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our clients that the Government of Hongkong proposed to pass an Ordinance making legal the Government's control procedure and confining our clients' compensation to the monies they had already received, thereby forcibly using the legislative power of this Colony to deprive our clients of their right to have their legal claim tested by the Courts of this Colony, in other words the Government of Hongkong proposed to make for themselves a defence which they dherwise had not got to our clients action by passing a special Ordinance taking away our clients logal
rights.
The Ordinance in question passed its first reading on the 1st September 1921, see Hongkong Hansard for 1921, page 109, but in deference to strenuous opposition, held over the second reading until the 3rd August 1922 when again strenuous
opposition was made in the Legislative Council by our clients
to the passing of the second reading, see report of the Hongkong
Daily Press. The third and final reading of the Ordinance
will take place on the 17th August 1922.
Between the first and second reading of the Ordinance
negotiations took place between the Hongkong Government and
our clients with a view to ascertain whether a settlement could
be arrived at, and certain proposals were discussed with our
clients the effect of which would have been that the $2,231,204.11
was to be divided equally between the Hongkong Government and our
clients, but the unofficial members of the Legislative Council
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No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.