and its subsequent reprint
the 21st July,
I must respectfully
point out that while of course deferring
to His Excellency's opinion that public interests
would suffer if I took action against the Proprietor of the "Hongkong Daily Telegraph", I had asked permission to do so - only
to the Governor
out of courtesy,
unable to think that
it is incumbent on an Officer of this Government
to obtain leave from the Head of the Executive to publicly defend
his private character where assailed.
28.
His Excellency appears to regard my application to him
as the expression of a desire to appeal against the justice of
the censure administered to me. Nothing could be
further from my thoughts. With respect to that censure, I think it was not founded on a correct view of the law, but His Excellency has been misinformed.
I have to inform you that a letter has been sent to the Daily Telegraph.
I can scarcely see how it could have been called in question in an action against the Proprietor. Moreover, in using the documents supplied to him by authority of the Governor, the Editor had abused His Excellency's confidence, and was guilty of such an offence that I regret having been deprived of the opportunity of punishing him.
29.
I need scarcely add that when I wrote my letter of the 16th