M. Hennessy admits that the Ordinance is objectionable, and he expressly excuses M. Philipps from the officials who have caused him trouble and inconvenience, so that I think Lord Carnarvon might reply that should M. Hennessy think fit to bring under his notice any instances of which correspondence in private had been detrimental to the public service, their lordships would not fail to give his representations due consideration, but that they are not inclined to take further action on this matter.
I never met M. Philipps, but being in communication with him about some books, which I thank him for, I drew his attention to this little Act as likely to be useful to the Colony. It is an Amendment of the law of evidence. I wrote many months ago in reply to a letter cautioning them within during Mr. Austin's tenure of office; & I imagine that James, during my successor's & his clients' time, has not exchanged a line since that.
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I distinctly deny the accuracy of paragraphs 627 of the dispatch. The Executive Committee has received letters from only one member, Mr. Smith, since M. Hennessy's arrival at Hong Kong, & I don't think that "keeping up a correspondence" with him respecting the public business or Policy of the Governor is necessary. I wrote to him in May or June, I think, in August before my holiday, & again at the end of October in date, and in November (a day or yesterday in reply to my last letter narrating M. Hennessy's behaviour in this matter). In all these letters, I have been very cautious not to allude to funding questions or to express any opinion of M. Hennessy's acts or policy. If he had seen my letters, I imagine he would not have sent this despatch. I attribute this complaint to anxiety about the reply, which he had not received, to any of the Mission & flogging dispatches, or to his not receiving such a despatch as the draft on 9357 herewith.
I have little doubt that M. Hennessy may have attributed some anonymous despatch to me, Love of aus. 20 tan mitingue. Aug 3
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