CO129-072 - Indviduals - 1858 — Page 243

That your Memorialist, notwithstanding such refusal,

Endeavoured for some time to contend against the difficulties in which he was placed, until, finding such growing greater, he subsequently took occasion to represent, with increased solicitation, to His Excellency Sir John Bowring the impossibility of any longer continuing to discharge his duties or support himself:

That His Excellency Sir John Bowring expressed his desire to have Memorialist state his requirements by letter addressed to the Colonial Secretary, which letter (No. 1 appended hereto) your Memorialist prepared and forwarded at the earliest moment permitted so to do by a temporary cessation of duties growing daily.

That such being done, His Excellency replied personally by expressing his regret at being unable to comply in any respect with your Memorialist's application, or to afford him any relief from the difficulties of his position; the tendency of His Excellency's observation being to discourage any hope of the Home Government's sanctioning any increase of salary or alteration of duties:

That, notwithstanding the want of success attending your Memorialist's aforesaid applications to Sir John Bowring & Mr. Mercer, your Memorialist was still most reluctant to resign the situation to which you were pleased to appoint him, and endeavoured, for a time, to contend against the difficulties created by the excess of duties and the utter inadequacy of his Salary to meet expenses, until finding it impossible to continue the struggle with any regard to the proper discharge of the public service, and acting on the advice of a practitioner of experience and degree of justice to himself or devotion to the public service, and acting in the furtherance (including your Memorialist's medical adviser, who considered Memorialist's health suffering from excess of labour rather than from effect of climate) your Memorialist was fully solicited to bring his case under your attention;

That your Memorialist respectfully begs to lay before you the letter (No. 2 appended hereto) to which, compelled by length of labour, your Memorialist was driven to tender his resignation to Sir John Bowring, where it is stated that living in Hong Kong was 100 to 200 per cent dearer than in England, from £400 per Annum, and where nearly all the actual necessaries of life are dearer. Your Memorialist alone - irrespective of family - would be £104 per annum, to maintain a small house, such as would suit your Memorialist's position in Hong Kong: "£150 per annum, to maintain your position: you will perceive how greatly and manifestly inadequate was the Salary of £250 per annum, as compared upon the lowest possible scale, and from it you will perceive the following Estimation of official Expenses which he has carefully prepared.

Your Memorialist begs leave to lay respectfully before you the following Estimate:

Salaries of one European Clerk and one Chinese Clerk.

On comparing the above Expenses and Income, he is willing to Estimate the few duties of Deputy Sheriff.