GEN. THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
January 26-1001%
tion, and love of her people as Queen Victoria. It is now nearly 50 years since her great Poet Laureate said of her :--
May you rule as long,
And leave us rulers of your blood
As noble till the latest day.
May children of our children say, "She wrought her people lasting good Her court was pure; her life sereno ;
'has over been made during the existence of this and affectionate Mother, whose parental care
colony-to announce to you that our revered has for more than half a century cast a mantle. and beloved Queen is dead. During a long of protection and peace over us and our is reign began before any member of this Council land home. No part of the British Empirė was born, Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the could feel the dreadful loss we have just sus purest and greatest monarch of historic times, tained more than this Far Eastern colony, and devoted her life to the welfare of her coun- nono in this isle could mourn her loss more try. Never was monarch more faithful, never than her loyal Chinese subjects inhabiting its was monarch more beloved. In her letter of shores, seeing that this colony was born as it the 27th January, 1892, when acknowledging were in Her Majesty's reign, and brought up in touching and noble words the expressions of through the successive stages of infancy and
God gave her peace; her land reposed; loyal and loving: sympathy from all classes of childhood under her fostering and watchfu
A thousand claims to reverence closed the empire on the occasion of the death of the care, and that we, Her Majesty's Chinese sub
In her as Mother, Wife, and Queen.” Duke of Clarence, the Queen wrote:-" Myjects, owe our liberty, security, wealth, and suppose the poet hardly realised to what bereavements, during the last 30 years of reign, happiness, and indeed our all, to her wise and xtent that aspiration of his would be fulfilled. have indeed been heavy. Though the labours, beneficent ru'e. Truly, to us the loss is wos The Queen has gone down to the grave full of anxieties, and responsibilities inseparable from fully great, and our sorrow and grief are pro- years, honour, and renown; and, more than all my position have been great, yet it is my portionately profound. I regret, Sir, that in this, has gone down to the grave amid the tears earnest prayer that God may continue to great national calamity and affliction of this of her people. She will long live in their give me health and strength to work for the nature, our hearts are too full and overwhelmed memories; she will long have a sacred place in good and happiness of my dear country and to give appropriate expression to our sorrow, ochoir hearts of hearts. Let us humbly trust that empire while life lasts,' And God has granted to convey to those who, on account of natural her son, on whom her royal mantle now falls, her prayer, for to the last the Queen preserved ties, aro even more afflicted than we are, at will receive in an equal degree with her the those marvellous powers and royal gifts of wis adequate sense of our heartfelt sympathy and blessing of God, and will prove in every way dom and foresight which were always exercised sincere condolence. We can only say that worthy of the splendid example set him by in the interests of the peace and progress of sincerely mourn with those that mourn and the world. And now the gracious monarch weep with those that weep, and that our united of the greatest nation on earth; the perfect and earnest, prayer will ever be "May God bless Queen, the stainless wife, the devoted inother and comfort Their Majesties and members of has entered into her rest crowned with the the Royal Family in their sore distress and triple diadem of strength and truth and purity, bereavement." and enveloped in the loving veneration not alone of all the peoples of her world-wide em- pire but of the great mass of the thinking peo- ple of the world. Within the last hour I have received the following two telegrams": -
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"In the name of the people of Portuguese India and mine, I present to Your Excellency the respects of our heart-felt grief for the great loss which the noble British nation has sustained by the demise of the Queen Empress, Victoria of everlasting memory.
"GAI HARDO Governor."
"GOVERNOR of Macao." For us as representing this colony it but re- mains humbly to lay at the feet of their Majesties, whom God protect, our expressions of loyal condolence, and for that purpose I pro- pose the following resolution :-
His EXCELLENCY asked the Council to rise as showing sympathy with the resolution.
This was done; indeed all prosent rose, and the Council then adjourned sine die.
His Excellency, the Colonial Secretary, and the Senior Unofficial Member adjourned to nother room to draft the telegram to be des patched to the Colonial Office.
AT THE SUPREME COURT.
great and so good a Queen,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL (the Hon. W. Meigh Goodman, Q.C.) said:-May it please your Lordship,replying on behalf of the members of the Bar in this colony, I desire to ssure your Lordship of our entire concurrence in the sentiments of profound sorrow at the death of our revered Queen, to which you have given such eloquent expression. The reign of her Majesty was so prolonged and so beneficent, her rast personal influence was so constantly exerted for good, her life was so noble, that her position, even among sovereigns, was unique. Hard it is, indeed, to realise that a personality so venerated and so beloved has passed away, all suddenly, as it seems to us, but she has gone from us full of years and honours, and has left behind her a memory enshrined in the hearts of her people.
