CO129-294 - Governor Sir Blake - 1899 [10-12] — Page 113

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immediate payment be made to A-Hok of the total sum of $20,551.70, and to Foo Sik of $1,019.19, the case against Mr. Belilios be either referred to arbitration or brought to some conclusion by compromise.

The question was asked by His Excellency Sir Henry Blake, whether it followed that because Mr. Chatham was not authorised by Mr. Belilios, who paid him, he was necessarily acting under the authority of Government. To this it was replied by the Acting Attorney General: that from a legal point of view Mr. Chatham must clearly be considered, so far as A-Hok was concerned, as standing in the shoes of the Public Works Department, and that the Government was therefore liable to A-Hok for the amount already stated.

He repeated that all the Government would have to go upon in disputing A-Hok's claim in a court of law would be the chance of another jury taking a different view upon the question of agency from that taken by the jury in the former suit, that is to say, the chance of their upholding the authority of the Public Works Department to bind Mr. Belilios to A-Hok by contract.

On April 13th, 1899 the Acting Treasurer had an interview with Mr. Belilios on the subject of a compromise, but had to report that Mr. Belilios absolutely declined any compromise whatever. On February 16th, Mr. Belilios had offered to pay the Government the sum of $1,425 as representing a total sum of $7,925 less the $6,500 which he had already paid.