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2. I am to request you to be good enough to communicate with this Officer either directly or through the Society, and upon ascertaining that he is medically fit for service in the tropics to appoint him on three years' probation giving the Colonial Government the option either of paying his passage home at the end of that period or of retaining him on the footing of an ordinary Government servant.

3. The proposed salary you will see is at the rate of $720 per annum and he should be given a free second class passage under the ordinary conditions.

4. Lord KNUTSFORD has not caused any communication to be addressed to the War Office on the subject, as it appears hardly necessary, assuming that JOHNSON is entirely free of the Imperial Service beyond being in receipt of a pension.

The Crown Agents for the Colonies.

I am, &c.,

(Signed),

J. BRAMSTON.

The Officer Administering the Government to Secretary of State.

No. 93.

MY LORD,

GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, Sth April, 1890.

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's Despatch No. 26 of the 8th of February last, approving of Sir G. WILLIAM Des Vœux's suggestion that the Adjutancy of the Police Force should be abolished and the appointment of Assistant Superintendent of Police revived in its place, Mr. HORSPOOL being appointed to the latter post on two years' probation with a salary of $220 per mensem.

2. Upon receiving your Lordship's Despatch I caused Major DEMPSTER to be informed of your Lordship's directions in the matter and proposed, as was suggested in the second paragraph of your Despatch, that the changes should take effect in three months' time, viz. from the 1st of July next.

3. Mr. HORSFOOL also received intimation to the same effect and has expressed his willingness to accept the post under the conditions mentioned by your Lordship.

4. There is, however, a point connected with Mr. HORSPOOL'S appointment on which I should be glad to be favoured with your Lordship's decision, viz. whether your Lordship intends that Mr. HORSPOOL should, under the Police Ordinance No. 14 of 1887, continue to be a subordinate Officer or not?

5. Ordinance No. 9 of 1862 provided that there should be a Captain Super- intendent and an Assistant Superintendent of Police the latter not being included among the Subordinate Officers. This Ordinance was, with the exception of certain sections, repealed by Ordinance No. 14 of 1887 under which Ordinance there is no such Officer mentioned as an Assistant Superintendent. The three superior Officers provided for in this Ordinance (section 7) are the Captain Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent, and Adjutant, all the other Officers coming within the classification of subordinate Officers.

In the first schedule to this Ordinance no mention is made of a Deputy Superintendent, so that the Ordinance did not probably contemplate the existence of an Adjutant and a Deputy Superintendent at the same time.

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