CO129-422 - Governor Sir May - 1915 [5-6] — Page 371

[

في

N° 199

paras

C

ང་

364

31565

Wed 9 JUL 15

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONGKONG, 26th. May, 1915.

373

82

Sir,

2.

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch No. 89 of the 3rd. ultimo covering a letter from Siri Ian H. Amory on the subject of the eleemosynary grant made by this Government to the father of the late Police Constable R. Miller.

In reply I enclose copy of the evidence given by the skilled and qualified Armourer Sergeant who has the care of the fire-arms both of the Hongkong Police and of the Hongkong Volun- -teers, at the inquest upon the late R. Miller. It will be observed that there is no mention in the Armourer's evidence of the pistol having been defective eight months prior to the accident, and I am at a loss to understand how Sir Ian Amory received the impression

that such a statement had been made since the extract from the local

Press enclosed in Sir Ian Amory's letter of the 30th. of September

last makes no mention of any defect of such long standing.

3.

This Government deeply regrets the accident.

But it is advised that it is not legally liable to make compensa-

-tion, and as regards the moral aspect I would point to the fact that it takes reasonable precautions to ensure that the pistols

used by the Police are kept in good order.

4.

I would add that the late Police Constable

Miller did not make remittances for the support of his family; that his father is but 50 years of age with a wife and 3 daughters

E RIGHT HONOURABLE

LEWIS HARCOURT, M.P.,

860..

&C..

&c...

living.