In response to an invitation issued by the Chief Justice (Sir John Carrington, C.M:G.) "With the greatest regret I present to your
the members of the legal profession in Hongkong Excellency the expressions of my deep grief,ttended at the Supreme Court on Thursday Mr. J. J. FRANCIS, Q.C., `said-I desire to and in the name of this colony I accompany all
afternoon to show their respect for the memory express my respectful concurrence in all that the English people in their dolour by the death
of our late Sovereign. The Court of Arms above has been so admirably said by His Lordship the of Her Gracious Majesty the Queen Empress.
the Chief Justice's seat was draped in black. On Chief Justice and by the Attorney-General on he bench were scated the Chief Justice and the behalf of the profession, and to thank him for As Acting Puisne Judge (the Hon. T. Sercombe having so fully expressed our sentiments
the senior member", nd the actual, although not Smith). On the bench below the Court were
eated Mr. J. W. Norton Kyshe (Registrar), the official, leader of the local bar, I cravo por- Mr. J. W. Jones (Acting Deputy Registrar mission from your Lordships to address you on nd Appraiser). and Mr. U. J. Xavier (Acting this melancholy occasion, and to add a few words, Deputy Registrar and Accountant. One ond on behalf of the practising members, to what of the barristers' table was occupied by the Athas fallen from the learned Attorney-General. But first, I crave leave, as the solitary repre- and H. H. J. Gompertz (Acting Police Magis. branch of the profession here, of the Irish race trates) and Mr. C. A. D. Melbourne (First Clerk and of the Roman Catholic community, to give st the Magistracy). The barristers occupied the expression to the love and respect and venera- front of the table and the solicitors were seated tion with which Her Most Gracious Majesty The Hon. C. P. CHATER said-Your Excel behind them. In the jury box were seated was aud always will be regarded by Roman lency, as the Senior Unofficial Member of the Mr. Leo d'Almada a Castro (Second Clerk of Catholics of all nationalties, from His Holiness Council, the sad task lies upon me to formally Court). Mr. J. A. Suffiad (Registrar's Clerk) the Pope downwards. No more fervent prayers second the humble expression of our grief which and other junior officers of the court. Mr. V. Awill ascend to heaven on behalf of Her Majesty your Excellency has proposed. Little could we Sales (Clerk and Ugher) was in his usual place and for the repose of her soul than will be have thought but one short week ago that solongside the jury box. The rest of the Court poured forth by Her Majesty's Catholic subjects dire a blow was falling on her late Majesty's sub.
was open to tho general public.
From the highest to the lowest. Loyalty to the jects, or foreseen that her nation was losing The CHIEF JUSTICE, on taking his seat, said Throne is a duty most strenuously enforced on its august and beloved Queen. It is not for us
Mr. Attorney-General, Mr. Crown Solicitor every member of the Catholic Church. In now to dwell upon her royal worth as a mou-
We have invited you here to-day to pay respect Her Majesty's caso that spirit of loyalty to the arch, her thoughtfulness, her care, her soli-to the memory of Aer late Majesty Queen Throne has only served as a basis to support citude for her people. These things the past Victoria, and to testify our profound sorrow and strengthen, to give force and consistency, has verified to all, and the history of the future
at the news of of her death. I think we have to the deep personal respect and veneration on can only prove yet more and more the immen-
reason for taking such a step, because we here in the part of her Catholic subjects of which Her sity of our loss. To their Majesties the King this Court stood to the Queen not only in the late most Gracious Majesty has always been the and Queen of Great Britain and Ireland and ordinary relation of her subjects, but we also object. The personal loyalty of Irishmen to the Royal Family we tender, in the words of stood to her in the special relation of persons the Sovereign has always been conspicuous, the resolution, our most heartfelt, loyal, and engaged in the administration of the law the few contemptible exceptions only making respectful sympathy, and if what we say to-day to the head of the law, she being, in the the loyalty of the vast majority the more con- can lighten, though but for a moment, their words of the old law books, the fountain of spicuous. I rejoice that Her Majesty had in burden of sorrow, we, Sir, may ventura to hope justice." Ever since we took to the study of the last year of her life such convincing proofs that we shall not have spoken altogether in vain. the law the Queen's writ has been familiar to of that loyalty and devotion, in the valour of I beg to second your Excellency's resolutiou. Mas, and I do not know myself how we shall be her Irish soldiers in South Africa, so frequent-
The Hon. Dr. Ho KAT said-Sir, as the re-come reconciled to the absence of her namely and gratefully acknowledged by Her Ma presentative on this Council of the British from our proceedings. This is not the time or jesty in her own gracious and considerato Chinese subjects and the Chinese community place for me to pass a formal and elaborate fashion, and in the enthusiasm with which she of this colony, I and my colleague desire to panygeriç upon the late Queen. I will only say was received in Ireland during her last visit express, 04
on their behalf and on behalf of our this, that, so far as my knowledge goes, in the to that country. Nowhere will the death selves, our entire concurrence with the senti- whole range of history there has been no reign so of Her Majesty be more deeply felt and ments which have been expressed by your Ex-illustrious as hers. Certainly in the whole range more sincerely regretted than in the ranks cellency and by the Honourable the Senior of history there has been no sovereign who has of her Irish Regiments Nowhere will her Unofficial Member. In the sad death of our commanded in the same measure the respect and many virtues be more highly appreciated well-beloved and much-respected Queen, we admiration of the civilised world. I think pro and her loss more genuinely felt than in the have sustained a great and irreparable loss, bably, too, it may be said that there has in the houses of the Irish people, whether in Ireland We feel that we have not only lost a just, whole range of history been no sovereign who or elsewhere. She was a good woman and a augast, and mighty Sovereign, but also a kind has won to the same extent the respect, admira. great Queen. Yes, My Lords, a great Queen
That the members of this Courcil have heard with profound sorrow the sad announce.torney-General (the Hon. W. Meigh Goodman, ment of the death of Her Majesty the Queen,.C.) and the other by Messrs. F. A. Hazeland,sentative among the members of the higher and desire humbly to express their most heart felt, loyal, and respectful sympathy with their Majesties and the Royal Family in their bereavement."
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