CO129-192 - Governor Hennessy - 1881 [1-4] — Page 472

The Daily Press. HONGKONG, APRIL 11TH, 1881.

PRESENTATION OF AN ADDRESS TO SIR JOHN SMALE.

A public address was presented to Sir John Smale, Chief Justice of Hongkong, at the City Hall, on Saturday afternoon. There was a considerable attendance, but much disappointment was expressed by many who were not present owing to no proper intimation of the holding of the meeting having been made. The attendance included a large proportion of Indians and some Chinese, and most of the European firms were represented by their chief partners.

The Chief Justice was met at the door of the Hall, by the Hon. P. Ryrie, Hon. W. Keswick, Mr. Justice Snowden, Mr. Hayllar, Q.C., and Messrs. Hoppias, Dalrymple, Belilios, Sassoon, Attonjee, and Braddon, who conducted his Lordship to the platform.

The address was presented by the Hon. P. RYRIE, who said—Sir John, I experienced much satisfaction when the pleasing duty was allotted to me of presenting to you the numerously signed address which I now hold in my hand and which I shall presently read. It has been my privilege to number you and the members of your family among my friends since the year 1861, and during that time the relations between us have been most cordial. I only regret that they are now to be severed by your departure for England, but I hope they may be renewed in our native country before long. That the departure of yourself and Lady Smale from this colony will be felt as a loss to our social circle, everyone I am sure will agree with me. Yourself and your amiable partner have done much to make residence in this colony agreeable by a most liberal dispensation of hospitality at your own residence and by assisting at our gatherings whether of a private, public, or semi-public character. As a most liberal donor to all charities and a subscriber to educational and missionary movements in this colony you will also be a great loss. In the Legislative Council, I have now been associated with you for fifteen years, and I am therefore able to state how conscientiously you have performed your duties as a member of that body, and as an unofficial member I have a grateful recollection of the manner in which you, from your seat in the Council, supported us, the unofficial members, when bringing forward views for the public benefit. (Hear, hear.) It is true that by an order of the Secretary of State you were debarred from voting save with the Executive, but, notwithstanding that, we on many occasions felt your sympathies were with us. I need not refer here and now to the performance of your duties as Attorney-General and Chief Justice. One gentleman, much more competent than I to form an opinion and more able to express it, addressed you yesterday in the Supreme Court in the name of the members of the legal profession in the Colony. That address I was very glad, and I am sure many here were glad, to read in the newspaper this morning. If you will now permit me, Sir John, I will read this address.—(Applause.)—

The hon. gentleman then read the address as follows:—

To the Honourable Sir JOHN SMALE, Knight, Chief Justice of Hongkong.

SIR,—We, the undersigned Residents of Hongkong, desire, upon your approaching departure, to express the high sense we entertain of your public services as Attorney General and Chief Justice successively of this Colony.

To the administration of these offices you have brought not only high legal attainments, great acumen and a judgment ripened by long experience, but have been still more honourably distinguished by your strong sense of justice and pure sympathy with the right.

Mainly dealing, as the Supreme Court has to do, with a population alien to ourselves in race, language, and customs, the duty imposed on you of presiding at trials, both civil and criminal, protracted, and of the highest importance, has been one of exceptional difficulty. Of the success of your administration of the law, facts speak more than words; and in the increasing prosperity of the Colony, in the numbers of persons of various races who daily flock here to seek home or fortune, in the security of life and property, and the diminution of serious crime, will be found the best record of your services.

In looking back over the many years of your laborious career there is no matter which we feel you must ever contemplate with special pride and gratification. We allude to the attitude you have firmly maintained towards slavery in whatever form and however disguised, and the nefarious trade in women and children so often carried on in this Colony for the most infamous of purposes. The fruition of your work in this direction is not yet complete, but the policy you have done so much to inaugurate and carry out will never cease to be honourably associated with your name.

Of your labours in the Legislative Council, of your connection with various public movements, of the sense of duty you have imported into all your public acts, we can say no better than that they afford a standard for all those who succeed you to be guided by. We now beg to bid you farewell, and finally wishing you a prosperous voyage and the enjoyment, for many tranquil years, of the repose you have so well earned, we subscribe ourselves, your sincere friends.

