Enclosure 2
The Daily Press.
HONGKONG, December 6th, 1894.
THE GARRISON AND THE PLAGUE.
THE GOVERNOR PUBLICLY THANKS THE PLAGUE WORKERS.
Yesterday morning the members of the Garrison who assisted in the work of combatting the recent plague were paraded on the Cricket Ground for the purpose of receiving from H.E. the Governor a public expression of the thanks of the community for their gallant services.
Promptly at half-past ten the men of the Shropshire Light Infantry, the Royal Engineers, the Medical Service Corps, and the Royal Artillery who took part in the plague work assembled on the Parade Ground, and having been formed into six companies, marched down to the Cricket Ground, headed by the Band of the Regiment. Forming into double line at 10.45 they stretched across the Cricket Ground, facing the pavilion, with the Band in the rear. There was a large attendance of the public to witness the ceremony, and the occasion was graced by the presence of a number of ladies.
At a quarter to eleven H.E. the Governor and H.E. Major-General Digby Barker and their staffs arrived and were received with the usual salute, after which they marched across the field and passed slowly in review the entire front line and returned between the front and rear ranks. At 11.10 the members of the Legislative Council arrived and joined the Governor's party in front of the pavilion. Commodore Boyes was also present. His Honour Mr. E. J. Ackroyd, Acting Chief Justice, the Chairman of the Committee appointed to decide on the form the public recognition of the plague workers' services should take, represented that body.
The troops having been formed into three sides of a square, the Acting Chief Justice explained the purpose of the gathering and H.E. the Governor addressed the men.
The ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE (Mr. ACKROYD) said—Your Excellency, our presence here to-day is one of the results of the public meeting held in the City Hall, under your Excellency's presidency, in September last. At that meeting it was resolved that the services rendered to the colony during the plague epidemic which raged here a few months ago were worthy of public recognition, and a large and influential Committee was appointed to carry out the wishes of the meeting.
That Committee having carefully considered the great assistance which the colony had received in its time of distress from the military were desirous that each of the officers and men who had been engaged in plague work should receive some mark of the Colony's recognition and appreciation of their services and that a record of the same should remain in the Regiment and at the Hongkong Mess of the R.E.
They therefore decided to award certain medals and pieces of plate, which I need not detail as your Excellency has a full list of them. The Committee very much regret that it has been impossible to get these medals struck here or to procure at once suitable pieces of plate, but all the necessary orders have been given and we hope to be in possession of these in two or three months.
The Committee also suggested that your Excellency should be asked to publicly thank the officers and men of the Shropshire Regiment and other corps for their services. As I have already said, we regret very much that we are unable to present the medals and pieces of plate to-day; their absence naturally deprives this ceremony of something of its interest and importance.
It therefore only remains to me as Chairman of the Committee to thank Your Excellency for your kindness in accepting our suggestion, and attending here to-day, and to ask your Excellency on behalf of the community of Hongkong to convey to the officers and non-commissioned officers, and men of the garrison who volunteered and took part in the plague work the hearty thanks of the community for their devoted and valuable services, to express our sincere and best wishes for their prosperity, and assure them that we shall follow with the liveliest and most grateful interest their future career and welfare.
His Excellency said—Gentlemen, non-commissioned officers and men, I have been asked to thank you publicly on behalf of the community for the valuable services which you rendered to the Colony during the plague. I do so with great deal of pleasure. Your conduct during that trying period was courageous, charitable and even noble. It properly elicited from the Government and from the community of Hongkong feelings of admiration and gratitude.
You may depend upon it that the residents of Hongkong will never forget the gallant Shropshire Boys and their comrades in arms who came to their aid so nobly at that critical time. (Applause). It is their wish that you should not forget them, and therefore they desire to make some suitable acknowledgment of your services.
I will now read to you a list of the presentations that will be made: In memory of your gallant Captain Vasey, who laid down his life for others, it is intended to erect a tablet or window in St. John's Cathedral and a gold medal will also be sent to his sorrowing mother. (Applause).
