DIE
ET
QUT MAL
MO
DROIT.
THE HONGKONG
Government Gazette.
報 pg 轅 港
Published by Authority.
香
No. 16.
VICTORIA, SATURDAY, 7TH APRIL, 1888.
VOL. XXXIV.
號六十第 日六十二月二年子戊 日七初月四年八十八百八千一
簿四十三第
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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, No. 11.
TUESDAY, 27TH MARCH, 1888.
PRESENT:
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR
(SIR G. WILLIAM DES VEUX, K.C.M.G.)
His Honour the Acting Chief Justice (JAMES RUSSELL, C.M.G.), vice His Honour SIR
GEORGE PHILLIPPO, Knt., on leave.
The Honourable the Colonial Secretary, (FREDERICK STEWART).
the Attorney General, (EDWARD Loughlin O'Malley).
the Colonial Treasurer, (ALFRED LISTER).
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the Surveyor General, (Joux MACNEILE PRICE).
嘭嘭
1'5
PHINEAS RYRIE,
WONG SHING.
ALEXANDER PALMER MACEWEN.
JOHN BELL-IRVING.
CATCHICK PAUL CHATER.
The Council met pursuant to notice. •
The Minutes of the last Meeting, held on the 5th instant, were read and confirmed.
SWEARING IN OF MEMBER.Mr. WALTER MEREDITH DEANE, Captain Superintendent of Police,
was sworn in to act, provisionally, as an Official Member of the Council.
BILL ENTITLED THE EUROPEAN DISTRICT RESERVATION ORDINANCE, 1888.-Read the following Message from His Excellency the Governor :-
The Governor has directed to be introduced to the Legislative Council an Ordinance for the reservation of a European district in the town of Victoria. The object of this proposed law is fully stated in the preamble, which has been inserted in the Ordinance, as follows:- "Whereas the health and comfort of Europeans in a tropical climate demand conditions which are inconsistent with the neighbourhood of houses crowded with occupants and otherwise used after the manner customary with the Chinese inhabitants, and whereas the influx of Chinese into the Colony tends constantly to narrow the area of the City of Victoria where such conditions are attainable, and it is desirable to reserve by law a district wherein such conditions may be secured: Be it enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof." The correctness of these statements is too well known to need further elucidation. The rapid influx of Chinese into this Colony, where they find facilities of acquiring, and especially of retaining property, which are, to say the least, not universally present in their own country, creates an increasing temptation to land-owners to pull down houses adapted for European habitation, and to erect Chinese houses in their place, which, as providing for a far larger number of people within the same area, offer the prospect of greater profits from rent. This substitution is now going on at such