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exertions, that he thought it must add to their regret that Mr Rennie had not been more fortunate during the last week at the Races. (Laughter.) Like Hongkong residents in general, Mr Rennie had to endure the spectacle of all the good prizes going north to Shanghai.
He hoped, however, that their recent defeat would only nerve them to future victories, and as they had laid the foundation of their City Hall in days of depression, so, in the days of defeat, they would lay their plans to retain the next Challenge Cup at Hongkong. The winning of that costly prize reminded him that he differed from his Honble friend Mr Mercer, who was fond of comparing the Hongkong races to the Isthmian games of Greece. He did not think the recent winners would have been content with the Isthmian prize, a chaplet of withered parsley, a prize not much improved at the Nemean games, where, as well as he could remember, the victor was rewarded with green parsley. Indeed, when they called to mind that the classic victor seldom got anything but leaves,—laurel leaves at the Pythian, and olive leaves at the Olympic games,—many might think it rather fortunate that Hongkong only retained enough of classic precedent to turn over a new "lent" and give the winners solid and durable prizes of value. (Laughter.)
To conclude, however, and return to graver thoughts, he would ask them not to separate without permitting him in their name to express the hope that the new and beautiful edifice which they had that day commenced, might never be desecrated by the utterance within its walls of any disloyal sentiment from the lips of a British resident. They could not, of course, by any mere hope or wish, shape future events; still at such a moment there were wishes and feelings natural to them all, and he was not ashamed to give them utterance. In halls where public meetings were to be held in a free country, it would be idle to expect that there should not be at times much warmth of feeling and expression. They might, however, hope it would have reasonable limits, as became the warmth of true freedom which generates and vivifies, not the heat of turbulent license, which consumes and destroys.
They could not expect even that the intended ball room would be free from the jealousies and rivalries which lend sometimes more than ordinary interest to social gaieties, but they might wish at least a happy and fortunate ending to all such tender episodes. Above all, they would, he was sure, join him in the hope that the same sturdy self-relying spirit which had commenced the City Hall in the City's days of depression, would not desert the community, but be worthily maintained till it had achieved, ere the completion of the building, a return of the old prosperity, which he trusted might endure as long as the foundation which he had that day laid. In this hope he now called upon them to join in drinking "Prosperity to the New City Hall of Victoria."
The toast was drunk with enthusiasm, and the Company shortly afterwards separated.
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exertions, that he thought it must add
to their regret that Mr Rennie had not been more fortunate during the last week at the Races. (Laughter.) Like Hongkong residents in general, Mr Rennic had to endure the spectacle of all the good prizes going north to Shanghai.
He hoped, however, that their recent defeat would only nerve them to future victories, and as they had laid the foundation of their City Hall in days of depression, so, in the days of defeat, they would lay their plans to retain the next Challenge Cup at Hongkong. The winning of that costly prize reminded him that he differed from his Honble, friend Mr Mercer, who was fond of comparing the Hongkong races to the Isthmian games of Greece. He did not think the recent winners would have been content with the Isthmian prize, a chaplet of withered parsley, a prize not much improved at the Nemean games, where, as well as he could remem- ber, the victor was rewarded with green parsley. Indeed, when they called to mind that the classic victor seldom got anything but leaves,-laurel leaves at the Pythian, and olive leaves at the Olympic games,--- many might think it rather fortunate that Hongkong only retained enough of classic precedent to turn over a new "lent" and give the winners solid and durable prizes of value. (Laughter.) To conclude, however, and return to graver thoughts, he would ask them not to separate with out permitting him in their name to ex- press the hope that the new and beautiful edifice which they had that day commen- ced, might never be desecrated by the ut terance within its walls of any disloyal sentiment from the lips of a British re- sident. They could not, of course, by any inere hope or wish, shape future events; still at such a moment there were wishes and feelings natural to them all, and he was not ashamed to give them utterance. In halls where public meetings were to be held in a free country, it would be idle to expect that there should not be at times much warmth of feeling and ex- pression. They might, however, hope it would have reasonable limits, as became the warmth of true freedom which gene- rates and vivifies, not the heat of turbu lent license, which consumes and destroys. They could not expect even that the in- tended ball room would be free from the jealousies and rivalries which lend some- times more than ordinary interest to social gaieties, but they might wish at least a happy arid fortunate ending to all such tendor episodes. Above all, they would he was sure join him in the hope that the same sturdy self-relying spirit which had commenced the City Hall in the City's days of depression, would not desert the community, but be worthily maintained till it had achieved, ere the completion of the building, a re- turn of the old prosperity, which he trusted might endure as long as the foundation which he had that day laid. In this hope he now called upon them to join in drinking "Prosperity to the New City Hall of Victoria."
The toast was drank with enthusiasm, and the Company shortly afterwards separated.
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