I am the senior Government officer in the Colony.
9.
When I arrived in Hongkong last from leave of absence I found the office of Acting Attorney General occupied by Mr Leach a stranger to the service for he holds only an acting appointment and that of acting Puisne Judge, filled by Mr. Wise a Gentleman greatly junior in every respect, who took up my office of Registrar when I left in April 1888 and whose permanent office is that of Police Magistrate.
Since April 1888 I had been serving under my junior.
10.
If the system continues I shall in a few years be superseded by men junior to myself with probably less than half my service and with much less experience.
I have now been serving for nearly 10 years without having half pay or any leave. In fact from July 1872 the only leave I had taken was four months vacation leave in 1884.
When I learnt that Mr. Goodman had been appointed Attorney General and that Mr. Denis Russell had obtained an extension of leave I represented to His Excellency Sir William Cameron the Governor the fact that I was the senior Civil servant in the Colony, that I had filled the offices of acting Puisne Judge and Acting Attorney General and Registrar.
Yet I was serving under Mr. Wise who had only 4 years service and was greatly my junior in every respect, with a consequent considerable loss not only in position but also in a pecuniary sense also.
12. His Excellency replied that he had considered my letter with the attention which was due to the application of an officer who had rendered such efficient services to the Government but he was unable to accede to my request.
This...