and differences and the wholesale washing of dirty linen in a manner more suggestive of blatant rowdies than of experienced officials. Anything more unworthy of a man who poses as a diplomatist than the despatch to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, dated 17th January, 1893, and signed by Governor ROBINSON, it would be difficult to find in the whole official history of Hongkong, and we are greatly surprised that the Marquess of Ripon, in declining to accede to His Excellency's advice re the Retrenchment Commission, did not at the same time severely reprimand him for the unwarranted attacks he had made on certain of the Unofficial Members of Council. However, this latest official counterblast against the Hon. Mr. WHITEHEAD will probably have the desirable result of placing matters in this connection on a more satisfactory footing. A Government that is constantly laying itself open to ridicule by high-handed and arbitrary absolutism is bound to quickly find its proper level in these days.
It is difficult for any reasonable person to see a single really tangible reason why the formation of the Retrenchment Commission should have led to so much vexatious discussion and trouble. True it is that Governor ROBINSON most strongly opposed the appointment of any such Committee of Inquiry, on the ground that he saw no reason to alter his conviction that the appointment of such a Commission was unnecessary and undesirable; but surely that would not account for the extraordinary policy he has pursued since he received the Secretary of State's definite and distinct orders on the question? In his despatch dated the 17th April, 1893, the Marquess of Ripon said:---
"But whilst I am thus unable to meet the views of the Unofficial Members as to existing holders of office, I may observe that my attention has for some time been directed to less questionable methods of retrenchment. In my despatch of 24th October last I expressed myself in favour of abolishing certain of the higher appointments; and in my despatch No. 270 of 28th November last I approved certain considerable prospective decreases in the clerical establishments.
"I have further come to the conclusion that, notwithstanding what has already been decided in the direction of economy, additional advantage would be derived from instituting a comprehensive enquiry affecting all departments in the service, so that the facts and the possibilities of reduction in the future may be placed on record, and thus no opportunity of effecting retrenchment allowed to slip by.
"I desire therefore that you will appoint a Committee for this purpose, over which the Colonial Secretary or the Chief Justice might preside, with one or two other government officers and certain Unofficial Members of the Council as colleagues, it being clearly understood that the reference to the Committee does not extend to the question of reducing the salaries of existing officers."
There can be no mistake as to the Secretary of State's intentions. He considered a comprehensive enquiry affecting all departments in the Service necessary, so that no opportunity of effecting retrenchment should be allowed to slip by, and it is clearly evident that he meant that enquiry not to be a mere official farce. His lordship actually went the length of suggesting the personnel of the Commission—the Colonial Secretary or Chief Justice to preside, with one or two other Government officers and certain unofficial members of Council as colleagues. It has been alleged that Lord Ripon's instructions are somewhat ambiguous; but even allowing that—and any doubt on the point could at once have been removed by telegraphing to the Colonial Office—is it not a reasonable inference that the persons at whose direct instigation the Commission was appointed were intended to have a preponderating influence in the inquiry? That they had a right to be in a majority admits of no discussion. But Governor ROBINSON was apparently unwilling to allow the Unofficial Members to fairly participate in the fruits of their great triumph over official obstinacy and dogmatism, and his ukase went forth that the Commission should be constituted of Chief Justice FIELDING CLARKE (Chairman), Mr. R. M. RUMSEY, Harbour Master, Mr. May, Captain Superintendent of Police, and Mr. C. P. CHATER and Mr. T. A. WHITEHEAD, Unofficial Members of Council. What business qualifications the Harbour Master and the Captain Superintendent possess to qualify them for the positions they were thus pitchforked into may not be quite so apparent as would be desirable; but apart from that, there were special reasons which made it advisable that neither one nor the other should be on the Commission. But Mr. WHITEHEAD's chief point was that the officials should be in the minority; he declined to serve under any other circumstances, and he declines to do so now, with the result that Governor ROBINSON and Mr. Secretary O'BRIEN are attempting to hold the Hon. Member for the Chamber of Commerce responsible for the entire collapse of a Commission from whose labours everybody, even including the Secretary of State, anticipated such good results.
