CO129-259 - Governor Sir Robinson - 1893 [5-8] — Page 446

Sir,

Enclosure 3,

0.0.

15922

Hon: T. H. Whitehead to Colonial Secretary,

Per 19 SEP 33!

411

Hong-Kong 25th July 1893.

I have the honour to acknowleage receipt of your

letter of the 24th instant informing me, by airection of

His Excellency the Governor, of the composition of the Com-

mittee of Enquiry into the Expenditure of the Colony, of

which I have been appointed a member.

I greatly regret to say that I cannot accept the

appointment. I am very sorry that I cannot take part in any

Committee or Commission on the subject, which does not con-

sist, in the main, of members unconnected with the Govern-

ment service. I agree on the whole with His Excellency the

Governor in his opinion expressed in the 17th paragraph of

his despatch of the 17th January last to the Right Honour–

able the Marquis of Ripon, that the best possible Commission

would be one consisting entirely of persons unconnected

with the Colony, but if we cannot have such a thoroughly

independent and unprejudiced bogy to conduct the investiga-

tion, then we should have what the Unofficial Members of

Council have unanimously asked for,now four times in succes.

sion, with the full approval and support of the Community,

that is a Committee or Commission of the character and com-

position of that appointed to look into the Treasury frauos.

When I movea for such a Committee I dia so with a full know-

leage of the work to be done, and of the difficulties to be

encounter eu