4.
409
Prosecutions, preparing Ordinances and advising the Governor on which his opinion may be requested. It is no doubt possible, as Sir John Downing remarks, that the Attorney General if allowed to be in private practice may engage to advise the Governor in matters which concern clients whom he holds from retainers of the most liberal character; but it is very unlikely now that the separation to which I have referred has taken place, that such a case should even occur; and if it should arise, I confess I should even then be disposed to rely with confidence upon the advice I might receive from an English Gentleman of high character and standing in his profession. Admitting, however, for the sake of argument that it is human nature that in some cases a bias should be wanting which would affect the character of the Counsel, I maintain that the positive and permanent advantages far outweigh the possible but improbable advantages of the system proposed.
5.
If it were possible to compress the duties of the Attorney General of Hong Kong into a short space, the work of a year might under ordinary circumstances be performed in a week. Under the proposed...