#7
Terms
on which I became Attorney General. It may be
a very grave question whether this Arrangement is a desirable one for the Government: but a salary limited to £1500 a year in Hong Kong would barely have covered my expenses and would not have tempted me to abandon my position as a
Barrister
in respectable practice in England. 6. No Judge or other public officer in
England
is allowed at present or I presume to
receive a
Testimonial;
but it is open to the Attorney General of
England to receive presents and testimonials from individuals and bodies of men for or in respect of his Conduct as a Barrister or private gentleman and the analogy is, I respectfully submit, complete. Indeed every fee received by a practising Barrister is a present (honorarium) and (as incident to it) is competent to the persons who feel that services have been rendered to present such honorarium in a
service
of money or plate as well. 7. I had, as Leader of the Bar the satisfaction to obtain a very extensive practice in Hong Kong, exceeding in
value very greatly my
income as
Attorney General, and it was beyond question that subject to the prior claim of the Government to my services
in
each particular case, I was under obligation
as much to act on the annual
Retainer of each of my clients for the
current year, and was
a legal officer as I was
to the Government.
8.
As such an officer and as my first duty, I felt it to be, as such Leader, my duty to sustain the prestige of the English Institutions, and habits amongst the native population. With this view I on all occasions discouraged and (generally with success)
litigation. It was also my habit to leave the honorarium I received
to the gratitude of my clients and although
a very
I should have obtained
a much larger
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