Sir,

　　Being an unpractised writer on public maters, I feel myself in a dilemma how to proceed, but the disrespect and insult which have been heard on the remains of the departed Spirits of my Countrymen, justly constrain me to request the favor of your inserting these few lines in your columns, and if my undertaking be considered as such that deserves the notice of the public in general, particularly that of the Local Authorities, I would beg your kindness to support it with one or two sentences of your eloquently editorial remarks.

　　The Sepoys of the Detachment of the Madras Native Infantry stationed at this Settlement, have for several years thought it a license to convert the hill immediately to the West of the Cantonment into a place of ease; it was bought I guess since the establishment of this island as a British colony, by the Hohkeen Chinese and appropriated as a Burial Ground of people of their own dialect. How possibly could this nuisance continue so long without any complaint lodged in the Court by the Chinese, I cannot positively say, but it is obviously attributable to their fear or ignorance of the British laws (which were enacted for the preservation of peace, order and justice, and quite dissimilar to those of China where the people must succumb to the oppressive acts of their almost despotic rulers) that they have for such length of period connived or passed by this grievance, and allowed the defilers of the sacred Repositories of their deceased relatives to persevere in their disgraceful practices with impunity, and hopeless of ever resorting to an efficient measure of obviating them, they imprecate the spirits of the dead to wreak vengeance on the polluters of their ultimate abode. It will be quite disgusting to an European stranger to visit these tombs who may be attracted thither from mere curiosity, whereas indignation and shame fill the hearts of the kindred survivors thus insulted; and a morning walk in that locality will corroborate my statement. I can rest assured if this offensive and unjust treatment of the Chinese Burial

Ground be brought to the notice of the humane and equitable Officer

commanding the troops, ere this time it will most probably meet his prompt attention and redress.

I beg to remain,

Sir,

Your most obedient servant,

AN INTERESTED CHINAMAN

Singapore, 6th December, 1848

　　The nuisance complaint of by our Correspondent has by this time been put a stop to by the Commanding Officer, to whose notice the matter was brought in consequence of our notice to correspondents in last week’s paper. It is really a wonder that it should have been allowed to exist so long, as it is an outrage on the feelings of a large and respectable class of the community, which ought never to have been suffered to exist. Several years ago, if we are not mistaken, some of the Chinese Merchants made a complaint on the subject, but we are not aware whether anything was done in consequence. The irreverence shown in general to the burying grounds of the natives here is painful, and argues but a very low state of moral feeling in those whose duty it ought to be to preserve them from insult and violation. Even if the natives themselves do not complain of it, their burying grounds ought still to be protected as a matter of decency and good feeling – Ed. S. F. P.

编辑先生：

　　作为一个鲜对公共议题发表意见的笔者，我对如何进行此事甚感为难，但听闻往生同胞受到不尊重和侮辱，我毅然执笔向贵专栏投书。如果我此举能唤起公众人士，尤其是在地有关当局的注意，我恳求您在社论中稍为给予支持。近年来驻扎在本地的马德拉斯印度步兵团以为可以把营地西边旁的小丘作为他们一个休闲的地方。其实自本岛成为英国殖民地起，闽帮人士就购置此小丘作为闽帮坟场。我无法肯定为什么这种不当行为能持续这么长时间而没有华人在法庭提出任何申诉，但这显然是由于他们对英国法律的恐惧或无知所造成的。（英国立法是为了维持和平、秩序和公平正义。而中国的情况截然不同，在中国，人民必须屈从于专制统治者的压迫行为）。他们长时间忍辱，允许他们已故亲属的坟墓受到沾污。他们非常无助，无法采取有效的措施来阻止他们，唯有祈求死者的灵魂向他们安葬之地的沾污者报复。陌生的欧洲人出于好奇到访该墓地时也会对其所见感到厌恶，而被侮辱的亲属的心充满了愤怒和耻辱；早上在那边散散步，就可以证实我的话了。我确信如果这种对华民坟场的冒犯和不公正的对待能够引起那位仁慈而公正的军队指挥官的注意，很可能会得到他的及时注意和纠正。

一位关心的中国佬

新加坡

1848 年12 月6 日

由于我们在上周在报上刊登了读者投诉函，引起指挥官的注意，他即刻制止了所投诉的不当行为。它居然能存在这么久，真是个奇迹，因为它伤害了社会上广大而受人尊敬的阶级（华人社群）的感情，这种情况本不应该存在的。几年前，如果我们没记错的话，一些华商对此不当行为曾经投诉过，但我们不知道事后当局是否有采取任何行动。对当地人坟地普遍表现出的不敬是令人痛心的，这显示那些原本有责任保护它们不受侮辱和侵犯的人的极低道德情操。即使当地人自己不抱怨，出于体面和良好的感情，他们的坟地也应该受到保护 —- 自由西报编者