20.137.
Hongkong.
Confidential
See Desp No 14.8
1
5 June attached
[RECEIVED]
C 3 404 23273
1 JUL 07
Government House,
Hongkong, 29th May, 1907.
Enclosure 1.
[April, 1907]
My Lord,
I have the honour to inform Your Lordship that in April of last year Sir Matthew Nathan in a minute, copy of which is enclosed, decided to appoint a Committee of the Unofficial Members of the Sanitary Board to report on the subject of the administration of the Sanitary Laws and of the existence of corruption in the Sanitary and Public Works Departments.
Subsequently it was recognised that in order to prosecute an investigation into corruption the wider powers of a Commission were necessary. A Commission was, therefore, issued and a lawyer Mr. H. E. Pollock, K.C. was appointed its Chairman. Unfortunately, after the first formal meeting of the Commission, Mr. Pollock felt compelled to resign owing to pressure of professional business, and Mr. E. A. Hewett took his place as Chairman.
The Right Honourable
The Earl of Elgin, K.G.,
&C. &C.
&C.
Mr.