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contention in his letter of 20th January, 1909, that he
had been unfairly treated, and said that nothing remained
except for him to petition the King, which (he said)
would be a very serious matter indeed and would involve
a reference of the whole question to the Privy Council. I
enquired what it was precisely that he wished me to do,
I had pointed out in my letter of January 29th, that I
could not re-open a question which had been referred to the
Secretary of State and upon which Your Lordship had given
a final decision. He said that that decision was based on
the advice of legal authorities at the Colonial Office
whom he did not recognise as superior to himself. That he
desired was that the question should be submitted to some
one higher in the legal profession than himself and I
gathered that he desired that I should support this view
in forwarding his despatch to Your Lordship.
5.
As I presume this interview was
sought in order that I should convey to Your Lordship the
very strong view entertained by the Chief Justice of the
gravity of this matter (though I have refrained from
quoting the expressions of which he made use in emphasizing
those views), and to invoke my friendly offices in urging
upon Your Lordship the course which he desires, and to
inform