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392
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
me in leaving Hongkong to know that I have left some good men among you whose names will be well known to the world in the future. Once more, gentlemen, I thank you most heartily for your address and I wish you all prosperity in the future. (Applause.)
The proceedings then terminated and the company were afterwards served with refresh ments.
His Excellency shook hands with all those present and bade them good-bye.
Much admiration was expressed for the black- wood case which enclosed the address. It was a characteristic piece of Chinese carving with the dragon dominant.
The address was on vellum; the inscription on the frout cover was as follows:--Presented to His Excellency. Sir Henry Arthur Blake, G.C.M.G., by the Civil Servants of Hongkong on his departure for Ceylon, November, 19:3.
HONGKONG'S FAREWELL.
After five years of administration of the government of Hongkong, His Excellency Sir Henry A. Blake, G.C.M.G., departed on the 21st inst. to take up the Governorship of Ceylon. The farewel groeting that he got from the community of the Colony was such as to leave a lasting memory in His Excel ency's mind of the feelings of respect and affection with which ho is regarded by the people of this Colony. Unfortunately the weather was not auspicious, for it rained steadily all day long and the streets were ankle-deep in mud. Sir leury was accompanied by Lady Blake and Sir John Keane, A.D.C. The party left Government House shortly after eleven o'clock, in chairs, and proceeded to the City Hall where a large assembly of the citizens had met to present His Excellency with a farewell address. Afterwards they proceeded to Blake Pier and went by launch out to the P. & O. 8.s. Malia by which they are to journey to Ceylou.
ADDRESS AT THE CITY HALL.
conditions, without which there could be no security of person or property. The machine of State works smoothly, and all is well, when you are each doing your own allotted task; and I, with all my experience behind me, have no hesitation in saying that no body of public servants in the wide Empire of the King have done their work more faithfully than you during the five years that I have known you. Op the taking over of the New Territory we were confronted with the fact that more men were required to fill certain newly-created offices, and that we must obtain them from our affiliated Eastern Colonies or disregard all precedent, and bring down from Canton and appoint the unpassed cadets who were there for the study of Chinese. Happily, I was given a free hand, and these young gentlemen began their real work while they were still in a state of official incubation. I am entirely satisfied with the result. I hold that there is but one standard for official work, and that is a man's best; and my experience is that the capable man who gives his best is certain of recognition when the occa- sion offers. You have in this Colony & proof of this, for here you have had two able and conscientious workers who have gone through their entire service in the Colony until they have reached the position within it of Colonial Secretary and it is a great satisfaction to me that I shall leave oue of these gentlemen, my friend, Mr. May, as the officer administering the Government on my departure to-morrow. On behalf of Lady Blake as for myself, I thank-you again most warmly for your, good wishes, which we most heartily reciprocate; and in saying good-bye, personally thank you for the thoroughness of your work, which has made mine easy and pleasant, and which will, I hope, bring to you, gentle- men, in the future the due reward for public service faithfully and efficiently performed. And now gentlemen I have the pleasure of For the occasion S. Andrew's Hall had been thanking Sir William Goodman for the very decorated with palm, ferus and flowers under kind words in the prologue to this address, this the superintendenco of Mr. W. J. Tutcher of beautiful address which you have presented to the Botanical and Afforestation Department. me and it will be preserved by me through all A raised platform was placed at the upper end. my life, and I shall always look with the The Governor's party rode from Government keepest pleasure upon it. Perhaps, gentlemen, House to the hall by way of Albert Road past I may be permitted to indulge in a little episode. the Government offices into and down Garden The route was I think you are very fortunate in certain ways. Road and across Queen's Road. The instinct of hard work is among you and lined by the Indian soldiers of the 110th Mah- always has been, and as I said yesterday rattas and 93rd Burmas. On arrival at the hall in my address to the Council criticism is a His Excellency, accompanied by Lady Blake thing that ought to be not unwelcome, and fair and Sir John Keane, took up his the central criticism should never be burked. We have position on the daïs, the assembly standing up the good fortune to have in the Colony a Press meanwhile. When seats had been resumed which I have no hesitation in saying is not only His Honour the Chief Justice Sir William independent but is as fair a Press as I have Goodman, wearing his robes, eutered by known in any part; its standard is high. and it the side door. accompanied by the unofficial is absolutely free from that ferosity and such members of the Legislative Council and the per sonalities as I have seen now and again in committee of the Chamber of Commerce as other parts of the world (Applause). Gentlement follows-Sir Paul Chater, Hon. Gershom some among us-the Civil Servants of the Stewart, Hon. C. W. Dickson, Hon. Dr. Ho Crown-very often murmur because they think Kai, Hon. Wei Yuk, Messrs. E. A. Hewett, that just weight has not been given to their D. R. Law. N. A. Siebe, A. G. Wood, J. R. M. deserts. Well, it is well to remember Smith, and R. C. Wilcox. Among others present that the person who is most anxious as a in the hall were the Colonial Secretary rule to secure the best hand is the man who (Hon. F. H. May, C.M.G.), Hon. L. A. M. is responsible for the appointment that has Johnston (Acting Colonial Treasurer), Hon. to be made, and he is personally interested Sir H. S. Berkeley (Attorney-General), Hon. to a