We have neither time nor space to wade through the lengthy correspondence, unnecessarily protracted for no useful end, and which finally degenerated into a thinly-veiled slanging match; the various letters speak for themselves, but we feel bound to express the opinion that Mr. WHITEHEAD has come out with flying colours from a controversy that reflects but little credit on either the Governor or the Colonial Secretary. And the end is not yet.
SIR,
CORRESPONDENCE.
COLONIAL SECRETARY TO HON. T. H. WHITEHEAD.
Colonial Secretary's Office,
Hongkong, 19th July, 1893.
I am directed to inform you that His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to appoint you a member of a Committee of Enquiry into the expenditure of the colony. His Honour the Chief Justice, who will be the Chairman of the Committee, will communicate with you regarding the date on which the Committee will begin its enquiry.
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD,
&c., &c., &c.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
G. T. M. O'BRIEN,
Colonial Secretary.
HON. T. H. WHITEHEAD TO COLONIAL SECRETARY.
The Honourable G. T. M. O'BRIEN, C.M.G.,
Colonial Secretary
SIR,
Hongkong, 22nd July, 1893.
I was favoured on 20th with your letter of 19th instant informing me that His Excellency the Governor had been pleased to appoint me a member of a Committee of Enquiry into the expenditure of the colony, and that His Honour the Chief Justice, who will be the Chairman of the Committee, will communicate with me regarding the date on which the Committee will begin its enquiry.
From this morning's Daily Press I observe that it is probable there will be some change in the personnel of the Commission from that mentioned by His Excellency the Governor in the Legislative Council on 2nd ultimo.
Before replying to your letter I should be much obliged if you would kindly inform me of the numbers appointed, and of whom the Committee in question will consist.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
T. H. WHITEHEAD.
540
and differences and the wholesale washing of dirty linen in a manner more suggestive of blatant rowdies thin of experienced officials. Anything more unworthy of a man who poses as a diplomatist than the despatch to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, dated 17th January, 1893, and signed by Governor ROBINSON, it would be difficult to find in the whole official history of Hongkong, and we are greatly surprised that the Marquess of Brros, in declining to accede to His Excellency's advice re the Retrench- ment Commission, did not at the same time severely reprimand him for the unwarranted attacks he had made on certain of the Unofficial Members of Council. However, this latest official counterblast against the Hon. Mr. WHITEHEAD will probably have the desirable result of placing matters in this connection on a more satisfactory footing. A Government that is constantly laying itself open to ridicule by high- handed and arbitrary absolutism is bound to quickly find its proper level in these days.
It is difficult for any reasonable person to see a single really tangible reason why the formation of the Retrenchment Commission should have led to so much vexatious discussion an! trouble. True it is that Governor ROBINSON most strongly opposed the appointment of any such Committee of Inquiry, on the ground that he saw no reason to alter his conviction that the appointment of such a Commission was unnecessary and undesirable; but surely that would not account for the extraordinary policy he has pursued since he received the Secr. tary of State's definite and distinct orders on the question? In his despatch dated the 17th April, 1893, the Marquess of Rrrox said:---
"But whilst I am thas unable to meet the views of the Unofficial Members as to existing holders of office, I may observe that my attention has for some time been directed to less questionable methods of retrenchment. In my despatch of 24th October last 1 expressed myself in favour of abolishing certain of the higher appointments; and in my despatch No. 270 of 28th November last I approved certain considerable prospective decreases in the clerical establishments.
"I have further come to the conclusion that, notwithstanding what has already been decided in the direction of economy, additional advantage would be derived from instituting a comprehensive enquiry affecting all departments in the service, so that the facts and the possibilities of reduction in the future may be placed on record, and thus no opportunity of effecting retrenchment allowed to slip by.
