from 1872 to 1875 four batches of selected young Chinese scholars,
totalling 120, were sent to the U.S.A. to further their studies.
7 General Chan ( f#-W9']—Chen Chiung-ming) revolted against Sun
Yat-sen in Canton in June 1922. For details about this revolt, see Tang
Leang-li's The Inner History of The Chinese Revolution, London, p. 140.
8 G. B. Endacott, A History of Hong Kong, p. 199.
9
G. B. Endacott, Government and People in Hong Kong, p. 98.
•o After 2 years there, Yung Wing (£•$]) went to Yale University and
was the first Chinese to graduate from that famous institution in 1854. Yung
later became a famous person in the history of modern China, being re-
sponsible for the opening of the first school of mechanical engineering in
Shanghai; the formation of the China Merchant Steamship Navigation
Company; the translation of many scientific books into Chinese; and the
sending of young Chinese scholars to the U.S.A. for western studies in the
1870's. In the case of Wong Foon, after 2 years' study in the U.S.A., he
crossed the Atlantic to Scotland and entered the University of Edinburgh
where he graduated with honours in medicine and surgery. He returned to
Canton in 1857 and distinguished himself as a surgeon. See also Lo Hsiang-
lin, Hong Kong and Western Cultures, Honolulu, East-West Center, 1964,
Chapter 4, "Yung Hung (Yung Wing) and Foreign Schemes".
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CHINESE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF COUNCILS 29

11 G. B. Endacott, A History of Hong Kong, p. 205.

12 Now known as the Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital. Its sub-
sequent history is described in a brochure privately published by the
Hospital in 1957, enlarged and rc-issued for the eightieth anniversary in 1967.

•4 The Government took over the project in 1927 and turned it into the
Kai Tak airfield which came into being in 1928.
1 5 G. B. Endacott, A History of Hong Kong, p. 200.
1 6 H o Kai's sister was married to Wu Ting-fang, i.e. Ng Choy.
17 •% ft m
' 8 G . B. Endacott, Government and People in Hong Kong, pp. 120-124.
1 9 Chinese members of the Legislative Council were ex-officio members;
the other members were elected by the Chinese Justices of the Peace.
20
Li Shu-fan, Hong Kong Surgeon, p. 39. Wei Yuk is, however, wrongly
described as a member also of the Executive Council.
21 The Hong Kong Government later built the Kowloon Canton Railway
which was started in 1906 and completed in 1910. It may be of interest
here to mention that the Beacon Hill Tunnel was designed and constructed
by Mr. F. Southcy, a former student of Diocesan Boys School who won a
Hong Kong Government Scholarship in 1890 to study in England.
22 Named after the first and outstanding headmaster of the Central
School, Dr. Frederick Stewart who later became Colonial Secretary in the
years 1887 and 1888, under the Governor Sir George William Des Voeux.
23 G. Stokes, Queen's College, 1862-1962, Hong Kong, p. 221.
24 Among his grandchildren whom I know personally are the following
distinguished officers in the Hong Kong Government Service: Dr. H o Hung-
chiu, O.B.E., Senior Specialist in Radiology, Mr. Eric Ho, Staff-grade Ad-
ministrative Officer, Miss Daphne H o , M.B.E., Principal Social Welfare
Officer and Miss Helen H o , O.B.E., Senior Medical Social Worker. Mr.
Stanley Ho, a prominent businessman in Hong Kong and Macao, is also
his grandson.
25
The ages of the boys ranged from 10 to 16. It is said that because
of their pig-tails, they were often mistaken to be girls and had often times
to fight very hard to repel the advances made to them by the American boys!
26 On p. 294 of Endacott's A History of Hong Kong, it is stated that
"a Chinese member was added to the Executive Council in 1921". This is
presumably a typographic error.
27 Sir Robert Kotewall left eight daughters and one son. His son, Cyril,
is now practising as a solicitor in Hong Kong and one daughter, Bobbie,
is the principal of the well known St. Paul's Co-educational College.
28 Sir Alexander Grantham, Via Ports, p. 110.
29
Li Shu-fan, Hong Kong Surgeon, London, Victor Gollancz, 1964.
30 At one time, a director of the Bank of East Asia. Educated at Queen's
College, Mr. Chan was a generous benefactor of education. In 1917 he
donated HK$50,000 to the University of Hong Kong for the erection and
equipment of the School of Pathology. He also endowed prizes in all the
faculties of the University.
31 Father of Sir Tsun-nin Chau.
32 Father of Mr. Li Fook-wo, O.B.E., Deputy Chief Manager of The
Bank of East Asia, and Mr. F. K. Li, Staff-grade Administrative Officer in
the Hong Kong Government.
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30 T. C. CHENG

APPENDIX

CHINESE UNOFFICIALS WHO HELD SUBSTANTIVE APPOINTMENTS

IN THE LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE COUNCILS OF HONG KONG

Legislative Executive
Name Council Council

N G Choy 1880-1882
(Dr. Wu Ting-fang)
W O N G Shing 1884-1889
Dr. H O Kai 1890-1914
(Sir Kai Ho Kai, Kt., C.M.G.)
WEI A. Yuk 1896-1917
(Sir Boshan Wei Yuk, Kt., C.M.G.)
LAU Chu-pak 1914 - 1922
H O Fook 1917-1921
C H O W Shou-son 1921-1931 1926-1936
(Sir Shouson Chow, Kt.)
N G Hon-tsz 1922-1923
Robert H. Kotewall 1923-1936 1936-1941
(Sir Robert Kotewall, Kt., C.M.G.)
TSO Seen-wan, C.B.E. 1929-1937
C H A U Tsun-nin 1931 - 1939
(Sir Tsun-nin Chau, Kt., C.B.E.)
LO Man-kam 1936-1941
(Sir Man-kam Lo, Kt.)
Dr. LI Shu-fan - - - - 1937-1941
W. N . Thomas TAM, O.B.E. 1939-1941

Foot-note: (1) The following served on the Legislative Council in an acting

capacity at various times:
(a) Mr. Chan Kai-ming in 1918.
(b) Mr. Chau Siu-ki, the late father of Sir Tsun-nin Chau in
1921, 1923 and 1924.
(c) Mr. Li Tse-fong in 1939.

(2) Mr. Robert Kotewall served on the Executive Council in an

acting capacity in 1932, 1934 and 1935.