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On the 8th. instant I received a
further telegram from Your Lordship to the effect that the
Government of Japan had asked that Hongkong should institute
more rigid control over boycott, to prevent intimidation by
organized societies: and statine that Your Lordship would
be glad if I would do all that I properly could to meet
the wishes of Japan, informing you beforehand, if I consid-
ered that any exceptional measures were necessary and re-
porting fully by despatch. To this message I replied by
telegram on the 11th. instant that active steps were being
taken to control the boycott.
4.
In point of fact no steps, except
those already reported to Your Lordship in my secret des-
patches of the 12th. and 25th. ultimo, were taken, until
at meeting of Executive Council held on the 23rd. instant,
it was advised (the General Officer Commanding and Mr. E.A.
Hewett being absent, and the Colonial Secretary dissenting)
that the proclamation issued under section 6 of Ordinance
10 of 1886 should be rescinded. Mr. Hewett, though not
present at the meeting, had intimated that he agreed to the
recission of the proclamation but would have liked to hear
the discussion in Council.
5.
The circumstances which led me to
take