ADDRESS FROM THE SIKH COMMUNITY.
A deputation from the Sikh community presented a farewell address to His Ex- cellency at Government House on Thurs- day morning.
The Address was read by Mr. Mahan Singh and was afterwards handed to His Excellency in a handsomely carved ivory box. It was an follows:--
To His Excellency SIR FREDERICK DEALTRY LUGARD, G.C.M.G., O.B., D.S.O.. Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony of Hongkong and its de- pendencies and Vice-Admiral of the
saine.
May it please Your Excellency, Although numerically a small section of the Community that have had the honour and privilege of enjoying the beneficent rule of Your Excellency as the representa- tive of our King-Emperor, in this his most Eastern possession, the signed members of the Sikh Community under- crave leave upon the eve of Your Excel- lency's retirement from office in this Colony to say a few words of farewell.
As Your Excellency is no doubt aware, we belong to a race who have for genera- tions and generations served loyally in the cause of the mother Country, and we avail ourselves of this opportunity to assure Your Excellency that it will be our life- long endeavour to maintain the prestige of our ancestors in that loyalty and in- culcate in our children that self-same sense of homage.
We very much regret that Your Excel- lency is about to leave us: at the same time we know that Your Excellency is about to proceed to a larger sphere of usefulness to our King-Emperor and his vast dominions, and for this we are glad. We thank Your Excellency for the kind- ness and thoughtful consideration that Your Excellency has ever shown us, and for this we are truly grateful.
We wish Your Excellency all success in your new appointment and that God may grant to Your Excellency and your re- spected and esteemed consort all health and happiness and very many years of life.
Hongkong, the 14th day of March, 1912.
HIS EXCELLENCY in reply thanked the deputation most cordially for the kind sentiments they had expressed. He had a great admiration and love for the Sikhs, whose valour, loyalty and devotion were proverbial. He had known them in many parts of the world-in India and in the Soudan-and could personally testify to their gallantry under fire. In the Colony of Hongkong they rendered excellent ser- vice, both in the Colony and as Watch- men, and he hoped that when the time came for them to return to their homes they would carry with them well-merited success and live long to sustain their re- putation as loyal and devoted citizens of the King.
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