Sessional_Paper_1884 — Page 476

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COUNCIL CHAMBER,

SIR,

HONGKONG, 10th January, 1884.

1. The Commission appointed to enquire into certain charges which have been publicly made against the Officers of the Public Works Department have received your letter, dated yesterday, in which you state

that, after careful consideration, you cannot see your way to give any evidence before the Commission, on

the ground that Messrs. JOHNSON and LISTER have publicly expressed their confidence in the above-named

Department.

2. The Commission desire to point out that, while partiality or impartiality does not particularly affect the taking of evidence, as a matter of fact neither Mr. JOHNSON nor Mr. LISTER has expressed any opinion whatever as to the Public Works Department. Those gentlemen have simply recorded their personal

confidence in Mr. PRICE, a confidence which you yourself appear in some degree to share, for the Commis-

sion find you reported in the Hongkong Telegraph of November 30th last, as follows:-

*

"He (Mr. FRASER-SMITH) deemed it but fair to Mr. PRICE to publicly state that no imputations were intended to be cast upon him by the article."

3. The Commission desire to repeat, what I verbally told you before, that they will be glad to take

your evidence either publicly with reporters or privately, as you may prefer.

4. The Commission hope therefore that in view of the Public interests involved, you will reconsider this matter, and favour them with any information in your possession.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

ARTHUR KENNEDY TRAVERS,

Secretary.

R. FRASER-SMITH, Esq.,

Editor Hongkong Telegraph.

SIR,

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH,

HONGKONG, 20th January, 1884.

I regret that owing to an unusual pressure of business I have hitherto been prevented from replying to your letter of the 10th instant, in which you request me to reconsider my decision not to give evidence before the Commission appointed by the Governor to inquire into certain charges against the Public Works Department. However, I trust, and feel assured, that my delay in answering has not put you to any in- convenience.

Will you be good enough to point out to the gentlemen who instructed you to write to me that the duties of the Commission appointed by Governor BOWEN, in addition to taking evidence also extend to reporting, or in other words, recording their respective and united opinion on that evidence! Will you also kindly point out that such a report to be of any real value must be impartial, and direct the attention of Messrs. JOHNSON and LISTER to the letter addressed to the Honourable the Surveyor General, and signed by both these gentlemen, dated 1st December, 1883! In that letter Messrs. JOHNSON and LISTER express their complete confidence in the administration of the Public Works Department. The Commission must know right well that if the charges now being investigated have any foundation in fact and there are hundreds of respectable persons in this Colony who know of their absolute truth-the Surveyor General, however honest he may have been personally, loses none of the responsibility attached to his position as the Head of a public department.