CO129-348 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1908 [7-10] — Page 572

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

e."1⁄2 Rinbterar" canes

ed on aschlomo or) qui vi

+

30

་་་

568

expressed to me, that he is the Chamber) was about to go

away to Singapore for 6 weeks; and the matter was pigeon-

holed until his return. A matter of public importance was

therefore hung up to await Mr. Hewitt's good pleasure. It

can hardly be said that either the action of the Chairman

of the Chamber, or of the Government in acquiescing in it,

shewed any consideration for the Chief Justice.

8. Meanwhile Mr. Hewitt had returned to the Colony, and ru-

mours renched me that he was doing all he could to oppose

the scheme. I heard especially that he had requested one

of the younger solicitors to give him his views on the

matter, and that he was fostering discontent among the

junior members of the profession. As I had on a previous

occasion experience of Mr. Hewitt's methods of conducting

business of this sort behind my back (to which I shall

allude presently) I cent for the solicitor above referred

to and asked him to tell me frankly what the trouble was.

I may say here that it has always been my practice to be on

terms of frank cordiality with the solicitors of my Court,

particularly in the way of discussing any grievances

personally with them when occasion arises, and this has

been apprecinted and reciprocated in the most cording

manner. It is essential to the smooth and efficient working

of business that such relations should exist between the

Ohier Justice and the solicitors of his Court, and the

fact that these relations were at one time likely to be

seriously disturbed by Mr. Hewitt's action is the keynote

of my action in this matter.

9. The solicitor informed me that it was a fact that he had

been approached by Mr. Hewitt. I emphasise this because it

disproves Mr. Hewitt's assertion contained in two letters

of the Secretary of the Chamber of 19th February, that SO

soon as it was heard that the question of extending the Long Vacation had been referred to the Committee, several

#

Comments

Approved members can add comments, bookmarks, and private notes.

No comments yet.

Private Research Note

Private notes are available after approval.