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Again your Excellency earned the grati- tude of the entire community by the mas- terly manner in which you grappled with the financial difficulties brought about by unforeseen developments in the anti-opium policy of His Majesty's Government.. (Applause.) The task of readjusting the burden of taxation was carried out by you with every evidence of a desire to meet the wishes and study the needs of all whose interests were affected by the changes thus rendered necessary. The imposition of new taxes which inevitably causes friction was reduced to a minimum by your considerate methods. The Colony's budget for the present year bears eloquent testimony to the wisdom of your financial measures. (Applause.)
The importance to the Colony of push- ing forward the undertakings of the Public Works Department has been fully re- cognised by your Excellency, and you have had the satisfaction of witnessing the completion of the Kowloon Reservoir, the Post Office and the Courts of Justice. It will not be forgotten that the construc tion of the Harbour of Refuge at Yaumati was initiated during the period of your Governorship, aud that the work on the Tytam Extension was begun.
Not only in conducting the internal affairs of the Colony have you exercised the legislative, financial, and executive functions of your high office with con- spicuous ability; not only have you thus inspired confidence and compelled esteem: you have also won well-merited popularity by making yourself accessible to all who sought to represent their views.
(Ap- plause.) Furthermore, you have brought to bear upon the external relations of the Colonial Government qualities of states- manship eminently calculated to promote friendly understanding and to pave the way for mutually advantageous arrange- wents. One such mutually advantageous arrangement was arrived at by your Ex- cellency in connection with the Prelimin- ary Agreement under which the British and Chinese Sections of the Kowloon-Can- ton Railway are now harmoniously work- ing together. (Applause.)
Over and above these, and a host of other most arduous official duties, you have taken upon yourself, with all the en- thusiasm of a labour of love, the study and encouragement of our educational sys- teni. To improve and expand it you have laboured indefatigably, and we rejoice to think that in taking leave of these labours you should have the satisfaction of seeing them crowned by the opening of the new University, (Applause.)
the
The University is your Excellency's creation. It owes its existence to your initiative and tenacity of purpose. these it is a monument.
To. to the beneficent aims of British Rule- It is a monument a sign that the King's Representatives en- courage high aspirations among peoples committed to their care. Here, on the confines of China, where the prob- lems of Greater Britain touch the prob- lems of an ancient civilization, now in the throes of re-adjustment to the conditions of modern progress, the responsibilities of the King's Representative are great; and, because you have discharged indeed them greatly, we derive, at parting, satis- faction from the thought that your services are not being lost to the Empire-(loud applause)--but that you are returning to.
West Africa to consolidate the govern- ment of those wide realms with which History will ever associate your name. (Ap- plause.) In setting out for them you carry away from here the good wishes of a community united in gratitude toward your Excellency. also toward Lady Lugard.
Our gratitude goes out secret--you have made it none-that you It is no and she are one in all things; and, as she participates in your triumphs, so you par ticipate in womanly benevolence, and shining intel- her's triumphs won by lectual and social gifts. (Applause.) That you may both live long, to devote to the nobler ends of public service the life you share, is our earnest hope in bidding you farewell. (Loud applause.)
The Address was enclosed in a black- wood box with gold mountings, and was inscribed on a scroll backed with blue The lid of the box bore the
morocco.
crest of the Colony in gold.
After the Address had been formally handed over to His Excellency, Sir Paul -Chater presented to Lady Lugard a magnificent floral basket adorned with pink and heliotrope ribbous.
THE GOVERNOR'S REPLY.
HIS EXCELLENCY, on rising to reply, was received with a great ovation, which evidently affected both Lady Lugard and himself. He said:---Sir, The Address which you have just read has completely overwhelmed me, and I can find no words in which to thank you. The occasion no doubt is one which excuses some excess in kindly appreciations, but in the terms in which you have used to describe my work here I cannot recognise any descrip- tion of myself. If, as you have kindly said, it is true that my tenure of office has been moderately successful, there is no one who is more aware than I am that the secret lies in the cordial co-operation and in the ability of the colleagues, both official and unofficial, with whom it has been my privilege to be associated in this Colony. Sir, I feel it is I who ought to be presenting this address to you and not to me, for 1 have to thank my colleagues for their unfailing courtesy and ready | advice and the whole community for the personal friendliness and kindness which has made every day's work in this Colony a pleasure to me. For my own part I can only say that I have done my level best and I have not spared hard work in my endeavour to discharge the duties of my office. (Applause.) Sir, in the mention which you have made to my wife you have tonched a note which vibrates in me. It is an abiding regret to both of us that she has been unable through ill-health to play her part here as she would have wished to have played it by my side every i day that I have been in this Colony, and therefore you can only faintly realise how keen has been her interest in everything