CO129-362 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 206

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I enclose copy of this letter, and of my reply,

in which I expressed my inability to comply with the firm's

request. It is, I venture to think, more then a coin-

cidence that on the day following the receipt of Hessrs

Butterfield and Swire's letter the Self Government Society

should isme a notice, calling a public meeting to discuss

the "Patshan" case, which meeting, the first of its kind

for over four months, was duly held on the 17th. instant.

I enclose copy and translation of the notice

calling the meeting, as also of the newspaper report

of the proceedings on that occasion.

Messrs Butterfield and Swire's sudden surrendor

of a position in this affair, which we have successfully

maintained from the beginning, took me completely by

surprise, the more so as in conversation with Mr. David

Law, the Hongkong manager of the firm, some ten days ago,

he assured me of his determination to fight this boycott

of the firm's lanila steamers, which he recognized was

the