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not able to satisfy the request. Somewhat apologetically he stated that "as far as this Government is concerned, they would willingly lay on the table all this correspondence, and as the matter is one which appears to have been dealt with on Imperial grounds, I thought it better to request by telegram permission of the Secretary of State immediately I received notice of the question, but I have not yet received a reply. Therefore I must postpone the question to the next session.”
Mr. Whitehead was not to be put off so easily. He attacked from another quarter: "Your Excellency, in Lord Knutsford's despatch of May 21 he refers to his despatch of March 26 and His Excellency Governor Des Voeux's reply. Would it be possible for the Government to lay this correspondence on the table?”
His Excellency felt unable to comply as in his opinion the question of Mr. Whitehead related to the entire correspondence on the matter and his action in regard to this was dependent on instructions from London.
Mr. Whitehead stated his reason for pressing his request. A public meeting was to be held the following week to pass resolutions on the matter. The recent correspondence would be of great value in determining how best to challenge the official reasons given for the appointment.
Though Mr. Whitehead had asked for the correspondence from 1868 to 1876, they were in fact not needed as the Chamber of Commerce had copies of these. Before the meeting they were published in Hongkong newspapers as background information for those attending.
The Governor suggested that the meeting be postponed until he had received a reply from London to his request to make the correspondence public.
In concluding the exchanges, Mr. Whitehead complained of the way in which Hongkong was being treated: "It is on the face of it a most arbitrary proceeding on the part of the Imperial Government, and cannot be justified in any way.”
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not able to satisfy the request. Somewhat apologetically he stated that "as far as this Government is concerned, they would willingly lay on the table all this correspondence, and as the matter is one which appears to have been dealt with on Imperial grounds, I thought it better to request by telegram permission of the Secre- tary of State immediately I received notice of the question, but I have not yet received a reply. Therefore I must postpone the ques- tion to the next session.”
Mr. Whitehead was not to be put off so easily. He attacked from another quarter: "Your Excellency, in Lord Knutsford's despatch of May 21 he refers to his despatch of March 26 and His Excellency Governor Des Voeux's reply. Would it be possible for the Government to lay this correspondence on the table?”
His Excellency felt unable to comply as in his opinion the ques- tion of Mr. Whitehead related to the entire correspondence on the matter and his action in regard to this was dependent on instruc- tions from London.
Mr. Whitehead stated his reason for pressing his request. A public meeting was to be held the following week to pass resolu- tions on the matter. The recent correspondence would be great value in determining how best to challenge the official reasons given for the appointment.
Though Mr. Whitehead had asked for the correspondence from 1868 to 1876, they were in fact not needed as the Chamber of Commerce had copies of these. Before the meeting they were pub- lished in Hongkong newspapers as background information for those attending.
The Governor suggested that the meeting be postponed until he had received a reply from London to his request to make the correspondence public.
In concluding the exchanges, Mr. Whitehead complained of the way in which Hongkong was being treated: "It is on the face of it a most arbitrary proceeding on the part of the Imperial Govern- ment, and cannot be justified in any way.”
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