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No. 19.

Governor Hennessy, C.M.G., to the Earl of Carnarvon.—(Received March 25.)

(No. 20.) My Lord,

Government House, Hong Kong, February 13, 1878. HAVING had an opportunity at St. Paul's College of addressing the Portuguese community of Hong Kong, I said a few words to them on the formation of a volunteer corps. I inclose an extract from one of the local papers containing the remarks I made on the subject.

2. My suggestions were very well received, and the project is now on foot.

3. Long since I had consulted with Mr. Lowcock, Mr. Keswick, the managers of the banks, and other leading gentlemen, as to re-establishing the volunteer corps which was disbanded and given up by Sir Richard MacDonnell, and on all sides I found the greatest willingness to co-operate with me in providing this popular arm of Colonial defence.

4. The commercial community in this Colony are fully alive to the fact that the events in South-Eastern Europe may directly affect their interests; and as the leading men here have, over and over again, expressed their views to me on the subject, I am bound to inform your Lordship that, as far as I know, they are unanimous in desiring unequivocally and loyally to support the policy announced in Her Majesty's Speech and carried into effect by the Government.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

Inclosure in No. 19.

Newspaper Extract.

J. POPE HENNESSY.

PERHAPS I may be permitted, my Lord, to take this opportunity, as I have said so much about the Portuguese, of saying one word to them on another subject, though connected with it. The teaching of English is one of those things that bind the Portu- guese to the Crown of England. They appreciate and are proud of the Government of England when they can speak and read in the language of England. Is there nothing else the Portuguese community can do for us? We live in critical times; and I am about to ask the Portuguese community to do that which loyal subjects in other parts of Her Majesty's Empire are doing or have done. I ask them to assist me in forming in this Colony a volunteer corps for the defence of their own homes and the defence of this Colony. (Applause.) Already, indeed, I have received, from trustworthy and influential sources of information, accounts that lead me to believe that there will be no difficulty in forming two or three good, working, substantial companies of Portuguese riflemen; and although the pupils who are here to-day are too young to take a part in anything of that kind now, yet when they see their elder brothers or their fathers joining the volunteer movement I have no doubt they themselves will look forward to the time when they will be enrolled in the volunteer force of Hong Kong, Perhaps, my Lord, I ought to apologize for intro- ducing to your notice to-day a subject somewhat foreign to that which brought us here; but you all understand the gravity of affairs in Europe, and you know that I am but discharging my duty as Representative of the Queen in rallying around Her Government every element of loyal strength that this Colony possesses. (Applause.)

No. 20.

Governor Sir W. C. F. Robinson, K.C.M.G., to the Right Hon. Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart. (Received March 25.) (No. 43.) My Lord,

Government House, February 16, 1878. WITH reference to your Lordship's Circular despatch of the 5th December, 1877, I have the honour to inclose the return required by the War Office of Colonial forces in this Colony, and to state that a similar return will be furnished annually in future.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

WILLIAM C. F. ROBINSON.

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