242
CARL SMITH
Among the Europeans there was a token opposition group composed of a handful of Government officials. John Francis, an acting police magistrate, was its spokesman. At the opening of the meeting he raised the question of whether a small clique had pre-arranged to control the meeting. Naturally, no direct answer was forthcoming.
The first resolution was proposed by William Keswick, senior partner of Jardines and an Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council. The resolution stated: The past 18 months have produced feelings of insecurity which in the opinion of the meeting are mainly caused by a policy of undue leniency towards the criminal class.
When the chairman, H. G. Gibb, called for remarks or amendments, Francis proposed that the last part of the resolution be struck out, his intention being that the fact of insecurity was one matter, the cause of it another, and the two should be discussed and voted on separately. All could agree about the present state of affairs. But there was difference of opinion regarding its cause and cure.
The motion was seconded by a Mr. Hallyar, an Official Member of the Legislative Council, Queen's Counsel and a friend of Governor Hennessy at least at that time. Later he was to be charged by Governor Hennessy with betraying their friendship by alleged indiscretions towards his wife.
During the course of Mr. Francis' remarks, the chairman several times called them out of order. The exchange between the two became so heated that at one point Gibb told Francis: “I think a more gross insult to me could hardly be made." This was followed by cries from some: “Turn him out, turn him out," and by others, "No, let him remain." He remained.
A Parsee gentleman, Mehta, further confused the meeting by proposing another resolution before that of Francis had been put to a vote. Mehta proposed that "the amendment from the Government officials (he meant Francis and Hallyar) be not accepted."
242
CARL SMITH
Among the Europeans there was a token opposition group com- posed of a handful of Government officials. John Francis, an act- ing police magistrate, was its spokesman. At the opening of the meeting he raised the question of whether a small clique had pre- arranged to control the meeting. Naturally, no direct answer was forthcoming.
The first resolution was proposed by William Keswick, senior partner of Jardines and an Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council. The resolution stated: The past 18 months have pro- duced feelings of insecurity which in the opinion of the meeting are mainly caused by a policy of undue leniency towards the crimi- nal class.
When the chairman, H. G. Gibb, called for remarks or amend- ments, Francis proposed that the last part of the resolution be struck out, his intention being that the fact of insecurity was one matter, the cause of it another, and the two should be discussed and voted on separately. All could agree about the present state of affairs. But there was difference of opinion regarding its cause and
cure.
The motion was seconded by a Mr. Hallyar, an Official Mem- ber of the Legislative Council, Queen's Counsel and a friend of Governor Hennessy at least at that time. Later he was to be charged by Governor Hennessy with betraying their friendship by alleged indiscretions towards his wife.
During the course of Mr. Francis' remarks, the chairman sever- al times called them out of order. The exchange between the two became so heated that at one point Gibb told Francis: “I think a more gross insult to me could hardly be made." This was followed by cries from some: “Turn him out, turn him out," and by others, "No, let him remain." He remained.
A Parsee gentleman, Mehta, further confused the meeting by proposing another resolution before that of Francis had been put to a vote. Mehta proposed that "the amendment from the Government officials (he meant Francis and Hallyar) be not accepted."
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