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with matters of interest and moment to the Colony, you have served as Chairman or Secretary, and your national love of sports, especially in connection with the Victoria Rowing Club and the Hongkong Football Club, is too well known to call for more than a passing word. You are leaving us now to assume the Commissionership of Weihaiwei, the eastern advance-post of Great Britain, and We look forward with confidence to your future, in the hope and belief that there lies before you a distinguished career in positions of still greater importance than those you have been already called upon to occupy, With regard to the various questions which hed to be dealt with, from time to time, in the Legislative Council, you not only displayed both ability and tact, but you showed an unfailing courtesy to those whose opinions differed from your owD. Your knowledge of the Chinese language, and the pains you have taken to make yourself intimately acquainted with the feelings and customs of the Chineso people, have greatly facilitated the harmonious official intercourse which has existed between the Government aud that numerous and important section of the community. In bidding you farewell, we have desired to limit the signatories to this memento to those whose lives have been cast in the same Civil Service as your own and to the Unofficial, Members of Council who have had special opportunities of appreciating, your arduous work.
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[April 26, 1902.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Mr. Fang Wa Chun has Colony, I feel perfectly certain be will have "paid me. make an excellent Colonial Secretary and be referred to me in terms far too flattering, and always ready to aid and promote every good work I am very much afraid that I am in no way that has for its object the welfare of Hong-worthy of the high encomium he has been korg You have referred, sir, to my departure pleased to pass upon me. During the twenty-two for Weihaiwei. Weihaiwei is more or less at years I have been in this Colony I have been very present an unknown country. I only trust closely associated with the Chinese community, that under the aegis of the British flag it will and I only hope that in the new possession be made to prosper. I can promise yon I shall to which I have been transferred I may do my best to make it prosper, and when the have as pleasant a community to deal with as I have found the Chinese community of this day arrives-if it ever does arrive-when it has to have a fully equipped Civil Service of its Colony to be. (Applause) Mr. Fung Wa own, I trust it will be as fortunate in that Chun has been good enough to say that it will respect as Hongkong is to-day. (Applause.), bo difficu't to replace me, but I regret that I I feel it is impossible for no to thank you cannot agree with him in that respect. Al- sufficiently for ill you have said to-day and all ready a successor has been appointed in my you have done in the past. All I can say, place, the Hen. F. H. May, a gentleman gentlemen, is I thank you from the bottom of well known to the Chinese here, and I feel my heart. (Applause.)
The proceedings were brought to a close with three cheers for Mr. and Mis. Stewart Lock- hart, proposed by the Hon. Murray Rumsey.
sure
his
that you will find in Mr. May an excellent official and one in every way worthy the traditions of the high office which I am about to vacate on my transfer to Weihaiwei, I feel certain that Mr. May's BANQUET IN THE CITY HALL. long experience of the Colony and In the evening the Chinese community intimate acquaintance with Chinese affairs entertained Mr. Lockhart to a banquet in the will enable him to carry on all the responsible a manner which City Hall. Nearly a hundred Chinese gentle duties of the office in men were present, and amongst those sitting at will give every satisfaction to the Chinese com- Mr. Lockhart's table were the Hon. Dr. Ho Kai,munity. (Applause.) No one can regret more Hon. A. M. Thomson Hon. A, W. Brewin, and than I do that my transfer to another Colony means the severance of the many very pleasant Messrs, Tso, Lau Chupak, C. Clementi, R. F. Johnston, Ho Tung, Fung Wa Chun, Ho Fook, associations I have formed amongst the Chinese R. Hancock, Wei On, and Mok Man Cheung, community of Hongkong, but I hope that before The band of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers had been long I shall have the opportunity of renew- engaged for the occasior, and discoursed at in- ing these associations. tervals throughout the evening under the con- ductorship of Bandmaster Moir, who at a later stage in the proceedings was thanked by Dr. Ho Kai for his services.
The company having honoured the nsual loyal toasts, Dr. Ho KAI called upon Mr. Fung Wa Chun, in the unavoidable absence of the Hon. Wei A Yuk, to propose the toast of the evening, that of their guest, Mr Lockhart.
