that. Mr. Edwards had no claim to consideration.
The land was accordingly sold up.
22
at public auction on
the 29th January,
1844
and was knocked down to Mr. G. F. Braine,
who subsequently took out a lease for it from the Government, at the same time making transfer of the same to certain parties then "Standing Committee of Shareholders" of the Hongkong Club.
This transfer was duly registered in the Land Office in pursuance of No. Colonial Ordinance No. 3 of 1844.
Your Excellency will therefore see that the Shareholders of the Club are in possession of complete, legal title deeds of the property, and that, on the other hand, it was decided by the representation of Her Majesty's Government, by virtue of the powers entrusted to him, that Mr. Edwards had not even a claim for consideration, in reference to it.
204
It is not for us to discover the reasons which the Administrator has found for commencing against the Shareholders of the Club, but Your Excellency will perceive that we have been compelled to come forward, as the Defendants, in an endeavour to set aside the acts of the former Governors of this Colony.
Notwithstanding the evident invalidity of the claim, it has been necessary to go through a series of legal forms to answer the Bill in Equity, filed in the Supreme Court by the then resident Members of the Standing Committee as far back as last January.
8.
We need not trouble Your Excellency with a detail of the vexatious proceedings we have since been subjected to; suffice it to say that it has been even found necessary to obtain the sanction of the Honourable the Chief Justice for dispensing with the services of our Attorney.