Echact from Hong Kong Faily Ress
THE DEPARTURE OF SIR
HENRY BLAKE
I NGKONG'S PAREWELL,
After five yeas of administration of the government of Hongkong, His Excelency Sir Henry A. Blake, G.,M.G.. departed on Satur- day to take up the Governorship of Ceylon. The farewe greeting that he got from the community of the Colony was such as to leave a lasting memory in His Excel ency's mind of the feelings of respect and affection with which he is regarded by the pople of this Colony. Unfortunately the weather was not auspicious, for it rained steadily all day long and the streets were ankle-deep in mud. ir Henry Blake and was accompanied by Lady Sir Jobu Keuno, A.L.C. The party left Government House shortly after eleven o'clock, in chairs, and proceeded to the City Hall where a large assembly of the citizens had met to present is Excellency with a farewell address. Afterwards they proceeded to Blake Pier and wont by launch out to the P. & O. s.s. Malta by which they are to journey to Ceylos.
ADDRESS AT THE CITY HALL.
For the occasion S. Andrew's Hall had been decorated with palm, ferns and flowers under the superintendence of Mr. W. J. Tutcher of the Botanical and Afforestation Department. A raised platform was placed at the upper end. The Governor's party rode from Government House to the hall by way of Albert Road past the Government offices into and down Garden Road and across Queen's Road. The route was lined by the Indian soldiers of the 110th Mah- rattas and 93rd Burmas. On arrival at the ball His Excellency, accompanied by Lady Blake and Sir John Keane, took up his the contral position on the dais, the assembly standing up meanwhile. When seats had been resumed His Honour the Chief Justice Sir William Goodman, wearing his robes, entered by the side door, accompanied by the unofficial members of the Legislative Council and the committee of the Chamber of Commerce as follows:-Sir Paul Chater, Hon. Gersbom Stewart, Hon. C. W. Dickson, Hon. Dr. Ho Kai, Hon. Wei Yuk, Messrs. E. A. Hewett, D. R. Law, N. A. Siebs, A. G. Wood, J. R. M. Smith. Among others present in the hall wore
Honour His
the Paisne Judge (Mr. A. G. Wise), the Colonial Secretary (Hon. F. H. May, C.M.G.), Hon. L. A. M. Johnston (Acting Colonial Treasurer), Hon. Sir H. S. Berkeley (Attorney-General), Hon. W. Chatham (Director of Publie Works), Hon. Basil Taylor (Harbour Master), Hon. A. W. Brewin, (Registrar-General), Dr. J. M. Atkinson, Colonel L, F. Brown, Colonel Bird. wood, Colonel Wylly, Major Dopping Hepenstall, Messrs, C. A. Tomes, H. W. Looker, H. P. Tooker, A. Ramjahr, M. 8. Northcote, H. N. Mody, A. G. Romano, Consul-General for Portugal; T. Liebert, Consul for France; E. Hamman, Consul for Belgium; L. Volpicelli, Consul General for Italy; E. Mnelle, Consul for Peru, C. Clementi, H. W. Slade, E. H. Sharp, K.C., B. Layton, J. Hastings, H. J. Gedge, K. F. Johnston, Major Radcliff, M. W. Slade, E. A. Hewett, P. W. Sergeant, B. James, Bishop Piazzoli, Rey, Father Beaublat, Pro- careur des Missions Etrangères; Rev. Fathers Spada, de Maria and Gabardi, Mesars. Ho Tang, Ho Fook, Ho Kom Tong, Chan Sia Ki, Yong Won Chang, Leung Pia Chi, Taung Shi Kai, Wong Kom Fuk, Lo Koon Ting, Fung Wa Chun, Lo Cheung Shiu, Lam Chi Fung, Chun Law Hung, and lan Chu Pak; and a good proportion of ladies.
As the deputation entered the hall the whole assembly rose to their feet.
Sir WILLIAM GOODMAN then addressed His Excellency as follows:-Your Excellency,--- We have met here this morning to present to your Excellency an address from the people of this Colony expressing, now that you are about to leave us, their appreciation of your work here as Governor and their hearty good wishes for your success and well-being in the future. I feel it a great honour to have been specially asked to act on this occasion for those who have signed that address, representing, as they do, not only the British residents but also the vacious nationalities which go to make up the general community of Hongkong;
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and in their name, I will Kad¥ ask your Excellency's permission to read that address and then to add a few words by one. JAN 04
Sir WILLIAM thou read the followingTM address :-
To His EXCELLENCY SIR HENRY ARTHUR BLAKE, G.U.M.G., GOVERNOR AND COM- MANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE COLONY OF HONGKONG AND ITS DEPENDENCIES AND VICE-ADMIRAL OF THE SAME.
Your Excellency,-We the undersigned residents of Hongkong, on the eve of your departure to take up the important post. His Majesty has been graciously pleased to confer upon you, desire to express our appreciation of the valuable services rendered to this Colouy, daring your Excellency's term of office here. The administration of a Crown Colony at a distance of more than ten thousand miles from the mother country cannot, even in ordinary times, prove an easy task. We realise that the difficulties attendant upon a penosful and successful government of this Colony were increased during the earlier period of your Excellency's tenure of office by the disastrous outbreak in the neighbouring Empire, and we are glad to think that at this critical period the government of the Colony was in your able hands.
It is impossible in the brief space afforded us by au address to go into detail as to the various phases of your Excellency's
administration, but we would specially refer to a few of the more important.
Daring your term of office the boundaries of the Colony have been extended from 27 square miles to 400 square miles, an increase which naturally adds largely to the work of administration, and we rejoice to feel that the disturbances and resistance met with in taking over the New Territory were promptly and decisively overcome, and that the population have since maintained a peaceful and coutent- ed attitude, indicating the satisfaction they feel with the system of Government it has fallen upon your Excellency to introduce and admi ister for the last five years.
The projects for the erection of various urgently needed public buildings, notably the now Post Office, have been accelerated through your Excellency's personal en. deavours.
Among other questions which have engaged your Excellency's attention has been the extending of the road-system of the Colony, and in particular the opening-up of the New Territory by the construction of the main Taipo Road,
The proposed Praya East Reclamation Scheme, the immense importance of which your Excellency was prompt to recognise, and strongly advocated, has up to the present been found impossible of execution owing to difficulties with certain of the authorities in England, but we trust that your efforts to secure this desired expansion of the city will ultimately be crowned with success.
The burning question of the site for the Naval Dock Yard has been dealt with so recently that is unnecessary here to go into details, but the protest made by the Colony against the Admiralty scheme was warmly supported by your Excellency, who fully recognised the injury it would entail upon the City of Victoria. In this connection we can assure you that the earnest endeavours made by your Excellency to induce the Naval Authorities to reconsider their adverse decision, and thus secure for the city an nubroken sea-front and its legitimate ex- pansion will be gratefully remembered.
The last and most important act of your Excellency's administration in this Colony has been the founding of the Hongkong Improvement Trust, which we Bra con- vinced will have far reaching effects and will confer upon the Colony incalculable benefits which will last so long as Hongkong continues to bo a centre for trade in the Far East.
It is, however, when we consider the health of the Colony, on which our prosperity so vitally depends, that the debt of gratitude which we owe to your Excellency becomes most manifest.
The all-important question of the Colony's water-supply has occupied much of your attention, particularly the most necessary works which you have inaugurated at
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