these papers
this subject in the examination is due to
a desire to obtain marks in a comparatively
459
f
easy subject
and affords no guarantee
that he possesses any real aptetude for
legal work.
The alternative of choosing certain
of the Cadets selected for HongKong and calling
upon them to study law in England would also,
in my opinion, be unsatisfactory.
from other objections, it would be
Apart
practically impossible to select at that stage
those cadets who are likely to prove the
best legal officers.
5.
I consider that the course which
it would be best to adopt in order to
secure that there shall be a supply of
Cadet officers with such legal knowledge
as will qualify them to hold such posts
as that of Crown Solicitor, Police Magis-
trate, Registrar or, in exceptional cases,
one of the higher legal appointments will
7
be to continue as at present to appoint
all Cadets on the same footing, but encourage
DRAFT.
any Cadet who in the early years of his
/
services proves to have a natural aptitude
for legal studies to specialize in that
direction and be called to the Bar. I
enclose a copy of a despatch which I recently
addressed to the High Commissioner for the
Federated Malay States on the question of
encouraging Cadet officers to obtain legal
qualifications. The proposals contained
in that despatch have been adopted by the
Governments of the Federated Malay States
and the Straits Settlements, and I would
suggest that it might be well to take a
similar course in HongKong.
6. Coming now to the other, compara-
tively minor, points dealt with in your
despatch, I recognize the force of the
objections which you raise in paragraph to
A
the appointment of an outside barrister to
act as Attorney General but I am inclined to
think
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