THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 1ST MARCH, 1884.
101
In exercise of the powers in me vested as Governor aforesaid, I, Sir GEORGE FERGUSON Bowen, do creby proclaim that a Session of the Legislative Council of Hongkong shall commence and be holden or the despatch of business on Thursday, the 28th day of February, 1884, at the hour of four o'clock n the afternoon, in the Legislative Council Chamber, in the City of Victoria, within the said Colony; nd the Members of the Legislative Council are hereby required to give their attendance at the said ime and place accordingly.
Given under my hand and the public seal of the Colony, at Government House, this 26th day of February, 1884.
By Command,
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!
W. H. MARSH,
Colonial Secretary.
His Excellency the Governor came into the Council Chamber, and having desired the Honourable Members to be seated, was pleased to speak as follows:---
HONOURABLE GENTLEMEN OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,
1. It is with feelings of much pleasure and interest that I now open the first Session of the re- constituted Legislature of Hongkong, and have recourse to your advice and assistance in the admiuis- tration of the Government.
2. It will always be one of the most satisfactory reminiscences of my long public career that I have been able to procure a more adequate representation in this Council of the community at large. I am confident that the Government will derive valuable aid from the local knowledge and experience of the Unofficial Members, and I also believe that you will all agree with me that there neither is, nor ought to be, any antagonism between the Official and the Unofficial element in this Legislature. All the Members alike can have no other object but to secure the general welfare, and to advance the progress of the Colony.
3. For obvious reasons, it is in the highest degree important that this Council should adhere to the constitutional forms followed by the Legislatures of the other principal Crown Colonies. The address of the Governor at the opening of each annual session will contain, bere as elsewhere, a general view of the financial and social condition of the Colony, and a statement of the Legislative and other measures, and of the public works proposed. So the address of the Council in reply will afford the Members of the Legislature the usual constitutional opportunity of expressing their opinion of the conduct and proposals of the Government.
4. Further, in accordance with the practice elsewhere, I recommend you to appoint a Committee of Finance (which should be a Committee of the whole Council), a Committee of Laws, and a Committee of Public Works, which should respectively examine in the first instance the details of every proposed vote and measure.
5. After this brief explanatory preface, I will proceed to state generally the principal subjects to which your attention will be directed during the present Session. Full details will be found in the papers which will be laid before you, and in the statements of the several Heads of Departments.
6. In the first place, with regard to the paramount question of Finance, it is very gratifying to be able to inform you that our position is satisfactory. The Revenue of the year 18$3 amounted to $1,286,500; and the Ordinary Expenditure to $1,165,700; leaving an excess of revenue over Ordinary Expenditure of $120,800. The Extraordinary Expenditure of 1883 was defrayed from the accu- mulated Balances, and included the
Tai-tam Water Works,
.$90,966
Break-water,
22,510
Causeway Bay Reclamation,
9,000
l'urchase of Houses and Land for the New Central Market, Sanitary Works,
21,000
30,483
Total,..
$173,959
The Estimated Balance to the credit of the Colony on the 31st December, 1883, was $1,095,505. 7. Hongkong is probably the only State or Colony of importance which at the present day is not only without a Public Debt, but which possesses invested Assets nearly equal to its annual revenue. However, the existing Balances will not be sufficient to carry out several Public Works which are urgently required by this Community, in addition to those "strong and complete measures of sanita- tion" which Mr. CHLADWICK (the Civil Engineer recently sent out from England) has reported to be absolutely necessary "for the immediate benefit of the public health." Under these circumstances, I