Sessional_Paper_1904 — Page 116

5

No. 1904

HONGKONG.

MARINE LOT No. 184.-MESSRS. STEPHENS AND HOWARD'S PETITION.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government.

HONGKONG.

No. 380.

DOWNING STREET,

21st October, 1903.

SIR, With reference to my despatch No. 262 of the 16th of July last,* relative to a petition presented to His Majesty the KING by Messrs. STEPHENS and HOWARD, I have the honour to forward copy of a letter dated 5th September* addressed by them to the Secretary of State for the Home Department.

2. As you have already been informed, His Majesty was not pleased to give any directions with regard to the petition, and Messrs. STEPHENS and HOWARD were so informed.

3. Mr. HOWARD has, however, since on two occasions in a personal interview with the Legal Assistant Under Secretary to this Department represented that great injustice has been done to him by the entire inadequacy of the sum awarded to his firm and has contended that they were entitled to rely on the promise of Sir G. DES VEUX in his message to the Legislative Council of the 22nd of March, 1889, that the fullest justice would be done in respect of private rights, a promise which Mr. HOWARD alleges has not in this case been fulfilled.

4. On consideration of the petition and of your despatch No. 59 of the 15th of March. 1899,* I am not entirely satisfied that the compensation awarded to Messrs. STEPHENS and HOWARD may not have been inadequate, but it is obvious that such a question can only be decided in the light of local knowledge and experience.

5. I therefore request that you will be good enough to investigate the whole matter afresh, and, if you are of opinion that substantial justice demands it, to ask the Legislative Council to vote an additional sum to the Petitioners, to be paid to them merely as a matter of grace but not of right.

Governor

Sir H. A. BLAKE, G.C.M.G.,

&c.,

I have, &c.,

ALFRED LYTTELTON.

&c.,

&c..

* Not primed.