गध
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526
a report of the observations I made
on the 29th Eustant when laying
the table
F
the Legislative Council
all the Correspondence,
Minutes
of
beecutive Council and ther repers,
relating to
every
case recommended
for deportation since my arrival
in the Colony
I have the honor to be,
Sir Your most Obedient Auruble Sewant
C
I
L
Houghtons.
"Daily Press = 30th May, 1879-
DEPORTATION.
His FXCELLENCY said that before sitting down be would call their attention to another question in connection with the administration of justice, upon which a wonderful missppre. hension had prevailed. They were aware Mr. Lowcoek gave notice of motion on the 21st Re- cember, 1878, for the correspondeuce between the Governor, the Magistrates, and the Police de- partment about deportation. That motion ho agreed to and he now laid upon the table all the dorrespondence. In doing so he would mention that on the 24th of last month Mr. Towcock wrote to the Colonial Secretary, saying-
MR. Lowcock TO COLONIAL, SECRETARY.
Hongkong, 24th April, 1879. SIR, Being about to leave the Colony for some months, I have respectfully to request you to inform me whether the correspondence I had the honour to move for at the Legislative Council on 21st December last, and which His Excellency the Governor theu expressed his willingness to have placed on the table, has been prepared yet, as I am most auxious to have an opportunity of seeing it before my departure. For full particulars of the correspondence asked for, I would beg reference to the Government Gazette of 2nd January, 1879.-I am, &c.
(Sigued) HENRY LOWCOCK. The Honourable W. H. Marsh, Colonial Secretary, &c., &c., &c.
Upon that there is a minute of mine which I will read. But in the meantime this official answer was sent to Mr. Lowcook--
COLONIAL SECRETARY TO MR. Lowcock.
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong,
28th April, 1979.
Sra, in reply to your letter of 24th instant, requesting me to inform you whether the correspond ence which you moved for in Legislative Council on 21st December last has been prepared yet, I have thei honour to state that this correspondence is not yet quict ready.
you
I am authorised, however, by his Excellency to íu. form you that he hopes to be able to lay the papers relating to Deportation before the next meeting of the Legislative Council, and I am to add that if will do him the favour of calling at Government House he will be very happy to put them into your handa and let you see the various minutes and ordere issued in deportation cases from September 1876 to the present dato.I have. Sc.,
(Signed) W. H. MARSH,
Colonial Secretary.
The Honourable Heary Lowoook. Furthermore, there was a little semi-official note which Mr. Marsh addressed to Mr. Lowcock in these terms-
MR. MARSH TO MR. Lowcock,
Hongkong, 28th April, 1879. MY DEAR SIR,I send you an official reply to your letter on the subject of deportation. I understand; from the Governor that he lead a satisfactory inter- view with you yesterday on this subject, and that in fact the latter part of my letter has been already acted on.
All the papers are, howevar, ready for your perusal again if you wish to see them.--I am, &c.,
(Signed) W. H. MARSU. The Honourable Henry Lowcock.
Upon Mr. Lowooek's first letter was this minute of mine-
MINCTE BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR In accordance with the request Mr. Lowcook makes in this letter, I gave him an opportunity of seeing the whole of the papers and correspondence relating to every case of deportation from April, 1877, to gent du e. Mr. Lowcock went carefully through those to the pre. documents, as well as some others of an earlier date. Having done so he said he was perfectly satisfied, and that if he had been in my place he would have acted in
every case precisely as I had done. H thanked me for having allowed him to read minutes of the Executive Council and legal opinions, in addi- tion to the correspondeuce for which he had moved, and he said it was now clear to his wind that I had arted according to law and to the instructions of Her Majesty's Government in dealing with deportation
(Signed) J. POPE HENNESSY.
casos.
27th April, 1879. Well, it afforded me no small satisfaction to know that an hon. gentleman who had been for a long time labouring under grave misapprehen sions-but, as I told him, because he did not come to me and ask to see those papers, I then would have put before him all the papers tat were before the police committee and doen. ments going back to the earliest history of the colony, but it was only at the last moment that he did that frankly, which I hope every womber of the Council will do, e me to me as the head of the Executive, not go behind my back, but come to me frankly and say "I should like to see the do- enauts. Theroare no documents kept back from the members of this Council. No doubt I have showu Mr. Lowcock miuntes of the Executive Connell which ought not to be printed, but I have no objection to let any gentlemen sen these documents, and it is satisfactory to know a gentleman who laboured under a wrong im- | pression simply because he did not do me the hooour of pulling to see me at an earlier date, was satisfied with my action in that matter. -His Excellency then entered into a long expla nation of his action with regard to deportation, staling that every man had been deported whose case was considered by the Executive Council to requiredeportation and whose sentence was legal according to the opinion of the Attorney-General. The only ease as to which Mr. Lowcook dis- agreed with him was one where he had deported a man whose offence the late Mr. May, one of the metabers of the Executive Council, considered too trivial to call for deportation; Mr. Lowsock agreed with Mr. May. His Excellency e 4- oluded by inviting observations from hon. mem- bers.
Hon. W. KESWICK -I would just remark that until after a perusal of the documents it would be premature to express any opinion in sontradiction to what your Excellency has ex- pressed so fully and so satisfactorily.
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