August,
to such arrangements and considered that it would be far better if, when a Judge was required at Weihaiwei, a temporary appointment were made here for the time of his absence.
3.
447
I then referred the matter to the Attorney-General as to the legislation that would be necessary and I enclose a copy of a minute written by Sir Henry Berkeley in reply to this reference, in which he advises that I should recommend to you that Weihaiwei should be included within the Original Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Hongkong and that the Supreme Court Bench should be strengthened by a third Judge. If Weihaiwei were a Dependency of Hongkong I should be prepared to recommend this arrangement which would make the required provision for the former place and at the same time be of some advantage to the latter. In existing circumstances however and in view of the fact that the judicial business of this Colony is at the present time satisfactorily carried out by two Judges, I am unable to support a scheme which would involve Hongkong in an additional expenditure of £1,200 per annum assuming that the Second Puisne Judge received the same pay as that which, I understand, is given to the subordinate Puisne Judges in the Straits Settlements.
4.
Reverting to the arrangement preferred by Sir William Goodman there appear to be two ways in which it could be carried out, viz.:-
1. The Chief Justice to go to Weihaiwei when required, his place being taken by the Attorney-General and a local practitioner being employed to fill the latter's office and being remunerated by a payment equal to one-half the Attorney-General's salary. The cost of this plan would be half the Chief Justice's salary paid to the Attorney-General in