"I desire therefore that you will appoint a Committee for this purpose, over which the Colonial Secretary or the Chief Justice might preside, with one or two other government officers and certain Unofficial Members of the Council as colleagues, it being clearly understood that the reference to the Committee does not extend to the question of reducing the salaries of existing officers."
There can be no mistake as to the Secretary of State's intentions. He considered a compre- hensive enquiry affecting all departments in the Service" necessary, so that no opportunity of effecting retrenchment should be allowed to slip by, and it is clearly evident that be meant that enquiry not to be a mere official farce. His lordship actually went the length of suggesting the personnel of the Commission -the Colonial Secretary-or Chief Justice to preside, with one or two other Government officers and certain unofficial members of Council as colleagues. It has been alleged that Lord Riron's instructions are somewhat ambiguous; but even allowing that-and any doubt on the point could at once have been removed by telegraphing to the Colonial Office-is it not a reasonable inference that the persons at whose direct instigation the Commission was appointed were intended to have a preponderating influence in the inquiry? That they had a right to be in a majority admits of no discussion. But Governor ROBINSON was apparently unwilling to allow the Unofficial Members to fairly participate in the fruits of their great triumph over official obstinacy and dogmatism, and his ukase went forth that the Commission should be constituted of Chief Justice FIELDING CLARKE (Chairman), Mr. R. M. RUMSEY, Harbour Master, Mr. Mar, Captain Superintendent of Police, and Mr. C. P. CHATER and Mr. T. A. WHITEHEAD, Unofficial Members of Council, What business qualifications the Harbour Master and the Captain Superintendent possess to qualify them for the positious they were thus pitchforked into may not be quite so apparent as would be desirable; but apart from that, there were apecial reasons which made it advisable that neither one nor the other should be on the Commission. But Mr. WHITEHEAD's chief point was that the officials should be in the minority; he declined to serve under any other circumstances, and he declines to do so now, with the result that Governor ROBINSON and Mr. Secretary O'BRIEN are attempting to hold the Hon. Member for the Chamber of Comineree responsible for the entire collapse of a Commission from whose labours everybody, even including the Secretary of State, anticipated such good results.
We have neither time nor space to wade through the lengthy correspondence, unnecessarily protracted for no useful end, and which finally degenerated into a thinly-veiled slanging match; the various letters speak for themselves, but we feel bound to express the opinion that Mr. WHITEHEAD has come out with flying colours from a controversy that reflects but little credit on either the Governor or the Colonial Secretary. And the ead is Lot yet.
SIR,
CORRESPONDENCE.
COLONIAL SECRETARY TO HON. T. H. WHITEHEAD.
Colonial Secretary's Office,
Hongkong, 19th July, 1893.
I am directed to inform you that His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to appoint you a member of a Committee of Enquiry into the expenditure of the colony. His Honour the Chief Justice, who will be the Chairman of the Committee, will communicate with you regarding the date on which the Committee will begin its enquiry.
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD,
&c., &c., &c.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
G. T. M. O'BRIEN,
Colonial Secretary.
HON. T. H. WHITEHEAD TO COLONIAL SECRETARY.
The Honourable G. T. M. O'BRIEN, C.M.G.,
Colonial Secretary
SIR,
Hongkong, 22nd July, 1893.
I was favoured on 20th with your letter of 19th instant informing me that His Excellency the Governor had been pleased to appoint me a member of a Committee of Enquiry into the expenditure of the colony, and that His Honour the Chief Justice, who will be the Chairman of the Committee, will communicate with me regarding the date on which the Committee will begin its enquiry.
From this morning's Daily Press I observe that it is probable there will be some change in the personnel of the Commission from that mentioned by His Excellency the the Governor in the Legislative Council on 2nd ultimo.
Before replying to your letter I should be much obliged if you would kindly inform me of the numbers appointed, and of whom the Committee in question will consist.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
T. H. WHITEHEAD.
540
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