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but that in order to appease
to make it absolutely exclusive,
the hostility of the chinese to it, it had been whettled down to its present form, the original intention of excluding Chinese from the Peak absolutely being abandoned. This was all that could be passed, and with it the Government had had to be
[dnia 28'Any, 15077
content.
12. After a week's delay I at length received an answer from His Excellency the Governor informing me to my great surprise that "Mr. Ho Tung must be considered to be'Chinses' "within the meaning of the Hill Reservation Ordinance.
"I convened a meeting of the Executive Council at 5 P.M. yes-
terday, to consider the matter, and whether in accordance with 'Your Honour's application an exemption (conditional or other- ́wise) should be granted in this case. The Council was of
opinion that looking to the proximity of the 'Eyrie' to the residence of the Governor, and to the great importance attached 'by the Chinese to this fact it would not be advisable to grant "permission to a Chinese to rent that house",
13. I then discussed the question with the Honourable Dr. Ho Kai, and he told me that the ordinance was only passed after negotiations with the leading Chinese, and that an agreement had been come to with the Government which had induced them to withdraw their opposition. One of the main features of the agreement was the introduction of the exemption clause, which was introduced specially to meet the case of any of the leading Chinese desiring to rent a house on the Peak. Among those who had been parties to the agreement was Mr. Ho Tung's brothertha he could not say with certainty whether Mr. Ho Thing had taken part in the negotiations.
Dr. Ho Kai expressed the opinion that in refusing the exemption in Mr. Ho Tung's case there had been a breach of the agreement on the strength of which the Ordinance had been passed, and he proposed to see the Governor on the subject.
14. I wrote a long letter objecting to the action taken,
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