greater extent than the young members W. Chatham (Director of Public Works), of the Service sometimes give him credit for. I Hon. Basil Taylor (Harbour Master), Hon. A. remember, gentlemens on one occasion in another W. Brewin, (Registrar-General), His Honour Colony a rather important appointment was the Puisne Judge (Mr. A. G. Wise), Dr. vacant, and I bad to consider whom I should J. M. Atkinson, (P.C.M.O.) Colonel L. F. recommend for it, and after a very full Brown (Commanding the Troops) Colonel Bird- consideration I came to the conclusion that a wood, Colonel Wylly, Major Dopping Hepenstall. certain gentleman was best fitted for that office. Messrs. C. A. Tomes, H. W. Looker, H. P. He had not been recommended; nobody had Tooker, G. C. C. Master, M. S. Northcote, H. N. mentioned him. Now, I may tell you, very Mody, A. G. Romano, Consul-General for few people have ever mentioned names to me Portugal; T. Liebert, Consul for France; E. in matters of appointments, but I appointed him, Hamman, Consul for Belgium; L. Volpicelli, greatly to his own surprise, and I am glad to say Consul-General for Italy; E. Muelle, Consul for that he has been a conspicuous success, and I Peru; C. Clementi, H. W. Slade, E. H. Sharp, remember reading some time afterwards in the K.C., B. Layton, J. Hastings, H. J. Godge, Press expressions of wonder as to whom it was, R. F. Johnston, Major Radcliff, M. W. Slade, what influence he could have secured to have P. W. Sergeant, B. James, D. Story got the appointment, the underlying Bishop Piazzoli, Rev. Father Beaubelat, Pro- idea being that no appointment could ever cureur des Missions Etrangères; Rev. Fathers be secured without some outside influence | Spada, de Maria and Gabardi, Messrs. Ho to push a man forward. Now, as I have said, gentlemen, in answer to your address, believe me, that wherever there is a good man who gives the best of His work thoroughly and honestly, that man is perfectly certain to come to the front, and it is a great satisfaction to
Tung, Ho Fook, Ho Kom Tong. Chau Siu Ki, Yong Won Chung, Leung Piu Chi, Tseung Shi Kai, Wong Kom Fuk, Lo Koon Ting. Fung Wa Chun, Lo Cheung Shiu, Lim Chi Fung, Chun Lam Hung, Wei On and Lau Chu Pak and a good proportion of ladies.
[November 30, 1903.
As the deputation entered the hall the whole assembly rose to their feet.
Sir WILLIAM GOODMAN then addressed His Excellency as follows:-Your Excellency,- We have met here this morning to present to your Excellency an eddress from the people of this Colony expressing, now that you are about to leave us, their appreciation of your work here as Governor and their hearty good wishes for your success and well-being in the future. I feel it a great honour to have been specially asked to act on this occasion for those who have signed that address, representing, as they do, not only the British residents but also the various nationalities which go to make up the general community of Hongkong; and in their name, I will now ask Excellency's permission to read that address and then to add a few words of my own.
Sir WILLIAM then read the following address:+
your
To HIS EXCELLENCY SIB HENRY ARTHUR
BLAKE, G.C.M.G., GOVERNOR AND COM. MANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE COLONY OF HONGKONG AND ITS DEPENDENCIES AND VICE-ADMIRAL OF THE SAME,
Your Excellency,-We the undersigned residents of Hongkong, on the eve of your departure to take up the important post His Majesty has been graciously pleased to confer upon you, desire to express our appreciation of the valuable services rendered to this Colony during your Excellency's term of office here.
The administration of a Crown Colony at a distance of more than ten thousand miles from the mother country cannot, ev n in ordinary times, prove an easy task. We realise that the difficulties attendant upon a peaceful and successful government of this Colony were increased during the earlier period of your Excellency's tenure of office by the disastrous outbreak in the neighbouring Empire, and we are glad to think that at this critical period the government of the Colony was in your able hands.
It is impossible in the brief space afforded us by an address to go into detail as to the various phases of your Excellency's administration, but we would specially refer to a few of the more important.
Daring your term of office the boundaries of the Colony have been extended from 27 square miles to 400 square miles, an increase which naturally adds largely to the work of administration, and we rejoice to feel that the disturbances and resistance met with in taking over the New Territory were promptly and decisively overcome, and that the population have since maintained a peaceful and content- ed attitude, indicating the satisfaction they feel with the system of Government it has fallen upon your Excellency to introduce and administer for the last five years.
new
en-
The projects for the erection of various urgently needed publio buildings, notably the been accelerated Post Office, have through your Excellency's personal deavours.
Among other questions which have engaged your Excellency's attention has been the extending of the road-system of the Colony, and in particular the opening up of the New Territory by the construction of the main Taipo Road.
The proposed Praya East Reclamation Scheme, the immense importance of which your Excellency was prompt to recognise, and strongly advocated, has up to the present been found impossible of execution owing to difficulties with certain of the authorities iu England, but we trust that your efforts to secure this desired expansion of the city will ultimately be crowned with success.
The burning question of the site for the Naval Dock Yard has been dealt with so recently that is unnecessary here to go into details, but the protest made by the Colony against the Admiralty scheme was warmly supported by your Excellency, who fully recognised the injury it would entail upon the City of Victoria. In this connection we can assure you that the carnest endeavours made by your Excellency to induce the Naval Authorities to reconsider their adverse decision, and thus secure for the city an unbroken sea-front and its legitimate ex- pansion will be gratefully remembered.
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