CO129-319 - Governor Sir Blake - 1903 [10-11] — Page 178

30 FY.

oil

Supreme Court,

Hongkong,

October 9, 1903.

175

De Bonourable

Sir,

In reply to your letter 8076/03/0.5.0. of the 8th instant,

I have the honour to inform you that I regret that His Excellency

the Governor should take exception to my letters of the 23th

ultimo, and 6th and 7th instant, with reference to the manner in

which I have mentioned the Report of the Commission. I had no

whatever

desire to say more than I felt bound to do in protecting myself

A

against the various charges that appear therein against me and so

strongly exoressed against ay position in the imporatnt offices 1:

hold, and if His Excellency the Governor considers there is more

than I am entitled to say, I am stating exactly how I naturally

feel in the matter,

2. I also regret the course orooosed to be followed with

regard to the transmission to the Secretary of State of the

Report of the Commission, before my reply has been receivel. This

is irregular and one-sided, and I feel sure that Bis Excellency

will see that right and justice is done, and that I have every

opportunity of placing the facts in reply to the various findings

of the Commissioners under evidence which I am thoroughly

answering seciatin, so pechaps His Excellency will understand

what an amount of work I have in hand,

3. His Excellency the Governor does not seem to realise that

the Commission was wrongly and illegally conducted: although not

purporting to be so, it was directed against me personally, and

I was allowed no opportunity of speaking, my mouth was closed,

and also made to answer questions, I was pinned down to"yes or no

and now another effort is evidently being made to force me to

leave the Island and not to allow me time to fully prepace my

defence.

The Colonial Secretary.