CO129-256 - Governor Sir Robinson - 1892 [8-12] — Page 540

t

: 536

every point of view and to the

(

prizsibility, remote perhaps, of

attenchting to regain it, I cannot

imagine that it will ever be found feasible

China.

a

is allow it to cease to be

"Crown Colony" in the strict sense

of the word.

But if for reasons

which do not occur to me it should

ever be decided to alter the constitu-

-tion, it is hardly conceivable that

Anyt

a merk

it should be so atured as to place the

power of governing in the hand of the kon. Chinese residents. They handful in comparison with the Chinese population of the island, their interests are often antagonistic to those of the

latter,

latter, they do not settle here, and their only concern in the place is to

make a

Competency in it as

quickly

as possible and then to leave it. There considnations are in my opinion fatal to the realization of the scheme of but Whitehead and his party.

if the spirit of the

age

eveu

did noth

forbid it. If the effective power of

governing were ever withdrawn from

the Government, which under the Existing constitution practically

governs in the interests of the whole Community and especially safeguards

the rights of the indigenous population,

it would have to be transferred to

the people.

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