MINUTES.
न
MINUTES NOT TO BE WRITTEN ON THIS SIDE.
Ford Ripon
MONG
Downing Street,
Sir,
23 August 1894.
240
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt.
of your despatch No.133 of the 5th of June last enclos- ing a petition addressed to the House of Commons by various residents at HongKong praying for an amendment
of the constitution of the Colony.
2.
This petition was forwarded to you by Mr.
Whitehead, Member of the Legislative Council, and though, among his colleagues in the Council, Mr. Keswick and
Mr. Belilios have refused to sign it, it bears the
signatures of Mr. Chater and Dr. Hokai both members of
the Council, of Mr. Jackson Lanager of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank and of other leading residents.
I am therefore bound to assume that it is the matured
conviction of at least a considerable proportion of the
most influential members of the community, that con-
stitutional changes are desirable at HongKong and that for the present Crown Colony system should be substituted some measure of self government. It is my duty to examine the arguments which have been brought forward, with care and attention; and I should be wanting in
courtesy if I did not give full answer to a petition. which is far reaching in its scope and which has been
strongly supported.
3. The Petitioners have addressed themselves to
the House of Commons, as they have of course every right
to do. From this it is natural to infer that they
consider that they have grounds for discontent, which
the Secretary of State is unwilling or unable to remove,
that
and they wish to emphasise in a suitable and reasonable
manner the objections which they feel to the existing
system
і