604
to the Memorandum and to the Minutes by the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies.
The papers were referred to the Board of Trade by the Colonial Office and the second mentioned confidential memorandum was prepared, a copy of which was forwarded by the President of the Board of Trade to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and it was then arranged that the Solicitor to the Board of Trade should take the opinion of the Law Officers.
It will be observed that in the latter Memorandum the question is raised by the Solicitor to the Board whether sections 10 and 14 of Hong Kong Ordinance No. 1 of 1889 actually prohibit the Governor from granting a licence to a particular ship and for a particular voyage for the conveyance of indentured coolies to a foreign country.
The Governor of Hong Kong has apparently been advised that the law has this effect, but, as shown in the Board of Trade Memorandum, it appears to be very doubtful whether the prohibition does not extend only to the grant of a general licence and not to the grant of a licence for a particular ship and voyage.
(2)