LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL No. 17.
WEDNESDAY, 17TH FEBRUARY, 1886.
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PRESENT:
HIS EXCELLENCY WILLIAM HENRY MARSH, C.M.G.,
Administering the Government in the absence of His Excellency SIR GEORGE FERGUSON BOWEN, G.C.M.G.
His Honour the Chief Justice, (SIR GEORGE PHILLIPPO, Knt.)
The Honourable the Acting Colonial Secretary, (FREDERICK STEWART, LL.D.)
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the Attorney General, (EDWARD LOUGHLIN O'MALLEY.)
the Colonial Treasurer, (ALFRED LISTER.)
the Surveyor General, (JOHN MACNEILE PRICE.)
PHINEAS RYRIE.
WILLIAM KESWICK.
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THOMAS JACKSON.
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FREDERICK DAVID SASSOON.
WONG SHING.
The Council met pursuant to adjournment.
The Minutes of the last Meeting, held on the 10th instant, were read and confirmed.
VOTES REFERRED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.-Read the following Minutes by His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government:-
W. H. MARSH.
(1.) The Officer Administering the Government lays before the Council a despatch which he has just received from the Secretary of State for the Colonies on the subject of the defences of Hongkong.
It will be remembered that the original proposals sanctioned by the War Office embraced works the estimated cost of which was £55,625, whilst the corresponding armament was to cost only £37,500.
It was stated in the despatch of Lord DERBY of the 17th September, 1884, which was laid before the Council, that Her Majesty's Government had arrived at the decision that the Colony of Hongkong should defray only the cost of the necessary works, the Imperial Government contributing the armament. The Council was accordingly asked by Sir GEORGE BOWEN, on the 10th December, 1884, to vote the sum of £55,625 required for the construction of these works.
Before agreeing to vote the sum required for the construction of the works there was considerable discussion in the Finance Committee, owing to an impression that the armament which was to be sent out was altogether inadequate, and the vote was passed with the understanding "that the armament to be provided by the Imperial Government would be of the best and latest pattern of breech-loading ordnance and capable of resisting attacks by the heaviest modern ironclads."
Sir GEORGE BOWEN did not fail to represent strongly on several occasions the wish of the community that Hongkong should be properly defended, and Generals SARGENT and CAMERON have supported his recommandations with all the weight of their long professional experience.
The result of these recommendations has been that the scheme of defence has been very carefully re-considered. Instead of three new works and remounting guns in existing works, the new scheme of defence includes four new works and three new sites for single heavy guns, and, whilst omitting the works originally proposed at Quarry Bay, it substitutes a complete defence of the Ly-ee Mun Channel. The weight and power of the guns have been so greatly increased that much more massive and costly foundations and emplacements have to be provided for them. An idea of the difference in the
guns now proposed from those originally contemplated may be gathered from the revised estimate of cost of the armaments, which, instead of being £37,500, will now amount to £118,500.