THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 12TH NOVEMBER, 1879.
661
to have done, frankly asked what was going on. I observe the Governor is reported to have made use of the expression "going behind his back to obtain it, in place of asking him for the information I required. Should the report be correct, I fearlessly leave the Hongkong community to decide, if I went behind any one's back in my endeavour to elicit the truth, or if the means I adopted were not more calculated to obtain what was wanted, than the plari suggested, although I may not have been entirely successful.
As I have not had an opportunity of seeing the papers since they were printed, I need not further allude to them; indeed, any expression of opinion on them by me is now unnecessary, and my only desire in the foregoing has been to correct the impressions that the Hongkong public must have received from what was said in the Council as reported in the China Mail, and I shall therefore be glad if you will make any use of this you may think desirable to carry out the object I have had in view in addressing you.
I need scarcely add that, as but one day intervened between my interview with the Governor and my departure from Hongkong, it was impossible almost for me to avail myself of the offer to look at the papers again.
I may name, that I consider it due to myself to inform the authorities at the Colonial Office that I have found it necessary to contradict Mr. HENNESSY's statements as reported.
I am,
My dear KESWICK,
Your's faithfully,
H. LOWCOCK.
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR.-Gentlemen, I think you will all admit I have given to the Honourable member full opportunity of making his statement at his own time and according to his own manner.
It is the first I have heard of this letter of Mr. Lowcock. I will deal very briefly with it. We are now told there was no satisfactory interview with the Governor at Government House on the subject of deportation, but before Mr. Lowcock left the Colony he got this letter:-
HONGKONG, 28th April, 1879.
MY DEAR SIR, I send you an official reply to your letter on the subject of deportation. I un- derstand from the Governor that he had a satisfactory interview with you yesterday on this subject, and that in fact the latter part of my letter has been already acted on.
All the papers are, however, ready for your perusal again if you wish to see them.
The Honourable HENRY LOWCOCK.
I
am, &c.,
W. H. MARSH.
My Honourable friend (Mr. MARSH) will recollect that I asked him, "Has Mr. Lowcock answered that letter?" And he said "no." And when the day came for Mr. Lowcock to leave the Colony, I repeated the question to my Honourable friend, the Colonial Secretary, and said, "Has Mr. Lowcock yet answered the letter I asked you to write to him stating we had a satisfactory interview on the sub- ject of deportation?" And he answered "no." I think my Honourable friend will answer "yes" to this question. Was the letter actually sent to Mr. LowCOCK?
The COLONIAL SECRETARY.-Yes, it was.
His EXCELLENCY.-Yet, though that occurred on the 28th April, 1879, my Honourable friend (Mr. KESWICK) can read at this Council table a letter of that kind against the Governor, who has not heard since then officially or un-officially from Mr. Lowcock. No acknowledgment either of the official letter or of the semi-official letter from that day to this! Is that the way Mr. Lowcock, as a man of business, ought to have acted? Would he have treated an ordinary commercial correspondent in that way? Is that the way he ought to have treated Mr. MARSH, and the Governor of the Colony? And now, after many months have elapsed, a letter from Mr. Lowсock is read denying that any satis- factory interview took place. Not making any comment upon it I pass to the real merits of the case.
Honourable W. KESWICK Said Mr. Lowcock's letter was dated the 23rd July.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.