CO129-334 - Governor Nathan - 1906 [5-7] — Page 154

COPY.

Enclosure 4.

0.

150

23462

R

IN 29 JUN 06

Government House,

Hongkong, 25th. April, 1906.

Sir,

I have given careful consideration to Your

Honour's letter No. 7 of the 20th. March, 1906, on the neces-

-sity of increasing the number of Judges of the Supreme Court and have come to the conclusion that while undoubtedly improve-

-ment would be effected in the constitution of the Full Court

by the appointment of a third Judge that improvement in itself

would not justify the appointment at the present time.

2.

With regard to the amount of the work

which now comes before the Judges and is the other reason given for the proposed appointment, i am not satisfied that this has greatly increased in the last few years nor can I find any record of complaints having been made in the past by the Judges that it was unduly onerous or by the Ear or the public that the administration of justice was unduly delayed by there being

only two Judges.

3.

In these circumstances 1 do not propose

to make any recommendation to the Secretary of State, but if desired i will transmit to the Barl of Elgin a copy of Your

Honour's istter.

Bonour

The Chief Justice.

I have etc.,

(Sa.) M. Nathan,

Governor, La..