286 THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, JULY 28, 1911.
DESPATCHES FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
No. 221.
CIRCULAR.
DOWNING STREET,
17th June, 1911.
STR-I have the honour to refer you to Mr. Chamberlain's Circular despatch of the 18th of December, 1897, and to inform you that it appears that the influence of Members of Parliament and others in this country is still sought by some officers in the Colonial Service as a means of bringing their services to the notice of the Secretary of State with a view to consideration for promotion.
2. The objection to such procedure is obvious, but, as it does not seem to be sufficiently realized in some quarters, I shall be glad if you will take steps to make it known again to public officers serving under your Government that this procedure is disapproved. Among other means this and the preceding circular should be published in the Gazette.
3. Arrangements are in existence in this Office which ensure duc consideration of the claims of all suitable officers on the occurrence of vacancies in the service.
The attempts which have recently been made to obtain promotion by irregular means have not been of advantage to the officers concerned.
The Officer Administering the Government of
CIRCULAR.
I have, etc.,
L. HARCOURT.
HONGKONG.
DOWNING STREET,
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18th December, 1897.
SIR,- Letters recommending Colonial officers for promotion or honours are received at this Office from so many correspondents, who appear to have been appealed to on the ground of their supposed influence, but who have neither themselves been connected with the Colonial Service nor are in a position to judge of the merits of other candidates for similar promotion, that I am compelled to request you to make it known among such officers of your Government as it may be likely to affect, that I do not approve of the use of these means to influence my judgment, and that applications of this kind are by no means neces- sarily of advantage to the persons recommended in obtaining the fulfilment of their wishes.
2. I do not mean to suggest, however, that the great majority of Colonial officers have not already a perception of the drawbacks and the irregularity of the proceedings upon which I have felt it my duty to comment, and this should be stated in the communication which I have directed you to make to your officers on the subject.
3. It should also be stated that I have no wish to discourage direct applications from officers who desire promotion to particular appointments, or who consider that their services entitle them to promotion generally. Such applications will continue to receive my careful consideration, provided, of course, that, if the officer is in the Colony when he applies, the Colonial Regulations as to the transmission of correspondence through the Governor are complied with.
4. If an officer applies while on leave of absence in this country, the application will, when there is any occasion to do so, be referred to the Governor, unless there is a recent report respecting him on record in this Office; and in this connexion I have to call your attention to section 73 of the Colonial Regulations, in which it is laid down that every Governor shall make, once in each year, a confidential report on the claims of candidates for appointment or promotion whom he may consider to possess the necessary qualifications, in order that, when a vacancy occurs, the Secretary of State may have material over and above the immediate recommendation of the Governor, for judging how far the particular candidate recommended is on the whole the best qualified, and whether a candidate of proper qualifications is to be found in that or in any other Colony.
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