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hearing of the Case and thus nearly the whole day has been practically lost at a period when the time of the Court is overwhelmed with business.
Enclosed I send the letter from the first Clerk in the Magistracy refusing the services of there were a Hakka Interpreter, although two such Interpreters, Hing Tong and Li Acheung, are available. The former, I submit, is not less an Interpreter because he has been raised from being third to second Clerk in the office.
In answer to Mr. Stolmes' query, I received a letter from Mr. My Choy enclosing a letter from the first Clerk stating reasons why no Hakka Interpreter was sent. I enclose copies of these two letters.
The Solicitors whose Case has been postponed have sent a letter to the Registrar, which I enclose, stating their grievance to the Practitioners.
I do not concur with those gentlemen in the view that it is necessary that a permanent Hakka Interpreter should be attached to this Court; but I submit that the Supreme Court has hitherto always had the use of the Interpreters in all inferior Courts, in civil as well as in criminal Cases.
Moreover, I submit that it is incumbent on the Government to provide Hakka Interpreters at its expense, at least for the Supreme Court as for inferior Courts.