40
REPORT OF THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE. The Director of Public Works laid on the table the report of the Public Works Committee dated the 31st August, 1899, (No. 2).
RULES FOR THE TAXING OF COSTS IN THE SUMMARY JURISDICTION OF THE SUPREME COURT.—The Acting Attorney General moved that these Rules be approved of by the Council.
The Colonial Secretary seconded.
Question-put and agreed to.
NOTICE OF QUESTIONS.-Mr. WHITEHEAD gave notice that at the next meeting of Council he would ask the following questions
(1.) With reference to the Honourable The Colonial Secretary's report, dated 8th October, 1898, on the extension of the Colony, which under Expenditure reads: "The cost of administer- ing the New Territory is estimated at $125,000. The chief items are:-Police $33,223, Surveyors $14,400, Miscellaneous $24,657, total $72,280. When the work of survey has been completed such a large staff of surveyors will be unnecessary, but it is important, as has been pointed out, that the land under cultivation should be surveyed as quickly as possible. Miscellaneous expenditure has been estimated at a high figure, as unforeseen expenses are sure to be large when the territory is first taken over," will the Honourable Member inform the Council how and upon what basis the said estimate was arrived at, and state whether the Honourable The Captain Superintendent of Police was satisfied that the said estimate of $33,223 per annum would be adequate to efficiently police the New Territory, seeing that in the statement of expenditure in connection with the New Territory for 1898 laid upon the table to-day the grand total of expenditure amounts to no less than $346,629.17, of which the police expenditure, actual and estimated, for April to December, 1898, is $88,972.10?"
(2.) Will the Honourable The Colonial Secretary lay upon the table a statement showing the expenditure incurred by the Colonial Government in consequence of the rebellious dis- turbances and the armed Chinese opposition to British occupation of the Territory leased by the Imperial Chinese Government per the June Convention of last year?
(3.) With reference to Financial Minute No. 12 in which the Governor recommends the Council to vote a sum of $91,500 to cover the cost of three steam launches required by the Police in the waters of the New Territory, will the Honourable The Harbour Master inform the Council:-
(1.) Whether tenders for the construction of the launches have been invited from the
various shipbuilding institutions in the Colony?
(2.) If so, has any tender been accepted and if accepted what will be the cost of the
respective launches?
(3.) What are the sizes of the hulls and the engines?
(4.) Will they be composite built or will the frames be of hard wood?
(5.) If of the latter will the curved frames be natural or cut from straight timber?
(6.) Whether launches with frames of wood are more costly than those with steel
frames?
(4.) Will His Excellency the Governor appoint a day for the election, by such Ratepayers as are included in the Special and Common Jury Lists and also by such Ratepayers as are exempted from serving on Juries on account of their professional avocations, of two Members to fill the vacancies in the Sanitary Board in accordance with Sections 4 and 5 of the Public Health Ordinance No. 24 of 1887, and will His Excellency the Governor appoint one European and two Chinese Members to the Sanitary Board in accordance with section 4 of the Public Health Ordinance No. 24 of 1887?
QUESTIONS.-Mr. WHITEHEAD, pursuant to notice, asked the following questions:-
(1.) Has the attention of the Honourable the Colonial Secretary been directed to a leading article in the "China Mail" of Wednesday, August 9th, and will the Honourable Member inform the Council:-
(1a.) Is it the intention of the Government to appoint a Commission to enquire into and report on the alleged land jobbery in the Colony's recently acquired territory, referred to in the said article and widely and publicly spoken about? (2.) Was the late Tung Cheong entrusted by the Government on or about the 17th April last with certain Government Proclamations to be conveyed into the New Territory to be posted and placarded in the various villages and towns therein? (3.) If so, under whose direction did the deceased undertake the mission without an
urmed escort?