(Signed)

P. Ryrie, W. Keswick, F. B. Johnson, John Macgregor, T. Jackson, H. Hoppius, M. E. Sassoon, Chas. Kain, L. Beyer, G. de Champsaur, Wm. H. F. Darby, Alfred T. Manger, D. R. Crawford, H. W. Davis, A. McConachie, E. Schweblin, A. F. Smith, N. J. Ede, H. L. Dalrymple, W. Reiners, E. Vogel, J. A. dos Remedios, M. C. do Rozario, A. G. Komano, J. H. dos Remedios, Dalton Sayle, T. Chuter, J. T., J. P. C. da Boza, F. Snowden, F. D. San2000, W. Kerfoot Hughes, Chas. C. Cohen, G. B. Lammert, H. E. Braddon, Robt. McMurdo, Francisco A. Gomes, A. S. Gomes, M. D. E. R. Belilios, A. N. Judah, Α. ΜΟΙΤΟΣ, P. A. da Costa, f. A. da, J. Kennard Davis, Wr. Ross, Carl Beermann, J. Keigor, H. A. Wooluough, B. N. Meyer, H. G. James, Noble, T. G. Williamson, P. Chator, H. N. Mody, I. N. Moey, C. P., Geo. O. Scott, E. Mackintosh, J. Loureiro, A., A. da Silveira, C. Danenberg, Eça da Silva, Frederick Stewart, Thos. C. Hayllar, William Wotton, Victor H. Deacon, A. B. Johns012, Edmund Sharp, Alfred P. Stokes, Remedios, A. dos, A., Jorga, V. C. Rocha, A, Dauenberg, Harry, J. M., Wicking, Armstrong, D. Musso, F. Chastel, J. Euston, H, Squier, Kuhlmann, Schonberger, Bioh, Wm. Danby, W. E. H. Dann, W. M. Morgan, Samuel Hughes, William Legge, J. Y. V. Vernon, E. C. Ray, H. FORS, Ng Choy, J. J. Francis, William Hartigan, D. Buttunjes, Framjee H. Arjanee, D. M. Mehta, H. M. Mehte, D. Muncherjos, Dorabjee B. Tate, S. M. Mehta, E. C. Fallaniee, F. S. Lungraua, J. J. Arnasjoe, R. C., R. C., Nnzerally asset, Abdoolally, M., P. Eduljee, S. Moonya, Fazal Dharumsey, Hajee Ma, Mahomed, H. N. P. B. Cam, H. N. Cooper, B. Byramjes, S., bl., A. K., D., N. Saklatvala, F. D. Gnyder, M. E. Atėjee, H. A. Sherazie, H. M. 8. H. Esmail, R. Danjoe, Dadabhor, A. Camrondaen, Hosungjes, B. M. Nooroodia, ine Egmail, Hajee, H. Ahmed, Osman Esmail, A. K. A. Mahomed, E. N. Mehta, Patali-, Oma Goulam, Hossein, John Mahomed, A. Surdorkhan, E., M., Chio, Allarak, H. R. Hakim, M. B. Polishwalla, S. 1). Momshee, M Convalla, D. M. Conr, 9. F. Tamboly, S., DR, D. R. Billie, S. Rustomjee, C. B. Mehta, K. B. Mehta, S. Mereetanjos, M. M. Colgwall, 11, 19, B. d. Patell, H. Rustonjes, $. Marwareo, J. Marvard, J. Marnaree, H. Mahomed Reya, S. Cawasjen, Framjee Cawasjee, C., Taramohomed, S. B. Phabha, B. Khimj, C. P. M. Kurbullai, E. Khimjoe, A.., M, M. A., Tamatit Scar, Kacajera, P. Madar, A. R. Madar, M. H. Mader, Nathan, Daniel E. Caldwell, Rangel, J. Obaday, S. A Jayme, C., J. S. Judah, Marr, yor Bail, Dyor, Rose, Smith, F. W. Eastlacke, A. H. Ching, G. C. Cox, C. F. A. Sangster, Dorabjoe Nowrojes, Francis, encis A. Hazelaud, James L. Chalmers, A. Newton, F. Grobien, Luis Hauschild, R. G. Alford, E. F. Alford, E. Barnie.

The hon. gentleman remarked that there were still a number of signatures to be added to the list, which it was known would come.

The CHIEF JUSTICE, who was evidently suffering...

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