Daylight illumination is provided by the three large windows on each of the side walls of the Chamber, the amount of light from this source be- ing controlled partially by the vene- tian blinds with which they are equip- ped, and partly by the curtains. which are capable of being entirely drawn, and which add colour and con- trast to the interior decoration.
In this Council Chamber now meet the Legislative and Executive Coun- cils of the Government of Hong Kong, and it would be of interest to trace, very briefly, the history of the Con- stitutional Development of Hong Kong.
A view of the East and Central Wings from the north-west.
same
and in July the Attorney General, became a member of Executive Council. Clamour very for popular representation started soon in the life of the Colony and on 3rd the Governor informed November 1849
On the cessation in 1833 of the monopo- ly of the trade with China held until then by the East India Company, and the con- sequent influx of merchants and others not acknowledging the authority of the Com- pany, it became necessary to provide by legislation for the government of British Subjects resorting to China. On 28th August 1833 an Act was passed for this Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, etc., purpose. conferring upon
see the Crown the shall fit to direct". By the power of appointing Superintendents of treaty the Emperor of China resigned, in of governing by Order in favour of the British Crown, the power.
and authority he British Subjects within the jurisdiction,
would dominions of the Emperor of China. An otherwise have possessed over the subjects the Unofficia! Justices of the Peace that Order in Council on 9th December 1833, of a foreign nation frequenting his ports. the Secretary of State, Earl Grey, had made under this Act, appointed a Court
approved his proposals for the admission of Justice, over which the Chief Superin enabling Acts passed in the United King into the Legislative Council.
As a consequence of this Treaty and of of two members of the civil community tendent of Trade would preside.
Nomination with dom, Her Majesty the Queen granted to criminal and
was to rest with the Governor, but he admiralty jurisdiction, for Hong Kong on 5th April 1844 a Royal invited the Justices to elect for his con- the trial of offences cominitted by British Charter which declared Hong Kong a sideration two of their Own number. Subjects within China and on the high
separate Colony. scas within one hundred miles of the coast.
Trade and Council all
After the cessation of hostilities with first Governor, but retained his position Sir Henry Pottinger was appointed the
China, Captain Charles Elliot, R.N.. the
as Chief Superintendent of Trade. Chief Superintendent of Trade and Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary in China, an- Under an Act passed on 22nd August nounced from Macao by Circular dated 1843. the Chief Superintendent was also 20th January, 1841, the cession of the empowered to enact, with the advice of island and harbour of Hong Kong to the the Legislative Council, laws for the peace, British Crown. Formal possession was order and good government of British taken in the name of the Queen on 26th Subjects in China, so that from 1843 until January, 1841.
Messrs. David Jardine and J.F. Adger were SO elected, appointed, and took their seats in June 1850.
Other appointments followed and by 1856 Legislative Council consisted of the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Chief Justice. the Colonial Secretary, the the Chief Magistrate, and three unofficial Attorney General, the Colonial Treasurer,
members. By 1858 the Surveyor General had also become a Member.
November 1853 all British Subjects in China were governed by Ordinances emanating from the Governor and Legisla- were tive Council of this Colony,
The proceedings of Legislative Council first published and the Press was first admitted during 1858.
1859 was the first Governor not to hold jointly the post of Chief Superintendent of Trade, so from that date, the Governor has had no jurisdiction outside the ter ritorial limits of the Colony.
On 2nd February 1841, when on board H.M.S. Wellesley at anchor in Hong Kong harbour. Captain Elliot issued a proclama- tion concerning the government of Hong The Legislative Council first met оп Sir Hercules Robinson, appointed in Kong.
Thursday, 11th January 1844, being com- posed of the Governor (Sir Henry Pot- Various proclamations and regulations tinger) the Lieutenant-Governor (Major relating to the disposal of land and the General D'Aguilar) and the Chief Magis conduct of
the port were published by trate (Major Caine), the Legal Adviser to Captain Elliot and by his successor, Sir
the Government (Mr. R. Burgass) being Henry Pottinger, who was appointed as Clerk of Councils. Major-General D'Aguilar Chief Superintendent of the Trade of
were and Major Caine British Subjects in China, on 15th May members of the Executive Council. It was also appointed
1841.
decided that all members of both Councils
26th
The Convention of Peking of 1860 added the Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutters' Island to the Crown Colony.
a
was
Dissatisfaction was expressed from time A treaty of peace and friendship with should be styled "the Honourable" in all to time with the small measure of popular China, concluded and signed on
official and other documents.
representation on the Council and in 1884 August 1841 declared inter alia that the
The Legislative Council met in
re-constituted Legislative Council camera, island of Hong Kong was "ceded in per- the
and a "new era" hailed, Press being excluded, and passed appointed petuity to Her Britannic Majesty, ner various ordinances, the first being the
new constitution does not heirs and successors'. Subsequently, the Consular Ordinance No. 1 of 1844 on 24th Treaty of Nanking, on 29th August 1842, January, 1844- after repeating this cession clause, laid
down that Hong Kong was to be govern In June 1844 the Chief Justice was ap- ed by such laws and regulations as Her pointed a member of Legislative Council
-
27
although the appear in fact to differ materially from
the old. The main differences were ap- parently that a Chinese Member was ap. pointed and that the Chamber of Com- merce was invited to elect a member for