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the Taxpayers should have paid their rates, instructions were that the last day in August should be inserted, and with the authority before them of the Government notification published in the Gazettes of the 18th July, and 8th and 15th and 22nd of August emanating from this office and in the possession of those subordinates who had to fill up the Forms with only the date out of I advert to.
I cannot understand how so many as 247 Notices came to receive a wrong date; 2000 and upwards as were served at Hong-kong: For the error (however it occurred) I am personally responsible, I frankly admit it and as sincerely regret it.
In the text of my letter No.55 I never pleaded the XIX clause of the Ordinance as exonerating the Treasurer from a proper discharge of his duties, I drew attention to the clause to shew that the error was so far palliated by the clause as to be (as I conceived) of no legal effect; and, I may be permitted to observe that had the Legislative Council foreseen the likelihood of connection between some errors or omissions in the working of the Provisions of the new enactment it is not probable that the XIX clause would have been retained in the Ordinance.
It is now my painful obligation to refer to that portion of your letter in which you call my veracity into question and in which an expression is attributed to me which is not contained, as asserted by you, in my letter of the 13th Instant: I never said that "Warrants had been issued" but that "Warrants" had been "granted", that being the Decree of the Court upon my application for 204 warrants: It would be...