CO129-188 - Governor Hennessy - 1880 [5-6] — Page 213

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209

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"by the Legislature of Hongkong - no4 of 1872 to make provision

for the Branding

and Banishment

of criminals in certain cases, a copy of which was forwarded to me in Sir Richard Macdonnell's

despatch N. 987 of the 11th of April. "I have felt considerable -- difficulty in advising Her Majesty

"

to

4

give her assent to

a measure

"of this nature, but having regard

"to the situation of Honghong which

4

renders it necessary

"

4

to take

extraordinary measures to

prevent it from being overwhelmed "by a flood of criminals from

the mainland, and that the

༎

15.

"Criminal is himself to give his- consent to being marked or branded and is to be released

if he does so consent, I arrived

"at the conclusion that Her

r

Majesty might be recommended

to confirm the Ordinance."

My predecessor, Sir Arthur Kennedy appears to have been struck by the doubt and reluctance with which Lord Kimberley confirmed the Ordinance and he accordingly

of

adopted the unusual course diresting that Lord Kimberley's despatch should not be made Known to the members of

the

Legislative Council. The following