Sir,
309
St Leonardo
6.0.
41
3921 JAN 1900
Alexandra Road, Reading
December 30th 1899
I have the honour to request that I may be permitted to resign the post of Crown Solicitor of Hongkong in favour of Mr. Francis Bulmer Levey Bowley, the present Acting Crown Solicitor.
I venture to hope that under the following circumstances you will not consider my request an unreasonable one.
I was offered and accepted the appointment of Crown Solicitor in 1896, having then been resident in the Colony of Hongkong for 20 years, and I am now at home on nine months' leave, for which I was compelled to ask in order to recuperate my health and strength for family as well as official duties.
With reference to the latter I may state that during the last year I have had the honour of advising The Right Honourable Joseph Chamberlain, Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies.