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QUESTIONS.-Mr. CHATER, in the absence of Mr. WHITEHEAD, asked 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 luas 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
rarious shipbuilding institutions in the Colony?
(2.) If so, has any lender been accepted and if accepted what will be the cost of the
respective launches?
(3.) What are the sizes of the halls 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 Gorernor 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?
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(5.) Will the Honourable the Harbour Master inform the Council of the circumstances under which the Government refused clearance to the steamship Tartar" on 13th September last and granted clearance to the said steamship on 14th idem without her having added in any way in Hongkong tà her life-saving appliances?
(6.) How was it that the Government was not somer informed of the presence in and around Táipó-hủ of two to three thousand armed Chinese with guns entren-hed and in position; and what precautions, if any, were taken to find out the actual condition of the Chinese on the borders of and in the New Territory between Mirs Bay and Deep Bay before ordering luncheon for a large number of invited guests, effecting insurance on the steamer "Hankow" for the trip to Mirs Bay which did not take place, and making elaborate arrangements for the opening ceremony, at which it was proposed to hoist the British flag at Táipó-hü on 17th April last, all which arrangements, after considerable expenditure was incurred thereon, had at the last moment to be abandoned?
The COLONIAL SECRETARY.-The answer to the first question is that the estimate was based on the assumption that the Territory to be taken over was peaceable and law abiding, and that village constables, as pointed out in my report, would aid in the policing of the extended area. Events since this Territory has been taken over show that a larger regular force is necessary. The estimate
was made by me, and the Captain Superintendent of Police is not responsible for it. In answer to the second question I beg to refer the Honourable Member to the statement of expenditure on account of the New Territory which was laid on the table at the last meeting of Council.