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Mr. Francis tried to extricate the meeting from this difficulty by stating that if his motion was defeated, it would indicate that the plan of Dr. Manson did not have the approval of the meeting. Mr. Fraser-Smith was not to be so easily put aside. He admitted: "Mr. Francis's explanation was ingenious, but the resolution was entirely out of order."
He advised the chair that "the proper course would be to move the direct question of an adjournment and allow the proposer and seconder of Dr. Manson's scheme to get the details." He was opposed to so many committees, expressing the opinion that "it was quite unnecessary to appoint a committee of five; which seems an outrageous way of doing business. The system of self-appointed committees in Hongkong was going too far."
To force his point, he moved the meeting be adjourned. The chairman ignored the motion. Instead he instructed: "I think you had better appoint four gentlemen with Mr. Stewart-Lockhart as secretary, so that they can get to work at once. You will never get a better chance."
Mr. Crow seconded Mr. Fraser-Smith's motion for adjournment, and to further complicate procedures stated that if a committee was to be appointed to get information on the sanitarium plan, another should be named to do the same for his library scheme.
The chairman, still ignoring the motion for adjournment, put the motion to appoint the committee before the meeting, and, after a show of hands, declared it passed. Objections were raised that there had been a miscount, but the chairman did not listen to the protest but reaffirmed that the motion had been passed and refused to have a recount.
Mr. Fraser-Smith, not willing to accept this ruling, asked that a written ballot be taken on the motion. The chairman perfunctorily ruled him out of order. The meeting seemed headed for inevitable disaster.
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Mr. Francis tried to extricate the meeting from this difficulty by stating that if his motion was defeated, it would indicate that the plan of Dr. Manson did not have the approval of the meeting. Mr. Fraser-Smith was not to be so easily put aside. He admitted: "Mr. Francis's explanation was ingenious, but the resolution was entirely out of order."
He advised the chair that "the proper course would be to move the direct question of an adjournment and allow the proposer and seconder of Dr. Manson's scheme to get the details." He was op- posed to so many committees, expressing the opinion that “it was quite unnecessary to appoint a committee of five; which seems an outrageous way of doing business. The system of self-appointed committees in Hongkong was going too far.”
To force his point, he moved the meeting be adjourned. The chairman ignored the motion. Instead he instructed: "I think you had better appoint four gentlemen with Mr. Stewart-Lockhart as secretary, so that they can get to work at once. You will never get a better chance."
Mr. Crow seconded Mr. Fraser-Smith's motion for adjourn- ment, and to further complicate procedures stated that if a com- mittee was to be appointed to get information on the sanitarium plan, another should be named to do the same for his library scheme.
The chairman, still ignoring the motion for adjournment, put the motion to appoint the committee before the meeting, and, after a show of hands, declared it passed. Objections were raised that there had been a miscount, but the chairman did not listen to the protest but reaffirmed that the motion had been passed and refused to have a recount.
Mr. Fraser-Smith, not willing to accept this ruling, asked that a written ballot be taken on the motion. The chairman perfunctorily ruled him out of order. The meeting seemed headed for inevitable disaster.
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