6th December, 1856.
Present:
His Excellency The Governor,
The Honorable The Lieutenant Governor,
The Honorable The Chief Justice,
The Honorable The Colonial Secretary,
The Honorable The Attorney General,
The Honorable J. F. Edger, Esquire.
The Council met today by special summons.
The Minutes of the last Council were read and approved.
His Excellency The Governor communicated to the Honorable Members that he had recently suggested to Her Majesty's Government the advisability of admitting the Public, under certain restrictions to the meetings of the Legislative Council, and also of enlarging the Council by an increase of its official and non-official members.
His Excellency laid on the table a Draft Ordinance prepared in obedience to instructions from The Secretary of State, for the repeal of Ordinance No. 5 of 1855, and the revival of Ordinance No. 6 of 1854, the object of which was the appropriation of unclaimed Balances of Intestates Estates to Colonial purposes. This Draft was read a first time, and ordered to be printed and published in the Government Gazette for general information.
The Governor read a Despatch, of the 27 August last, from the Secretary of State, conveying his reward's on the Draft Ordinance "for the repression of certain diseases" which had been laid before the Council on the 16th of April, and allowing the same to be brought into operation, with the omission of Clause VII. The Council discussed the subject, and the Ordinance being amended was read as first time. It was then Resolved, by a Majority of the Council (the Colonial Secretary dissenting) that the ordinance thus amended, be printed and published in the Government Gazette for general information The Colonial Secretary in dissenting from this Resolution gave it as his opinion that the Ordinance should not be published in the Gazette until it had been again submitted to the Secretary of State in its amended form.
It was Resolved that The Legislative Council be summoned to consider the two foregoing Ordinances on Wednesday, the 11th Instant.
The desirableness of establishing a Sailor's Home in the Colony was again discussed, and Thursday, the 18th Instant, was fixed for the 2nd reading of the proposed Seamen's Ordinance. The Council to be summoned accordingly. It was also Resolved that reconsideration of certain provisions of Ordinance No. 8 of 1856, now in force, take place at the said meeting.
The Governor stated that Mr. Caldwell was engaged in making enquiries into the means of obtaining the co-operation of the Chinese population with a view to an improved system of registration, and in furtherance of the objects contemplated by Ordinance No. 7 of 1846, and the Council adjourned.
(Singed) John Bowring,
Governor.
Read and approved
this 3rd Day of January, 1857,
(Signed) L. d'Almada e Castro,
Clerk of Councils.