Hon. J. H. STEWART LOCKHART-Mr. Good- man and gentlemen, It is exceedingly difficult for me, I can assure you, to respond in any way adequately to the very kind words that you, Mr. Goodman, have used with regard to me and to the very kind wishes which are expressed in the address which you have just been good enough to read. No one, sir, cau be more sensible of my own shortcomings than I am myself. It makes one sad, in looking back over the number of years I have resided in this Celony, to think what a number of opportuni- ties one has lost and of the many things left undone that one might have done; but it is cheering, although one feels one's short- comings so keenly-it is cheering to find one's friends rally round one on the eve of one's de- parture and wish him all the good wishes that you have expressed towards me. (Applause.) I need hardly say that my regret at leaving Hengking is very keen indeed; but the bitter- ness of parting is to a great extent mollified by the recollection that though I am departing from Hongkong I am leaving behind me in this Colony leal and trusted friends who during many years have shown me innumerable kindnesses which 1 sball never forget and your meeting here to-day to present me with this address and. to encourage and give me heart by your good wishes is only one more illustration of your great kindness. The members of Council and my fellow Civil Servants have all one object in view, and that object is the prosperity of the Colony. (Hear, hear.) Differences of opinion may arise at various times as to how that prosperity is to be best advanced, but our object is always the same; and so long as the members of Council and the Civil Servants co- operate heartily together there is no doubt that the prosperity of this Colony, already so great, will become greater still. (Applause.) To my colleagues in the Civil Service I can only say I am proud indeed to have been a member of this If any Colony Service for so many years. possesses a Civil Service like Hongkong I think it is indeed to be envied, and nothing do I more regret than having to leave behind me my colleagues in the Civil Service, who have always most heartily and loyally ce- operated with me when I was a junior, when I was head of a Department, and when I was pro- moted to the office of Colonial Secretary; and I am glad to take this opportunity to thank them all individually for their kindness to me during the whole of my period of service in Hongkong. Mr. Goodman has referred to "good fish in the Bea "and the difficulty of landing & really good fish. But I think in Mr. May, who is to be my successor, & very excellent fish has been landed, (Applause) Mr. May is a very old friend of my own. I have known him daring almost the whole of my service in Hongkong, and he is also well known to the community of Hong-in the history of this colony, and I kong and therefore it does not require any assure you that nobody can appreciate more
Mr. FUNG WA CHUN said- Mr. Chairm, u, with much pleasure I rise to propose the toast of the evening, namely, the health of our d s- tinguished guest, the Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart. For nearly 20 years I have known Mr. Lockhart, and during that time I have had many opportunities of studying him, both as an official and as a private individual. The con- clusion I have arrived at after these long years is that he is an able official, a worthy man, and a sincere friend. The public services ho has rendered to this Colony are well known to you Suffice it all, and need no mention from me. to say that by these services he has won the approbation and confidence of his King, and that His Majesty has appointed him to be the First Civil Commissioner of the new Colony of Weihaiwei-a promotion universally acknowledged to be well deserved, but which nevertheless will cause ns dear by removing from our midst a capablo and conscientious official, whose loss it will be most difficult to replace. To the Chinese, Mr. Lockhart has always been a good friend. His profound knowledge of their language, manners, and customs has enabled him to understand their needs and feelings better, and his ready sym- pathy with them in their difficulties and per- plexities, has completely won their respect and confidence. I am quite certain that the Chi- nese of Hongkong will long remember Mr. Lockbart not only as a courteous and able offi- cial, but also as a kind and sympathetic friend. (Applause.) Now, gentl men, Mr. Lockhart, is about to leave us to take up his high appointment in the North. Though we are loath to part with him, I am sure all will join with me most heartily in bidding bim God speed in his new mission, and in wishing him every success in the administration of the new Colony. Fill up your glasses, then, gentlemen, and let us drink to the very good health of Mr. Lockhart, wishing him all happiness, long life, and prosperity. (Applause).
The toast having been honoured, Mr. LOCKHART in reply sa'd-Dr. Ho Kai, Mr. Fung Wa Chun, and gentlemen, I feel very highly honoured indeed by this magnificent banquet which you have been so kind as to give me to-night. I think I may say that perhaps a meeting of this kind is almost unprecedented
can
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(Applause) Gentle-
you
men, I particularly appreciate your kindness to me to-night, for I look upon it as another mark of the great consideration you have always ex- tended to me. I have been amongst yon for more than twenty years, and during that time I have received from the community to which you belong the greatest possible assistance in the discharge of my official duties, without which assistance it would have been impossible for me to have discharged them in anything like a I hope, as I have already satisfactory manner. said, hat this is not a final farewell. Perhaps many of you will find your way to Weihaiwei, either on pleasure or on business tent. All of you here to-night have a keen sense of business, and I trust that you will come to Weihaiwei and give it the benefit of your business experience and also invest there some of that capital which you possess to such a large extent. (Lau, bter and applause.) I can promise you that every facility will be offered to yon and every encouragement given to to invest that capital. (Renewed laughter.) Many of you came originally to tbis Colony with empty pockets-(laughter)--but I do not think, looking round me now, that there is one amongst yon whose pockets are not filled to overflowing. Renewed laughter.) I am perfectly certain, gentlemen, that you will agree with me when I say that there is no Government under which you could enjoy such real freedom and justice as under the British Government. (Hcar, hear, and applause.) Well, gentlemen, you will find the British Government existing at Weihaiwei, and I can promise you the same freedom and the same justice as you, enjoy here. I only hope you will be induced to come there. I thank you all very much in- deed for all the kindnesses you have shown me, I trust that in the future we shall all meet again, and that our relations will be as cordial as they have been in the past. Again I thank you and wish you continued prosperity. (Pro- longed applause.)
Mr. LOCKHART then proposed the toast of the Chinese community, to whom, in naison with the British inhabitants, the prosperity of Hongkong was due. The toast was coupled with the name of Mr. Ho Tung, and was drunk with Highland honours.
Mr. Ho TUNG expressed acknowledgement of the honour that had been done him, but was afraid that Mr. Lockhart had made a very poor selec tion. ("No, no.") The fatigue entailed by the opening that afternoon of the Kowloon School- (hear, hear) made him feel that he could not do justice to his countrymen, especially after the eloquent words of their distinguished guest and Mr. Fung Wa Chun. However, refreshed by the good things, liquid and solid, that had been placed before him, he felt encouraged to make an effort to fulfil his duty. (Laughter
* us from me to commend him to this heartily than I do the very great compliment you and applanse.) That the Chinese community in