(O O F Y)
Sic,
C. O.
2625
758
RECE
(REG: 24 JAN 26)
Colonial Secretary's Office,
Hongkong, 5th. December, 1905.
1 am directed to enclose for the consideration of Your Chamber a copy of a letter addressed by "The Merchant Ship- ping Guild" to the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies on the 9th. October last.
2.
The first part of the letter refers to statements that had been made by the Guild with regard to the Harbour kas- ter, Captain Barnes-Lawrence, who in his capacity of Marine Magistrate in a case before him last year fined the Captain of the S.S. "wing Chai" for obstruction on the highsaas and wilful disregard of the Rules of the Road. As the Guild have now with- drawn references which they had made in previous communications "as to the qualifications of Captain Barnes-Lawrence to deal "with cases affecting merchant ships" and also the statement that in the case of the S.S. "Wing Chai" "the decision of the "Harbour Master was bad not only morally but from a lawful stand "point" it is not necessary to trouble your Chamber with this part of their letter.
3.
You will observe however that the withdrawal is followed by an expression of great regret at "the way British "shipping and British Merchant Captains are unnecessarily ha- "rassed and interfered with by the authorities of the port" and two instances are given in support of this very drastic general charge.
4.
With regard to the first of these the Guild state
that they "have information to the effect that, on the 18th.
The Secretary,
Chamber of Commerce.
June