CO129-346 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1908 [1-3] — Page 90

My Lord,

C. O.

33

7885

1REC Chambers, Iper 5 MAR

Supreme Court, HongKong,

21 January, 1908.

08

P

I arrived in the Colony in October 1882 as Clerk to the Chief Justice (Sir George Phillipo) with the avowed intention of leaving the service and practising at the Bar. In the early summer of 1883 Sir George Phillipo and Mr. Justice Russell (Pulsne Judge) urged me to apply for the vacant post of Police Magistrate, I did so, and my applicatio was, I have reason to believe, strongly supported by the Judges. Hearing nothing further I left the service on August

15th. 1883 and went to the Bar.

2. At the end of December 1883 Sir George Phillippo told me that the Police Magistrate's post had been offered to me and both Judges advised me to accept. I

A

n

consulted some of the leading Solicitors and finally decided

to do so, but with reluctance as I thought I could better at

a better

the Bar. But the fact that I had just married prompted me to

secure a certainty.

mada dete Pan b

3. On January 1st. 1884 I was appointed Police

Magistrate subject to passing a Chinese examination in 12

months. A further extension of 6 months was granted from the time I resumed my magisterial duties I having been appointed

Acting Registrar in the meantime. In March 1892 the time was

further extended to September 1893, but I went home on 12

months leave in March 1892. The reason that I never had time

to study Chinese will be seen from my record at the end. From

March 1885 to March 1892 I was either acting as Registrar of

the Supreme Court or Puisne Judge or doing the work of two

Magistrates and Coroner at the same time. Therefore I had no

time to work at Chinese, al though I had a teacher and spent my

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