and consideration he has extended to the Consu- lar service. (Applause). When we listen to the story which has been told to-night of this quarter of a century of continual service in those colonie which England has established from one ex- tremity of the world to the other, gathering the rewards of commerce and pouring them into her lap from every olime, we recognise a gentleman who can look back to the record of a well spont life and who may safely leave his reputation in the hands of those who have known him so well and who can return to his country with the full assurance of being met with "Well done, good and faithful servant." (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN-Gentlemen, the next toast is one that I am sure you will heartily join and is to be proposed by my hon. friend Mr. Sassoon. Hon. F. D. SASSOON-I am somewhat at a loss to understand why the honour of proposing | a toast should have been placed in ny hands this evening, when I see so many more capable men than myself present; but relying upon your kind indulgence I feel happy that the toast allotted to me ia one bound to be well received had it even been proposed at an earlier hour of the evening. At this period, judging from the jovial faces I see around me, it will, I am sure, be received with acclamation. (Applause). Yes, gentlemen, I consider that my toast this even- ing is certainly the most important one~(cheers) -next to those of her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Family--and I do not even except the principal toast of the evening. Compared to my toast, the Governor, the Army and Navy, and the Auxilliary Forces, are all as nanght-ap- plause) and when I tell you that I am about to propose the health of the ladies you will readily understand what I mean. (Cheers). What would His Excellency be without the ladies P (laughter and cheets)--without them, I may con- fidently say, wesbould not have had any Governor, any Ariny, any Navy, or even any Major Tripp with his Auxilliary Forces. (Laughter and cheers), Still, gentlemen, when our worthy Chairman insisted upon my proposing the health of the fair sex I was somewhat taken aback by the cow- prehensive magnitude of the toast. Am I to propose the health of the ladies generally, the ladies of all the world-(yes, yes,or of our lo- cal beauties only? After a little consideration, between the courses, I have determined upon grasping this difficult question in its broader sense; and why? Gentlemen, when drinking to the health of the ladies, although those im- mediately, surrounding us may for the moment be uppermost in our thoughts-(cheers)-I am sare that the minds of all of us must wandor to some of those fair ones at home-(cheers)- whom we so respect and admire, and in this little foreign community I am certain that most of us this evening will involuntarily think of that lady who for many months, until her health failed her, dispensed the hospitality at Govern- ment House (cheers)-with so much dignity. so much grace, and so much kindliness of manner that she won the respectful regard of all. (Cheers). Lady Bowen, whilst far away from out little island, did not forget how desirable it was to have some one to fill her place in Hongkong- (cheers)---someone to represent her at Govern- ment House and to act as hostess at those enter- tainmenta we have all so often enjoyed. (Cheers), Gentlemen, she had not far to look for an able re- presentative. (Loud cheers). Miss Bowen, who has lately returned to us, bas, I am sure, endeared herself to the commanity generally in a way that I may say has never been surpassed in this Colony-loud cheers)-and her approaching de- parture will, I am sure, be deeply regretted by all of us. (Cheers) I think this is the first time, gentlemen, in the annals of our Colony, when we have asked the ladies to submit themselves to the infliction of our after-dinner speeches, and we find them here this evening trying with their lively glances to inspire as with some new and brilliant ideas. (Applause). I only wish it were the custom for ladies to speak at these enter- tainments, for I should then call upon the owner of one bright face that I see here to return! thanks for this toast, for I am sure she would
do it in a much more eloquent manner than I have been able to propose ::. As this is, however, impossible, I must ask her brother, Mr. George Bowen-loud cheers to do so instead. Gentle- men, I now call upon you to drain a bumper with me, upstanding, to the healths of those whom we all like better even than ourselves--the ladies! (Load cheers.)
Band- Here's a health to our good Lasses.” Lient. BowEN-Gentlemen, I am surprised at being called upon to rotarn thanks for the ladies. (No, no). It is, I suppose, because I am! the youngest man present and therefore most susceptible to the charms of the fair sex.- (Laughter & applause). In returning thanks for the ladies of Hongkong (cheers)-I must say I am sorry I have not had longer time to make ac- quaintance with such charming ladies as all will acknowledge those of Hongkong to be. (Cheers). I thank you on their behalf for the most authn- siastic manner in which you have drank their health, (cheers).
Mr. MACEWEN said-Mr. Chairman and gen- tlemen, I have much pleasure in rising to pro- pose the last, but I think on that account by no moans the least interesting, toast of the many that have preceded it this evening, a toast also that I feel will require bat few words from me to commend it to your favourable consideration- the health of our distinguished Chairman, Chief Justios Sir George Phillippo, who has so kindly and ably presided upon this occasion. (Cheers). I am free to confess that in framing these few: words I feel a certain hesitation, because having enjoyed the acquaintanceship and friendship of Sir George Phillippo for a good many years past in this colony I think I am sufficiently a0- quainted with his character to be aware that if ! in his opinion those few words contained too much butter I should run a considerable risk of losing his acquaintanceship and a downright certainty of his friendship, and I shall therefore be careful to see that they contain nothing but facts. (Cheers.) Facts, gentlemen, are stub. born things, and I do not think in this instance even a Chief Justice will be able to get over them. (Laughter). I would say that we as a com- mersial and loyal community recognise in our Chief Justice an able and zealous servant of the Crown who has filled with marked ability and suc- cess various high judicial appointments in several of Her Majesty's Colonial possessions, and, fur- thar, that we as colonists recognise in his charao- ter certain traits which as regards all public men who are called upon to fill high and important positions are quickly spotted in the East, and mora particularly in China. At any rate they are bound to find favour in a British colony like. Hongkong; indeed, not only in a British colony like this, but I would say with communities in all distant possessions of Her Majesty where those of various nationalities, creeds, and classes, are mingled, and those are straightforwardness, i sincerity, earnestness in his official and in his social careers; these characteristics which in some men are innate and which command and de- serverespect and esteem from all classes. (Cheers). I noticed in the Daily Press to-day that there was some idea of our Chief Justice leaving us for Singapore, and I sincerely trust there is no truth in it. We have already sent one distinguished officer to Singapore and I sincerely trust they will not take another from us. (Cheers), Now, gentlemen, we have heard the alo- quent speeches of His Excellency the Governor and my friend Mr. Jackson regarding the pros- perity commercially and politically of this "Dot in the Ocean" as it was once described by the predecessor of Sir George Phillippo, and after listening to those speeches and particularly Mr. Jsokson's, I can imagine if we could transport ourselves into the harbour and have a look at this Dot we should find the island dancing an Irish jig on the sly. (Laughter). I am sure commani- cation has gone on with other "little Dots such as Mauritius, Ceylon, and Singapore pretty much to this effect:You are bigger than I am and doubtless consider yourselves bigger swells, but I can tell you your commaros is not so large. You have not so many ships; you are not half so beautiful; you have not got a Governor who has i
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