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them in conjunction with other interests, but I entirely repudiate the charge that I have acted for private and interested motives, and I can only say that aspersions and allegations of evil of that kind will not hurt the unofficial members as a body but will only rebound upon the maker and entertainer of such statements.
Honourable C. P. CHATER-Your Excellency, after the very lengthy and able remarks of my honourable friend, Honourable Ho KAI, I have but very little to add. I may at once inform your Excellency and the members of the Council that I affirm every word and every statement made by Honourable Ho Kar. I go beyond that. With regard to private communications, the Honourable Member could not inform the Council whether there was any private communication between your Excellency and myself or between the Colonial Secretary and myself. That is a point I wish to answer for myself. I say most emphatically that I have never had any communication from his Excellency the Governor or from the Colonial Secretary which I have not immediately placed before my colleagues and half an hour after they have discussed it I have sent a reply to his Excellency. Beyond that I state most emphatically that I have never had any communication from his Excellency the Governor or from the Colonial Secretary.
Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD-Perhaps I may be permitted to make a few remarks. If I have misrepresented or made any misstatements I have done so quite unintentionally and I am very sorry for it. I submit, however, that the methods which have been followed by my honourable colleagues in discussing public questions of great importance are in my opinion unconstitutional and irregular. In reference to the correspondence, it cannot be regarded as otherwise than private if it is not made public. Letters are sent by the Governor to the unofficial members and they meet in secret. There are no reporters present and I consider that to conduct public business in such a way is totally opposed to constitutional Government and constitutional rule. As regards the Honourable Member's statement that I have cast aspersions and made charges, I submit that my letters will not bear any such interpretation and that a question of public importance should not be dealt with in the way this question has been dealt with. I would refer, in respect to the statement that the correspondence is not private, to the correspondence which passed between the unofficial members and the Government in connection with the
Sanitary Board. These documents were, as far as I am aware, private, that is to say, they did not see the light of day for a very long period of time--about twelve months, and the community were totally unaware of what their representatives had said to the Government in their communications. If I have offended anyone I ain extremely sorry as nothing was further from my intention.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY—I do not wish to prolong the discussion, nor is it my intention to do so, but it would throw considerable light on the matter if the Honourable Member would inform us if he consulted the Chamber of Commerce about this question. I have reason for saying that he did, and if that is so it would. tend to show he did not regard it as private.
Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD-The Chamber unanimously agreed to address the Government on this question and I cordially supported what they did.
His EXCELLENCY-Have you consulted them on the subject of this correspondence ?
Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD-This correspondence was submitted only at a late hour in Committee and it was unanimously decided to strictly adhere to the recommendation addressed to the Government, but the question of the publishing of the letter from your Excellency to the senior unofficial member was postponed for further consideration.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-Then I understand he has consulted the Committee of the Chamber and that he did not regard the correspondence as private.
Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD-I have never regarded it as private and it should never be so regarded by any honourable member.
The discussion then closed.