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I trust, therefore, that on further consideration you will consent to continue as a member of the Committee and allow the Government to have the benefit of your views, based on the inquiries you have held, which can be embodied in a minority report if they do not receive the support of your other colleagues.

I feel certain that such a course would prevent misconception and would tend to lend greater weight to opinions which, emanating from an authority of such long and varied experience as your Lordship's, must command attention.

The Right Reverend

Bishop HOARE, D.D.

I have, &c.,

W. J. GASCOIGNE, Major-General.

ST. PAUL'S COLLEGE,

HONGKONG, 20th March, 1902.

SIR,I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's letter, which reached me on the 17th instant, in which you ask me to reconsider my decision with regard to my retirement from the Education Committee.

I regret to say that in view of my departure from the Colony at an early date for England it would be useless for me to retain my seat on the Committee.

Some three or four weeks ago I had hoped that, as the Committee were in the main agreed as to principles, it would be possible to draw up the Report before my departure. When however I found that the other members of the Committee wished to introduce changes which seemed to me to be very injurious, I felt that this would be impossible. To remain on the Committee and to dispute the clauses on which we differed, would, I found by experience, take too long. To pass the clauses, and then draw up an independent Report would, I felt, be inconsistent. I considered therefore that my only course was to retire, and at the same time to indicate what I considered the best course to adopt, instead of the drastic "reforms to be recommended by the Committee, for the improvement of Edu- cation in Hongkong, viz., (1) the appointment of an Inspector of experience in edu- cation; (2) the training of Masters and Teachers; and (3) the alteration of the Code in such a way as to secure the gradual improvement of the existing machinery. Were I to draw up a minority report it would but embody these three points.

Under these circumstances, I trust that Your Excellency will allow me to retire from the Committee.

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I have, &c.,

J. C. VICTORIA.

To His Excellency

Major-General Sir W. J. GASCOIGNE, K.C.M.G.

[No. 23 G.]

MY LORD,

GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 25th March, 1902.

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 20th instant, in which you inform me that you are unable to reconsider your decision to retire from the Education Committee. I regret that you have considered it necessary to take this step, and that the Committee will not have the benefit of your advice and assistance at its final sittings and in the preparation of its Report. In the circumstances, however, I am unable to do otherwise than accept your resignation, and sincerely trust that your dissent from some of the views expressed by the rest of the Committee, and their inability to concur in some of the opinions expressed by Your Lordship, will not do injury to the cause of Education in this Colony.