experience, based on a constant connection with the Supreme Court Hongkong (as articled clerk of Solicitor thereof and as practitioner therein) of between eight and nine years having shown me that the Chief Justice has always been ready (unless prevented by illness) to hear all cases on the appointed days when ready for trial, provided proper notices have been given, and that he has also laid the Community under great obligations by his willingness at all other times to try cases when applied to, thereby entailing much extra labour upon himself, doubtless frequently to his personal inconvenience.
I cannot possibly understand the mode of procedure laid down by the Chief Justice putting same quite out of the question - the practice in such cases as I have always understood it being that His Lordship will not try cases on any other day than one of those appointed by the Ordinances without the consent of or at the request of both Plaintiffs and Defendant's Solicitors, such being the course where the Surprise! These extra sittings are also fixed for days suited to the convenience of the Applicants not of the Chief Justice, unless as is seldom the case, the ...
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