that the policy pursued by Mr. Pope Hennessy at Hongkong will not improbably result in some change in the constitution of the Colony. Rightly or wrongly, Mr. Hennessy hus instituted a policy diametrically opposed to the wishes of the residents, and i the carrying out of that policy he has been able to make use of what, under ordinary circumstances, men are accustomed to call despotic power. We have before alluded to the powers exercised by the Governor of Hongkong, and have seen how a former Governor could send his Budget home for confirmation by the Colonial Office, a fortnight before he had presented it for @iscussion in the Legislative Council. But in that case, when presenting his Budget the Governor bad the grace to inform his Council that he desired the fullest. possible discussion. He held the cords, indeed; but he was not desirous of exhibiting them, and preferred a mock discussion, where his own views were bound to prevail, to the ruder method of imposing his views without adviser or counsel. Mr, Hen-nosy has indeed gone far to prove that, if we desire to search out an autocrat, we are to louk, not in the Governments of countries like Russia, where the Emperor's will is the highest law, but to an English Crown Colony, where a Governor seems to be able of his own motion to change the entire aspect of Government, utterly irrespective of the views and interests of those most concerned. Now, wean imagine circum. stanees under which such enlarged powers may be useful or necessary. We despise, us much as Mr, Hennessy, the besetting sin of modern English officialdom, the dread of responsibility. But there are times when such exercise of constitutional powers is at once impolitic, and, we may add, a sign of ineptitude for emergencies. Exactly in proportion to a man's disposition to intermeddle uselessly, should we be disposed to rate his inability to take decisive steps when the time for them arrives. There was certainly nothing in the state of Hongkong, on the arrival of Mr. Hennessy, to call for any unusual exhibition of power. The Colony was fairly progressing, and there certainly had not arisen, nor did there seem any symptom of arising, a conflict of races. Hongkong was a stranger to the strife going on in California and Queensland no feeling of oppression on the one side or desire to domineer on the other, existed; and, altogether, few colonies were to be found which offered fewer subjects for local differences, It is of course the case that the condition of the Colony was not perfect—that is a state never yet attained in human affairs; but Hongkong certainly did not differ from the ideal state more than most British colonies, Had Mr. Hen-nosy been a wise administrator, he would doubtless have turned his atte tion to those points wherein the adininistration 02 the Colony wns defective, and have exercised himself to have them amended, At the same time, be would have recognised the fact that he was not the first administrator sent to Hongkong, and that many of his predecessors had been able men, What seemed, therefore, to bim defect tive on first sight, may have been introduced for good and effective reasons; and as the institutions, bow-ever defective, certainly worked smoothly, it was worth his while before attempting alterations to ascertain the reasons which had influenced his preaccessers. A measure may not always be the best in the abstract, but it may be the best that circumstances permit and it is a great recommendation that it has stood the test of time and continued to work well and smoothly. Mr. Hennessy apparently thought
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.