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as well on the Continent and in America as among ourselves. Every British heart was animated, when that intelligence reached us, with a desire to give a most hearty welcome to our Sailor Prince. Distant though we are from England, and limited in numbers, still our hearts are large, and I am sure no hearts beat with greater loyalty than those of the residents of Hongkong. I beg to return, on behalf of this community, most heartfelt thanks to His Royal Highness for the honour he has done us in proposing this toast, and at the same time, to assure His Royal Highness that, wherever he goes, he will take with him the best wishes of a loyal and dutiful community." A general rising of the guests here occurred, and amid excessive cheering, there were heard the well-known words "for he's a jolly good fellow, &c."
The Chairman then proposed "The health of His Excellency the Governor," remarking that the genial face of Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell was sufficient to ensure its reception with enthusiasm.
His Excellency the Governor rose and said: "Your Royal Highness, Ladies, and Gentlemen; When your hearts and thoughts must naturally be engrossed with matters entirely distinct from anything affecting the individual who addresses you, it is pleasant to find you can nevertheless give so cordial a greeting to the toast proposed by the Chairman. My position entails many difficulties, but it has also some privileges; and I gladly avail myself now of this opportunity to convey to His Royal Highness, on my own behalf and on yours, the assurance of the loyal and hearty satisfaction which pervaded this community at the prospect of his visit, and the still greater satisfaction which his actual arrival has afforded. (loud cheers.) His Royal Highness may rest assured that under any circumstances you would be proud to see
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amongst you a son of your Queen, whose name is so connected with the most hallowed sympathies and associations of English domestic life, and equally identified throughout the world with the most sacred principles of political and civil liberty. (great cheering.) Still there are personal reasons why in the case of our illustrious visitor you should regard him with special favour. Most of you have no doubt brought with you so much of the national insular instincts of your English home, that without in the least disparaging the noble sister profession, your hearts warm naturally to the Blue Jackets, with whom are associated so many of the illustrious achievements of English history, and on whom at present depends mainly the security and prestige of the British Empire; a fact nowhere more thoroughly appreciated than here. (loud cheers.) His Royal Highness will therefore find that he is all the more welcome for coming amongst us as our "Sailor Prince." (cheers.) There is however another, and a very sound, healthy reason also, why this community at least should unite in rendering honour and respect to their guest. This is unquestionably a community of hard working men, as is proved by the fact that, in little more than a quarter of a century, the magnificent City around us has been constructed on a site, which, as Admiral Keppel so lately told us, had once been officially reported as capable of affording a good natural position for only one house (laughter.) Nevertheless, the noble and picturesque Harbour beneath the windows of the hall, in which we are assembled, already receives from and sends forth annually to all parts of the world upwards of four millions of tons of shipping. (hear, hear.) Such results, therefore, in so brief a period proves the Hongkong Community to be composed of working men, and consequently they might be expected to appreciate in others a similar capacity for work. For that reason, I have much pleasure in welcoming His Royal
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as well on the Continent and in America as among our- selves. Every British heart was animated, when that intelligence reached us, with a desire to give a most hearty welcome to our Sailor Prince. Distant though we are from England, and limited in numbers, still our hearts are large, and I am sure no hearts beat with greater loyalty than those of the residents of Hongkong. I beg to return, on behalf of this community, most heartfelt thanks to His Royal Highness for the honour he has done us in proposing this toast, and at the same time, to assure His Royal Highness that, wherever he goes, he will take with him the best wishes of a loyal and dutiful community." A general rising of the guests here occurred, and amid excessive cheering, there were heard the well-known words "for he's a jolly good fellow, &c."
The Chairman then proposed "The health of His Excellency the Governor," remarking that the genial face of Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell was sufficient to ensure its reception with enthusiam.
His Excellency the Governor rose and said: "Your Royal Highness, Ladies, and Gentlemen; When your hearts and thoughts must naturally be engrossed with matters entirely distinct from anything affecting the indi- vidual who addresses you, it is pleasant to find you can nevertheless give so cordial a greeting to the toast proposed by the Chairman. My position entails many difficulties, but it has also some privileges; and I gladly avail myself now of this opportunity to convey to His Royal Highness, on my own behalf and on yours, the assurance of the loyal and hearty satisfaction which per- vaded this community at the prospect of his visit, and the still greater satisfaction which his actual arrival has afforded. (loud cheers.) His Royal Highness may rest assured that under any circumstances you would be proud to see
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amongst you a son of your Queen, whose name is so connected with the most hallowed sympathies and associa- tions of English domestic life, and equally identified throughout the world with the most sacred principles of political and civil liberty. (great cheering.) Still there are personal reasons why in the case of our illustrious visitor you should regard him with special favor. Most of you have no doubt brought with you so much of the national insular instincts of your English home, that without in the least disparaging the noble sister profession, your hearts warm naturally to the Blue Jackets, with whom are asso- ciated so many of the illustrious achievements of English history, and on whom at present depends mainly the se- curity and prestige of the British Empire; a fact no where more thoroughly appreciated than here. (loud cheers.) His Royal Highness will therefore find that he is all the more welcome for coming amongst us as our "Sailor Prince." (cheers.) There is however another, and a very sound, healthy reason also, why this community at least should unite in rendering honour and respect to their guest. This is unquestionably a community of hard working men, as is proved by the fact that, in little more than a quarter of a century, the magnificent City around us has been cons- tructed on a site, which, as Admiral Keppel so lately told us, had once been officially reported as capable of affording a good natural position for only one house (laughter.) Nevertheless, the noble and picturesque Harbour beneath the windows of the hall, in which we are assembled, already receives from and sends forth annually to all parts of the world upwards of four millions of tons of shipping. (hear, hear.) Such results, therefore, in so brief a period proves the Hongkong Community to be composed of work- ing men, and consequently they might be expected to appreciate in others a similar capacity for work. For that reason, I have much pleasure in welcoming His Royal
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