CO129-304 - Governor Sir Blake - 1901 [1-4] — Page 543

537

114503

No./30.

Government House:

29

Hong Kong, 2 m

March, 1901.

sir,

I have the honour to inform you that I have

found it necessary to transfer Mr.J.M.Gutierrez, 2nd. Clerk in

the Colonial Secretary's Office, to the post of 2nd. Clerk in

the Magistracy, which has recently been rendered vacant by the

death of Mr. Ng Kwai Shang.

2. Serious complaints had been made against Mr.

Gutierrez, on the grounds of carelessness and incompetence, du-

ring the last few years, though they were not brought to my

notice until the Acting Colonial Secretary, Mr.May, found it

necessary to report the matter to me with a view to an inves-

tigation by the Executive Council. A list of charges was duly

dram up in accordance with the Colonial Office Regulations,

and Mr.Gutierrez was invited to furnish written replies. The

accusations, which included many specific instances of neglect

of duty, were not denied, and Mr. Gutierrez appealed to the cle-

mency of the Council on the grounds of his eighteen years ser-

vice under Government, the absence during the greater part of

that time of any serious complaint against him, and the anxiety

caused him by certain domestic troubles. He also laid stress

on the great difficulty of coping with the rapid and excessive

The Right Honourable

increase

JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN,M.P.

80.

&C..