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of retiring from the
Public Service, and
enclosing reports of
the
addresses presented to Sir John Smale
by the Colonial Bar
and
the Community
of Hong Kong on his
departure.
In acknowledging
the
receipt of your
despatch, and
conveying
to
you
my approval of
the leave of absence
which
you
have granted
to Sir John Smale,
which will exhaust the
full amount of leave
to which he is entitled
(including the six bene-ficial months) I have
to
you
to express the satisfaction
with which I have re-ceived the
testimony
borne
by yourself and the
Colonial
members of the Bar
and
to the manner in which
Sir John Smale has
discharged the duties
of the high
office from which
he is now
retiring.
I have