Sir William Peel, Kc.nticy, kas, who was received with applause, said: My Lord President, Your Excellency and Gentlemen, 1 Jzreatly appreciate the honour that is Jdone me to-night by the China As-[sociation in inviting me to be a guest fand for having my name coupled with the toast' which has just been Jdrunk. I find it very dim cult, to} {face the privilege which has just been thrust upon me of replying for Jo number of guests. some of whom fare, I feel, much more competent to reply to that, toast than I am.
This is the first occasion on which I have hed the pleasure of attending dinner of this Association and I confess that I have felt myself in somewhat of @ quandary as to what T had to say to-night. I cannot foreet a remark which was once made iwas Resident General of the Federated Malay States. He said to. "You know, Peel, you must be very careful. What the unofficials' like do is to invite a Government femeer to lunch or dinner, get him fon his legs to make a speech and commit himself."
The China Association has been very kind to me. When the Committee asked me to lunch with them just before I went to Hongkong speeches were barred. To-night T find myself, by coincidence, on the love of my retirement from the post lof Governor of Hongkong. In fact if you make allowance for_ the difference of time, I have in Hongkong ceased to be Governor: and therefore if 1 do happen to say anything to-night that I ought not to say I feel that I shall be out of the clutches of my present permanent Chief, Sir John Maffey by midnight.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.