Sessional_Paper_1893 — Page 822

[ix]

His Excellency is further reported to have then said "I therefore propose, if the "Council does not see any objection, that we defer consideration of this Bill in the "meantime, and under the standing orders, that it be referred at this stage to a special "commission, consisting of the Registrar-General, Dr. Ho KAI, Mr. CHATER, Mr. "WHITEHEAD, and the Acting Colonial Treasurer, for consideration and report.'

**

In the instructions circulated to the Committee in your letter to the Registrar- General dated 28th ultimo, this point was included, and I hope that it will not now be withdrawn.

Without wishing to enter into any controversy on the point will you permit me to again state that it still seems to me to be a proper question for the Committee to enquire into.

The Pó Leung Kuk are asking for a grant, a large grant of public money on the ground that they have raised a still larger sum by public voluntary subscription from the Chinese community for the purposes of the Society, that the amount raised is insufficient for the needs of the work, and that this voluntary effort on their part ought to be met by a corresponding liberality on the part of the Government. The suggestion is that this has not been altogether a voluntary subscription got up by the Chinese among the Chinese for a purely charitable purpose and which ought to be met in the same spirit by the Government and by the general public, but is in part at least an officially suggested subscription, got up with a view to the present application. Surely it is a question for the Committee whether there is any truth in that suggestion, and equally if there is it will afford a good reason for refusing the Bill or will help towards that end.

The preamble to the Bill and all the statements in it are, I conceive, the proper subject of the enquiry.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient Servant,

The Honourable G. T. M. O'BRIEN, C.M.G.,

Colonial Secretary.

T. H. WHITEHEAD.

COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE,

HONGKONG, 14th May, 1892.

SIR,

I am directed by the Governor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 13th instant and to acquaint you in reply that His Excellency has nothing to add to the observations contained in my letter of 10th instant beyond stating that he cannot see any incompatibility between those observations and your quotations from his address to the Legislative Council, and that the instructions, to which you refer, to the Committee of enquiry have not been altered.

I have the honour to be,

. Sir,

Your most obedient Servant,

G. T. M. O'BRIEN,

Colonial Secretary.