CONFIDENTIAL.
Hongkong.
My Lord,
C.O.
30923
RECP
371
Tre 16 SEP 09
Government House,
Hongkong, 13th August, 1909.
Gov 30876
Enclosures
With reference to the letter from the Chief Justice, dated the 19th ultimo, a copy of which has been forwarded to Your Lordship under cover of my Despatch No. 234 of even date, I have the honour to state that, as the remarks made by His Honour in that letter and supported by the attached list of cases in which a trial by Jury had been applied for and refused appears at first sight to go far towards justifying the conclusion drawn by the Chief Justice "that the case for the alteration of the law put forward by the Chamber of Commerce is not borne out by the facts"; I accordingly referred the letter to that body for any explanation they might wish to make and I requested the views of the Attorney-General and Crown Solicitor upon it, and I attach their replies.
The Chamber's reply is enclosed in my Despatch referred to above.
RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL OF CREWE,
&C...
800 - 1
On 4th instant the Honourable