To your gallant Colonel, Colonel Robinson, a piece of plate will be presented. (Applause). Another piece of plate will be presented to the Officers' mess. Gold medals will be presented to the following officers—Major W. Maclaughlin, Captains G. U. L. Buchanan, H. B. Walman, and E. Howell, Lieuts. R. A. Jordan, J. A. Strick, and E. B. Luard, and Second Lieut. W. J. Robinson. All these officers were at work from the beginning of the epidemic.
Gold medals will also be given to Major A. F. A. Lyle, Capt. J. G. Forbes, Lieut. J. C. Wilson, and Second-Lieut. R. T. Carreg, of the Shropshire Light Infantry. To your Sergeants' mess it is intended to present a silver shield. To the Companies will be presented a cup for competition at football, and to each of you men will be given a silver medal.
The community has also subscribed for a piece of plate for the R.E. Mess, and a separate piece will be given to that gallant Royal Engineer, Lieut. Boys. (Applause). The piece of plate to the mess will bear the names of Capt. W. R. Stewart, Lieut. P. B. Molesworth, Lieut. R. H. H. Boys, and Lieut. Kelsall.
I regret that these pieces of plate and medals are not completed, but I shall have much pleasure in forwarding them to you in a few weeks' time. As I have already said, they are presented to you by a grateful community. In the name of the people of Hongkong I thank you again for your courageous services.
We are sorry to part with those who are shortly going to leave us, and we wish you health, happiness, and good fortune in India or in any other station to which you may be sent. (Loud applause).
Colonel ROBINSON—Your Excellency, on behalf of all the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men, present and sick, I thank you for the very kind words you have used. When we were asked to help the Colony and the men were informed that their services might be required, there was not a single man in this Garrison who would not have stepped forward to give his assistance.
When I called for volunteers from my own regiment, there were so many that I had not to touch a single man in garrison or regimental employ; and when cases of plague occurred among the workers this did not deter the men, who came forward as readily as ever.
I thank Your Excellency for your kind words and for your kindness in coming here and the community for granting these medals, which, I am sure, will be highly valued by every man in my regiment.
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Enclosure 2
The Daily Press.
HONGKONG, DacEMBER 6TH, 1894.
THE GARRISON AND THE PLAGUE.
THE GOVERNOR PUBLICLY THANKS THE PLAGUE WORKERS.
num.
Ysterday morning the members of the Gar- rison who assisted in the work of combatting the recent plague were paraded on the Cricket Ground for the purpose of receiving from H.E. the Governor a public expression of the thanks of the community for their gallant services.
Promptly at half-past ten the men of the Shropshire Light Infantry, the Royal Engi- neers, the Medical Service Corps, and the Royal Artillery who took part is the plague work assembled on the Parade Gronad, and having been formed into six companies, marched down to the Cricket Ground, beaded by the Band of the Regiment. Forming into double line st 10.45 they streiched across the Cricket Ground, facing the pavilion, with the Band in the rear. There was a larga attendance of the publis to witness the ceremony, and the occasion
grac by the presenon of a her of ladies. At Are wiantes to eleven H.B. the Governor and ILE Major-Gen- eral Dighy Barker and their staffs arrived and were received with the usual salute, after which they marched across the field and passed slowly in review the entire front line and re- turned between the front and rear cark. At 31.10 the members of the Legislative Council arrived and joined the Gove nor's party in front of the pavilion. Commodore Boyes was also present. His Honour Mr. E. J. Ackroyd, Acting Chief Justice, the Chairman of the Com mittee appointed to decide on the form the public recognition of the plague workers' ser- vices should take, represented that body. The troops baving been formed into three sides of a square, the Acting Chief Justice explained the purpose of the gathering and HE, the Gover- nor addressed the men.
