Subjects in the Colony, but also the leading members of the other foreign communities. 3. In November last, a certain_ address to Her Majesty
was presented to His Excellency the lovernor, signed by few respectable Chinese and many- hundreds of the lower classes of the native population, of whom it may safely be said that they were u
utterly ignorant of the nature of the document to which they appended their signatures. The pecul
a
circumstances under which this address was prepared, in the endeavour to counter_ -act the effect of the resolutions a
at the Public meeting,
adopted are too notorious to require comment and we
refer to them now, merely because we learn from the Government Gazette that, inspite of the foot that it contained statements plainly untrue, the address was forwarded to the Secretary of State, with the sauction of a covering letter from His Excellences the Governor, which implicitly guaran leed its trustworthiness -
4. The whole official corresponsa ence, relating to this address, with a Chinese translation, is prominently
Published
598
published in the Government-razzette, and for some reason at present un- explained, the Secretary of State's forme acknowledgment is, in the Chinese version couched interms to extravagant and imaccurate, as to convey the impression that the delight of Her Majesty, onits _ receipt, was unbounded, which of course the original did not warrant. This fact has formed the subject of the severest animadversion by the local
Press.
5 You
will no
doubt agree with us that it is scarce by seem by that such a document as that above refered to, should receive such promptar- knowledgment, while rentutions, the result of the maturent deliberation of those most interested in the welfare of the Colony, should be utterly ignored, 6 We therefore have to request ... that you,
as our Chairman, will;
Cagain communicate with the Governor, with the view of obtaining suctionformation on the subject as this Excellency may be in a position to afford.