198
401341
12.
In consequence of the death of Mr Botelho, who was the last of the old bands, I was left with nobody in the clerical branch upon whom I could rely for efficiency and loyalty. Mr Chan Pui, who had been sent to me because he was deficient in knowledge of English, I could not recommend for promotion to 1st Clerk, because of this, and because of indications he had shown of want of loyalty. The head of no other Department would consent to part with any of their best clerks, and, as all these were of the Cadet class, they were upheld, and I had to suggest arrangements less favourable to my Department. Under these circumstances, the best I was able to do was to recommend the appointment, as 1st Clerk, of Mr McIver, Junk Inspector, whose special knowledge of native craft, and of the Chinese language, rendered him peculiarly suitable for the charge of the Junk Office, which, being of necessity manned by Chinese, and dealing exclusively with Chinese, requires constant and close superintendence; while of his integrity, loyalty, and devotion to duty, there was no question. Unfortunately, he had no clerical attainments. Besides this, I managed to get a young and inexperienced English Clerk from the Colonial Secretary's Office, whose youth, inexperience, and impulsiveness, are all against him, but I was satisfied of his honesty of purpose and diligence. This Officer, Mr Lenfestey, I placed in charge of that branch of the Department which deals principally with Europeans, while Mr Chan Pui continued in charge of the accountant and correspondence branch, but without that supervision and control heretofore exercised over him by...
198
401341
12.
In consequence of the death of Mr Botelho, who was
the last of the old bands, I was left with nobody in the clerical
branch upon whom I could rely for efficiency and loyalty. Mr Chan
Pui, who had been sent to me because he was deficient in knowledge
of English,I could not recommend for promotion to 1st Clerk, be-
-cause of this, and because of indications he had shown of want of
loyalty. The head of no other Department would consent to part
with any of their best clerks, and, as all these were of the Cadet
class, they were upheld, and I had to suggest arrangements less
favourable to my Department. Under these circumstances, the best
I was able to do was to recommend the appointment, as 1st Clerk, of
Mr Mc Iver, Junk Inspector, whose special knowledge of native craft,
and of the Chinese language, rendered him peculiarly suitable for
the charge of the Junk Office, which, being of necessity manned by
Chinese, and dealing exclusively with Chinese, requires constant
and close superintendance; while of his integrity, loyalty, and
devotion to duty, there was no question. Unfortunately, he had no
clerical attainments. Besides this, I managed to get a young and
inexperienced English Clerk from the Colonial Secretary's Office,
whose youth, inexperience, and impulsiveness, are all sgainst him,
but I was satisfied of his honesty of purpose and diligence. This
Officer, Mr Lenfestey, I placed in charge of that branch of the
Department which deals principally with Europeans, while Mr Chan Pui
continued in charge of the accountant and correspondence branch, but
without that supervision and control heretofore exercised over hin
by
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