TEMPERS FRAY AND WILLS CLASH AT
JUBILEE MEETING
245
It takes some ability to properly manage a meeting where temper are short and wills clash. The chairman of the public meeting held on April 12, 1887, to make plans for the Jubilee of Queen Victoria was singularly inept in steering the course of the meeting.
The meeting was split over a decision as to what permanent memorial should mark the event in Hongkong. Three ideas were put before the meeting, a sanitarium at the Peak proposed by Dr. Patrick Manson, a library and reading room suggested by Mr. W. E. Crow, and a contribution to the Colonial Institute in London advocated by Mr. J. J. Francis.
The institute scheme received little support. Mr. Francis, therefore, threw his support behind the sanitarium. There was a general opinion that the meeting did not have sufficient information to decide on any proposal, therefore Mr. Francis suggested that a committee of five be appointed "to confer with Dr. Manson, communicate with Government, and prepare and submit for approval at a subsequent meeting a detailed scheme for a convalescent home at the Peak to be named after Her Majesty.”
To Mr. Fraser-Smith this seemed to be tackling the problem the wrong way. He asked: “If it would not be well to get the feeling of the meeting to whether they approve of Dr. Manson's proposal."
The chairman assured him that they would be doing so if they voted on Mr. Francis's resolution to appoint a committee. Mr. Fraser-Smith burst in to contradict him: “I beg pardon, you are not. You are getting substantive resolution of quite different character."
Page 270
Page 271
TEMPERS FRAY AND WILLS CLASH AT
JUBILEE MEETING
245
It takes some ability to properly manage a meeting where tem- pers are short and wills clash. The chairman of the public meeting held on April 12, 1887, to make plans for the Jubilee of Queen Victoria was singularly inept in steering the course of the meeting.
The meeting was split over a decision as to what permanent memorial should mark the event in Hongkong. Three ideas were put before the meeting, a sanitarium at the Peak proposed by Dr. Patrick Manson, a library and reading room suggested by Mr. W. E. Crow, and a contribution to the Colonial Institute in London advocated by Mr. J. J. Francis.
The institute scheme received little support. Mr. Francis, there- fore, threw his support behind the sanitarium. There was a general opinion that the meeting did not have sufficient information to decide on any proposal, therefore Mr. Francis suggested that a committee of five be appointed "to confer with Dr. Manson, com- municate with Government, and prepare and submit for approval at a subsequent meeting a detailed scheme for a convalescent home at the Peak to be named after Her Majesty.”
To Mr. Fraser-Smith this seemed to be tackling the problem the wrong way. He asked: “If it would not be well to get the feeling of the meeting to whether they approve of Dr. Manson's proposal."
The chairman assured him that they would be doing so if they voted on Mr. Francis's resolution to appoint a committee. Mr. Fraser-Smith burst in to contradict him: “I beg pardon, you are not. You are getting substantive resolution of quite different character."
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