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TENTH MEETING.
Held January 6th, 1893.
Present.
Honourable J. H. STEWART LOCKHART (Registrar General), Chairman.
F. H. MAY, Esq., (Assistant Colonial Secretary).
Honourable C. P. CHATER.
НО КАГ.
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T. H. WHITEHEAD.
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The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.
The CHAIRMAN.-Gentlemen, a considerable time has elapsed since our last meeting, which is owing to a variety of reasons. Many of the members bave had a great many other matters to attend to. But we have met at last to-day and I should like to hear from the members of the Committee whether they consider themselves satisfied with regard to the evidence they have heard, and the documents which have been placed before the Committee; whether they consider themselves fully informed and are prepared to draw up a report answering the questions which have been asked in the letter from the Colonial Secretary to this Committee. What do you think, Mr. CHATER ?
Honourable C. P. CHATER.-I do not wish for much more information, I think we have all that we want. Perhaps, as was suggested by Mr. WHITEHEAD to me just now; some information from the Secretary of the Pó Léung Kuk might be forthcoming, but that could be gained without our meeting here, I think.
Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.-Dr. Ho Kar has suggested that some members of the Committee might look into the records and books of the Society and report to the Committee how they found matters,
Honourable Ho KAI-Assuming that it is desirable, I said that if the Pó Léung Kuk people were to bring up all their books here it would take up a great deal of time of the Committee because there will have to be interpreters, questions put, and so on. If Mr. WHITEHEAD requires any information on any subject which could be obtained from the Secretary and the records and books, I should think the best way would be to appoint two or three members of this Committee and one afternoon we could get the Secretary to come up or go to whatever place we might desire to meet at in town, and bring all the books. We could then go through them and pick out any information we want. I think that will be simplifying the matter. After that we could consider the final report of the Committee.
Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.-I cannot but express my regret that the directors of the Pó Léung Kuk have refused our applications to attend at our meetings. At the seventh meeting of the Committee, Mr. CHATER was very strong indeed on the subject and referred to the fact of our having twice asked the directors of the Pó Léung Kuk, or several of them, to attend in order to give some evidence, but which they refused to do. That being the case and if they still refused, Mr. CHATER stated that he would no longer be a party to the Committee of enquiry, in which I fully agreed, and it was my intention to-day to have moved a resolution that we do not proceed further until the directors or one or two of their members should attend. But I do not care to bring that motion forward now as the proceedings have dragged on for a very long period and it takes up