CO129-355 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1909 [1-3] — Page 145

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

Page 144

The Secretary of State says that he is advised that, having regard to the main object of the Ordinance, the power of exemption under s. 4 could not be held to be coupled with any kind of legal duty". With deference, I cannot acquiesce in the advice which has been given to the Secretary of State; it is, I believe, entirely contrary to the fundamental principle which has been laid down in a long series of decisions; that principle is that if a discretion is vested in any authority, the exercise of that discretion is subject to the legal duty to exercise it in a reasonable and not in an arbitrary manner; and that the action taken can only be justified if a reasonable explanation can be given.

But the advice which has been given to the Secretary of State omits one important consideration. It is perfectly well-known that the main object with which the Ordinance was first introduced was the complete exclusion of Chinese from the Peak, and that this had to be abandoned. The opposition of the principal Chinese residents even to the Ordinance in its present form was withdrawn only on condition that s. 4 should be introduced. The exercise of the discretion must therefore be referred to the main object of s. 4, and not to the main object of the Ordinance; and the exercise of the discretion vested in the Government in Executive Council is, in my opinion...

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Page 144 The Secretary of State says that he is advised that, having regard to the main object of the Ordinance, the power of exemption under s. 4 could not be held to be coupled with any kind of legal duty". With deference, I cannot acquiesce in the advice which has been given to the Secretary of State; it is, I believe, entirely contrary to the fundamental principle which has been laid down in a long series of decisions; that principle is that if a discretion is vested in any authority, the exercise of that discretion is subject to the legal duty to exercise it in a reasonable and not in an arbitrary manner; and that the action taken can only be justified if a reasonable explanation can be given. But the advice which has been given to the Secretary of State omits one important consideration. It is perfectly well-known that the main object with which the Ordinance was first introduced was the complete exclusion of Chinese from the Peak, and that this had to be abandoned. The opposition of the principal Chinese residents even to the Ordinance in its present form was withdrawn only on condition that s. 4 should be introduced. The exercise of the discretion must therefore be referred to the main object of s. 4, and not to the main object of the Ordinance; and the exercise of the discretion vested in the Government in Executive Council is, in my opinion... Page 1757 (The rest of the text is not processed as it appears to be garbled OCR output unrelated to the coherent text above.)
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CAT Irvono era to Rt-ott20 wa 4 mattfvenon to vélaɛnaca old a77!! Linofon # tw staf al tavoŋ yangidra is entsi ood sɛiwtosiso + **AJNË ra to enso Jock":"ON ed ou amesh 9. dut ar Lenajori o added at dalw soneret- nnive to oh I ha C Mereka bult,Immel L heblach nolteaup hot of JiuminİK MA. new,bec new stepsIqnoo nak .5 ası molano (anol A chanisy in mubad new il elliw adenom “bot 3 or MA, A es tismos Pra brofhusi est reewind noeira hotnog at a maluh taas to ducenZE ( njeri woldgr "ak" ? to wlD/xeoʻrth se CAUT be. BATUR AUTO 18 Ramon (*):olub edit mi notros anakdang long Chalet # or hack Indrɛ ed hitoda noizaaup efit to abner! wa da koljær biz:00 #ESİ 9ovico97 02 saltem takın The Secretary of State says that he is 144 "advised that, having regard to the main object of the Ordinance the power of exemption under s. 4 could not be held to be coupled with any kind of legal duty". With deference I cannot acquiesce in the advice which has been riven to the Secretary of State; it is, I believe, entirely contrary to the fundamental principle which has been laid down in a long series of decisions that principle is that if a discretion is vested in any authori- -ty, the exercise of that discretion is subject to the leṛal duty to exercise it in a reasonable and not in an arbitrary manner; and that the action taken can only be justified if a reasonable explanation can be given. But the advice which has been given to the Secretary of State omits one important consideration. It is perfectly well-known that the main object with which the mute Ignhuthut bank # 1077 Borboner ad card dnengo on Ordinance was first introduced was complete exclusion of T »E??0 wsI es barat EASY mant erf -¿ogei terhi to w od # DI ja dugalħ ætt drene avo? art .9 BR Pas bora znamkavon wit te.'t eons- ZADRSJATUronto exit era at dus binow 03 Jt syst£9, buit dat ateyjubaus IIlta F bas,authoa to elim hoa vino bowulfa* Liie bez abs noillisë,1'ohíw matoo Chiness from the Peak, and that this had to be abandoned. The opposition or the principal Chinese residents even to the Ordinance in its present form was withdrawn only on condition that s. 4. should be introduced. The exercise of the discretion must therefore be referred to the main object of s. 4., and not to the main object of the Ordinance; and the exercise of the discretion vestad in the fovernment in Executive Council is, in 1757
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CAT

Irvono era to Rt-ott20 wa 4 mattfvenon to vélaɛnaca old a77!!

Linofon # tw staf al tavoŋ yangidra is entsi ood sɛiwtosiso

+

**AJNË ra to enso

Jock":"ON

ed ou

amesh 9. dut ar Lenajori

o added at dalw soneret-

nnive to

oh I ha C

Mereka bult,Immel L

heblach nolteaup

hot of JiuminİK MA. new,bec new stepsIqnoo nak

.5

ası molano (anol A chanisy in mubad new il elliw adenom “bot

3 or MA, A

es tismos Pra brofhusi est reewind noeira

hotnog at a maluh taas to ducenZE (

njeri woldgr "ak" ? to wlD/xeoʻrth se

CAUT be. BATUR AUTO 18

Ramon (*):olub edit mi notros

anakdang long Chalet # or hack Indrɛ ed hitoda noizaaup

efit to abner! wa da koljær biz:00 #ESİ 9ovico97 02 saltem takın

The Secretary of State says that he is

144

"advised that, having regard to the main object of the Ordinance

the power of exemption under s. 4 could not be held to be

coupled with any kind of legal duty". With deference I cannot

acquiesce in the advice which has been riven to the Secretary of

State; it is, I believe, entirely contrary to the fundamental

principle which has been laid down in a long series of decisions

that principle is that if a discretion is vested in any authori-

-ty, the exercise of that discretion is subject to the leṛal

duty to exercise it in a reasonable and not in an arbitrary

manner; and that the action taken can only be justified if a

reasonable explanation can be given.

But the advice which has been given to the

Secretary of State omits one important consideration. It is

perfectly well-known that the main object with which the

mute Ignhuthut bank

# 1077 Borboner ad card dnengo on

Ordinance was first introduced was complete exclusion of

T

»E??0 wsI es barat

EASY

mant erf

-¿ogei terhi to w od

# DI

ja dugalħ ætt að drene avo? art

.9 BR Pas bora znamkavon wit te.'t eons-

ZADRSJATUronto exit era at dus binow

03 Jt syst£9,

buit dat ateyjubaus IIlta

F bas,authoa to elim hoa vino

bowulfa* Liie bez abs noillisë,1'ohíw matoo

Chiness from the Peak, and that this had to be abandoned. The

opposition or the principal Chinese residents even to the

Ordinance in its present form was withdrawn only on condition

that s. 4. should be introduced. The exercise of the discretion

must therefore be referred to the main object of s. 4., and not

to the main object of the Ordinance; and the exercise of the

discretion vestad in the fovernment in Executive Council is,

in

1757

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