COPY.
18
No.4945/1910.
Sir,
Colonial Secretary's Office,
Hong Kong,
5th May, 1932.
I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter of the 8th March, 1932, on the subject of the Brewin Charity and in reply to inform you that this
has received the careful consideration of His Excellency
the Governor. The legal position has been examined by
the Attorney General and I feel that I cannot do better
than enclose a copy of his minute on the subject. I also enclose in illustration of this minute a copy of the rele-
vant portion of the deed of Trust in case this should not be now in your possession. This opinion will I hope satisfy you that the legal difficulties which you anticipate
are not now likely to arise.
2. There remains to be considered the point which you raise regarding the unsymmetrical distribution of the Fund. In this connection it should perhaps be explained that the item which appears in the statement of expenditure published in the annual report of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs as "charity for widows and orphans" includes grants made from time to time to male recipients; and that the "Old People's Home" managed by the Little Sisters of the Poor which receives an annual grant from the Fund admits both men and women; but in general, apart from the point made by the Attorney General regarding the language of the deed of Trust, it has been found in practice that male candidates for relief are comparatively few or are such as can conveniently be dealt with on other lines than by the grant of a pension.
A. W. Brewin, Esq., C.M.G.,
c/o Martins Bank Ltd.,
Settle,
Yorkshire,
ENGLAND.
It