Sessional_Paper_1893 — Page 821

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4. You admit that the Registrar-General is very competent to usefully assist in the enquiry, but you question his competency to direct it impartially, inasmuch as apart from the suggestion referred to above he is an "interested" party. In this you are under a misapprehension, and you clearly have misapprehended the bearing of the remark in the 3rd paragraph of my letter of 3rd instant that the Registrar-General is of all persons in the Colony the one who is the most interested in securing a free, full, and impartial enquiry into the allegations which have been made against the Society. His interest in the Society is notorious, he must of course be aware that the allegations against it point to the existence of abuses which must be most prejudicial to its usefulness and for which, if they exist, a remedy is imperatively required for the sake of the Society itself; and in proportion to his interest in its welfare must be his anxiety that the enquiry shall be so conducted as to place its freeness, fullness, and impartiality beyond any room for doubt or cavil.

5. Under these circumstances His Excellency is unable to adopt your suggestion that the appointment of the Registrar-General as Chairman of the Committee should be cancelled, or that a Commission with some one else as President should be substituted for the Committee which has been appointed.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient Servant.

Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD, &c., &c., &c.

G. T. M. O'BRIEN, Colonial Secretary.

SIR,

HONGKONG, 13th May, 1892.

I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter No. 824 of the 10th instant which came to my hand rather late on the 11th. I note that His Excellency is unable to adopt my suggestion for the removal of the Honourable the Registrar-General from the Chairmanship of the Committee appointed to enquire into and report on the Bill now before the Council for the incorporation of the Pó Léung Kuk. I have therefore nothing further to urge on that point. I can only express my great regret that I have troubled His Excellency to so little purpose.

I note further from your letter that it is not now an instruction to the Committee to enquire as to the truth or otherwise of the suggestion that the official influence of the Registrar-General was brought to bear on certain subscribers to the subscription in aid of the Pó Léung Kuk, and that even if it were true that such influence had been brought to bear it would not afford any reason in His Excellency's opinion for rejecting the Bill.

I desire to remind you that in the Legislative Council on 25th ultimo, His Excellency the Governor when referring to certain charges which had been preferred against the operations of the Pó Léung Kuk Society specially mentioned the one in question, and is reported to have said-" Another is that the $30,000--which is mentioned by the Registrar- "General as the amount of the subscription gathered in aid of the Society-of that 'amount a certain portion has been obtained by means which could hardly be called justifiable. I think as such very grave charges are hanging over this Society, a Society which has done very good work, it would be the wish of the members themselves "that the matter should be thoroughly enquired into. If these statements are proved "it will be a very serious matter, and if they are disproved the hands of the Government "and the hands of the Pó Leung Kuk Society will, I think, be immensely strengthened."

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