Communications on
this subject should be addressed to-
THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE,
COLONIAL OFFICE,
LONDON, S.W.,
Number quoted. 7638/99.
Sir,
Downing Street,
20 April, 1899.
247
i Gov.25.9. 9.97 orig.to be returned
I am directed by Mr Secretary Chamberlain to inform you that he has received several petitions for the reconsideration of his case from Utter Singh, late Sergeant-Major in the Hong Kong Police Force, who was dismissed by you while you held the office of Governor of Hong Kong for being engaged in money-lending transactions contrary to the Police regulations in force in the Colony.
2. Although Mr Chamberlain originally refused to interfere in regard to Utter Singh's dismissal, he is on further consideration disposed to consider that the punishment of dismissal was too severe a penalty for the one money-lending transaction in which Utter Singh appears to have been engaged, and he is of opinion that this man's alleged complicity in the recent gambling scandals cannot be taken into consideration in this connexion, as it was not the cause of his punishment, and was not brought forward until eleven months after he had been summarily discharged.
3. Before finally deciding the matter he would ask you to be good enough to state with reference to the last paragraph of the enclosed Despatch relative to
SIR W. ROBINSON, G.C.M.G.,