Was
The ACTING CHIEF JUSTICB (Mr. ACKROYD) said-Your Excellency, our presene hore to- day is one of the results of the public meeting held in the City Hall, under your Excellency's presidency, in September last. At that meeting it was resolved that the services rendered to the colony during the plague epidemic which raged bere a few months ago were worthy of pablic recognition, and a large and influential Commit. tee was appointed to carry ont the wishes of the meeting. That Committee having carefully considered the great assistanco which the colouy bad received in its time of distress from the ilitary were desirous that each of the officers and man who had been engaged in plague work should receive some mark of the "Colony's recognition und appreciation of their services and that a record of the same should remain in the Regiment and at the Hongkong Mess of the R. E They therefore decided to award certain medals and pieces of plate, whic: I need not detail as your Excellency has a full list of them The Committee very much regret that it has been impossible to get these medals strack here or to procure at ones suitable pieces of plate, bot all the necessary orders have been given and we bopa to be in possession of these in two or hree months The Committee also sug gested that your Excelleney should be asked to publicly thank the officers and men of the Shrop- #hire Regiment and other corps for their ser- vines. As I have already said, we regret very much that we are unable to present the medals ),
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and pieces of plate to-day; thefabsence naturally i deprives this ceremony of something of its interd est and importance. It therefore only remains to me as Chairman of the Committee to thank Your Excelleney for your kindness in ac- depting var suggestion, and attending here! ty, and to ask your Exalteney on ba half of the gommunity of Hongkong to convey to the officers a commissioned officers, and fan of the garrison why yolunteered and took part in the place work Chop beel, thanks of the bowmanity for hela degéléd and, v Tu- able services, to express dir ging rest wishes for their prosperity, and agguro, thaw that → [will pit Zoo with the liveliest and most grateful interest their future career and welfare. His Excecor said-Oora, non-con- misstaged offer and men, I have been asked to thank you publiky on behalf of the community for the valuabaserrices which you rendered to | the Colony during the plagne, I do so wish * grost deal of pleasure Your conduct dung that trying period was courageons, charit bla and even noble. I wore properly elicited from the Government and from the community of Hongkong foelings of admiration and grati- inde. You may depend upon it that the residents of Hongkong will never forget the gallant Shropshire Boys and their com. rades in arms who came to their aid s0 nobly at that critical time. (Applause). It
is their wish that you should not forget them. and therefore they desire to make some suitable acknowledgment of your services. I will now read to you a list of the presentations that will be made: l'o the memory of your gallant Cap. tain Vasey, who laid down his life for others, it is intended to erect a tablet or window in St. ! John's Cathedral and a gold medal will also be sent to his sorrowing mother. (Applause). To your gallaut Colonel, Colonel Robinson, a piece of plate will be presented. (Applause). Another piece of plate will be presented to the Officers' mos. Gold medals will be presented to the fol- lowing officers-Major W. Maclaughlin. Cap- tains G. U. L Buchanan, H. B. Walman, and E. Howell. Lients. R. A. Jordan, J. A. Strick, and E. B. Luard, and Second Lieut. W. J. Robinson, All these officers were at work from the begin aing of the epidemio Gold metals will also bo given to Major A. F. A. Lyle, Capt. J. G. Forbes, Lieut. J. C. Wilson, and Second-Lint. R. T. Carreg, of the Shropshire Light Infan try. To your Sergeants' mess it is intended to present a silver shield. To the Companies will be presented a cup for competition at football, and to each of you men will be given a silver medal. The community has also subsoribed for a piece of plate for the R. E. Mess, and s separate piece will be given to that gallant Royal Engineer, Lieut. Boys. (Applause.) The piece of plate to the mese will bear the names of Capt. W. R. Stewart, Lisat. P. B. Molesworth, Lieut. R, H. H. Boys, and Lieut. Kelsall. I regret that these pieces of plate and medals are not completed, but I shall have much pleasure in forwarding them to you in a few weeks' time. As I have already said, they are pre- sented to you by a grateful community. In the name of the people of Hongkong 1 thank you again for your courageous services. We are sorry to part with those who are shortly going to leave us, and we wish you health, hap piness, and good fortune in India or io auf other station to which you may be sent. (Loud applause).
Colouel ROBINSON-Your Excellency, en be- half of all the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men, present and sick, I thank you for the very kind words you have used. When we were asked to help the Colocy and the men were in- formed that their services might be required, there was not a single man in this Garrison who would not have stepped forward to give his as- sistance. When I called for volunteers from my owa regiment, there were so many that I bad not to toneh a single man in garrison or regimental employ; and when cases of plague occurred among the workers this did not deter the men. who came forward as readily as ever. I thank Four Excelleney for your kind words and for your kindness in coming here and the community for granting these medals, which, I am sure, will be highly related by every man in my regiment
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