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the statue of the King's brother could, it was considered, be more suitably chosen than the occasion of His Majesty's Coronation, and I gladly welcomed the suggestion of the local Coronation Committee that the statue of the Duke of Connaught should be unveiled by me on one of the days set apart for the celebration of that event. All the necessary preparations had been made for the unveiling ceremony when the deplorable illness of His Majesty necessitated the postponement of all such ceremonies; and as I have already informed you in my Despatch No. 275 of the 30th ultimo, the Executive Council immediately concurred in my opinion that everything in the nature of a festivity should for the present be abandoned.
5.
The reassuring news, however, concerning the state of His Majesty's health which shortly afterwards reached the Colony, and which was received with the deepest happiness by His Majesty's subjects in Hongkong, suggested to some influential members of the community and of the Coronation Committee that though the unveiling of the statue could no longer be treated as a part of the local Coronation ceremonies, there was no reason why Mr. Beehm's fine work of art should not now be handed over to the city which it was intended to beautify. On the 5th instant, therefore, in accordance with the widely expressed wishes of the public, I unveiled the statue, and on behalf of the community accepted at the hands of Mr. Mody, the donor's partner and representative, the munificent gift of Sir C. F. Chater.
6.
I may add that I took this opportunity of informing the public of Hongkong for the first time of the further...
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the statue of the King's brether could, it was considered, be
chosen than the occasion of His Majesty's Carenation, and I
gladly welcomed the suggestion of the local Coronation Commit-
tee that the statue of the Duke of Connaught should be unveiled
by me on one of the days set apart for the celebration of that
event. All the necessary preparations had been made for the
unveiling ceremony when the deplorable illness of His Majesty
necessitated the postponement of all such ceremonies; and sa
I have already informed you in my Despatch No. 275 of the 30th.
ultime, the Executive Council immediately concurred in my
the
●pinion that everything in nature of a festivity should for
the present be abandoned.
5.
The reassuring news, however, concerning
the state of His Majesty's health which shortly afterwards
reached the Colony, and which was received with the deepest
happiness by His Majesty's subjects in Hengkeng, suggested to
some influential members of the community and of the Corona-
tion Committee that though the unveiling of the statue cauld
no longer be treated as a pertiem of the local Coronation
ceremonies, there was no reason why Mr. Beehm's fine werk of
art should net now be handed over to the city which it was
intended to beautify. On the 5th. instant, therefore, in accor-
dance with the widely expressed wishes of the public, I un-
veiled the statue, and on behalf of the community accepted at
the hands of Mr. Mody, the donor's partner and representative, the munificfent gift of Sir C. F. Chater.
6.
I may add that I took this opportunity of
informing the public of Hongkong for the first time of the
further
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