His Excellency
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Were I able to be present at the meeting I would further move that a suspending clause be added whereby the Secretary of State's sanction would be required before the Ordinance could become law. In haste.
Sir HENRY A. BLAKE, G.C.M.G.,
&c.
&c.,
&c.
Yours very truly,
(Signed), T. H. WHITEHEAD.
(His Excellency the Governor to T. H. Whitehead.)
DEAR MR. WHITEHEAD,
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 28th December, 1899.
I have this moment received your letter on my return from Legislative Council where the Ordinance mentioned by you and which I consider to be neces- sary and advisable was read a third time. I am sorry to hear that your holiday was curtailed.
Very truly yours,
(Signed), HENRY A. BLAKE.
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD, M.L.C.
(T. H. Whitehead to His Excellency the Governor.)
HONGKONG, 29th December, 1899.
DEAR SIR HENRY BLAKE,
My letter of yesterday in re the Ordinance to provide for the summoning of Chinese before the Registrar General was sent to the Council Chamber. By some mistake it was not delivered to Your Excellency there but forwarded from there to Government House.
I see the Ordinance has been read a third time and passed. May I beg you not to bring it into force immediately as I propose to address the Secretary of State and protest against the Bill as unconstitutional and as a mischievous piece of Class legislation. In this protest I shall ask the Chinese Members of Council to join. Yours very truly,
His Excellency
Sir HENRY A. BLAKE, G.C.M.G.,
&c.,
&c.,
&c.
(Signed), T. H. WHITEHEAD.
(His Excellency the Governor to T. H. Whitehead.}
DEAR MR. WHITEHEAD,
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 30th December, 1899.
I wrote to you immediately on receipt of your letter saying that the Ordinance, which I considered expedient and advisable, had been read a third time. I have reason to believe that the Chinese Members of Council were satisfied with the Ordinance with the addition of the duration clause suggested by Dr. Ho KAI.