HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 65 28TH AUGUST, 1913.
PRESENT:―
HIS EXCELLENCY THE OFFICER ADMINISTERING THE GOVERNMENT, HON. MR. CLAUD SEVERN.
H.E. MAJOR-GENERAL F. H. KELLY, C.B.
HON. MR. A. M. THOMSON (Colonial Secretary).
HON. MR. J. A. S. BUCKNILL, K.C. (Attorney General).
HON. MR. A. G. M. FLETCHER (Colonial Treasurer).
HON. MR. W. CHATHAM. C.M.G. (Director of Public Works).
HON. MR. E. R. HALLIFAX (Secretary for Chinese Affairs).
HON. MR. C. MCI. MESSER (Captain Superintendent of Police).
HON. MR. WEI YUK, C.M.G.
HON. MR. E. A. HEWETT, C.M.G.
HON. MR. E. SHELLIM.
MR. N. L. SMITH (Clerk of Councils)
Minutes
The minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed.
Financial Minutes
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, by command of H.E. the Officer Administering the Government, laid on the table Financial Minutes Nos. 48 to 52, and moved that they be referred to the Finance Committee.
THE COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
Financial
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, by command of H.E. the Officer Administering the Government, laid on the table the report of the Finance Committee (No. 12), and moved its adoption.
THE COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
Papers
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, by command of H.E. the Officer Administering the Government, laid on the table the Report of the Registrar General for the year 1912 and the Report of the Director of Education for the year 1912.
New Revised Edition of Hongkong Ordinances Approved
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL―I beg to move the resolution which stands in my name, namely, that it be "Resolved that in accordance with the requirements of Section 8 (2) of the Statute Laws (New Revised Edition) Ordinance, 1911, the 'New Revised Edition' of the Hongkong Ordinances prepared by Mr. Chaloner Grenville Alabaster, and now laid before the Council, is approved." I mentioned, Sir, when I brought this matter up before, that that was the penultimate stage, and that this would be the last stage, namely, a resolution by this Council approving these two works. I understand members of the Council have had an opportunity of seeing the new revised edition, which is contained in two volumes, now on the table. They are very nicely got up, and their contents are very interesting for a lawyer, but they will not be very light reading for anybody who is not a lawyer.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously.
Appreciation of Mr. Alabaster's Services
HIS EXCELLENCY―I am very glad it has fallen to my lot to move the next resolution. It is rather more than a year ago that, at my request, Mr. Alabaster took up the arduous task of bringing to completion the work of revising the Laws of
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Hongkong up to the end of the year 1912. How arduous that task was to prove none of us then recognised―certainly he did not―and I feel very great satisfaction that the work is now completed, and that we have our statute law in a clear and comprehensive form, which cannot fail to be of great benefit to the community. The two volumes lying before us, which contain the Ordinances of the Colony at present in force, represent only a part of the work which Mr. Alabaster has had to perform. There are two more volumes which are not here yet, and which will not form part of the Ordinances of the Colony, containing Constitutional documents, Treaties, Orders-in-Council, and Imperial Statutes applicable to Hongkong, Imperial Statutes especially extended to Hongkong, with a chronological table and index, and their preparation has also involved a considerable amount of industry. The resolution which I am about to move, which will be recorded in the minutes of this Council, is the best form in which the members can convey to Mr. Alabaster their appreciation of his devoted efforts. His work will, I hope, become known beyond the limits of this Colony, but it is here, and in this Council, where for some time he occupied a seat as Attorney-General with much distinction and usefulness, that it behoves us to mark our sense of his services. Many Ordinances which go to swell the second of these two volumes are the work of his hands when he was Attorney-General, and they bear the stamp of the care and knowledge which he gave to their preparation. I will now move the resolution, which is as follows:― "Resolved that the members of this Council desire to place on record their appreciation of the services rendered to the Government of Hongkong by Mr. Chaloner Grenville Alabaster in preparing the New Revised Edition of the Hongkong Ordinances 1844 to 1912."
HON. MR. HEWETT―Your Excellency, in the absence of the senior unofficial member, who has been unfortunately prevented from being present, through indisposition, I understand, I have been asked to second the resolution. I am quite sure I am speaking on behalf of all the unofficial members, and of the community at large, without having consulted them beforehand, when I say that I feel quite justified in fully endorsing the remarks made by you with regard to the ability which Mr. Alabaster has displayed in bringing out the revision of the Ordinances. There is, in addition to this revised edition of the Ordinances a work which has never been included before, namely, an edition of Orders-in Council with a number of valuable Treaties and documents relating to the Colony which will form a
valuable appendix to what I trust will prove to be a most valuable addition to our Law Library. We all know that Mr. Alabaster is a man engaged in an arduous profession, and that this duty which he has undertaken was a labour of love, and I am quite sure we all endorse what your Excellency has said with regard to the enormous amount of work entailed in bringing out these new Ordinances―an amount of work which probably none of us in the Colony excepting Mr. Alabaster himself realises. That has been given ungrudgingly, and the edition has been brought out in a comparatively short space of time. I am quite sure that the recording of this resolution in this honourable Council will prove a source of great gratification to Mr. Alabaster as also will the fact that in years to come his name will be coupled with so excellent a work. I only hope, and I feel justified in expressing the hope, that a little more substantial recognition of this great work of Mr. Alabaster's will be forthcoming later on. With these few remarks I beg to second the resolution.
The resolution, on being put to the meeting, was carried unanimously.
HIS EXCELLENCY―Council stands adjourned sine die.
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FINANCE COMMITTEE.
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A meeting of the Finance Committee was then held, the COLONIAL SECRETARY presiding. The following votes were passed:―
Miscellaneous Works
The Governor recommended the Council to vote a sum of $65 in aid of the vote Public Works, Extraordinary, Hongkong, Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous Works.
Water Works
The Governor recommended the Council to vote a sum of $2,800 in aid of the vote Public Works, Recurrent, Kowloon, Water Works, Water Account (Meters, etc.).
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THE CHAIRMAN―This is on account of meters, the demand for which in Kowloon has exceeded anticipation.
Buildings
The Governor recommended the Council to vote a sum of $2,500 in aid of the vote Public Works, Extraordinary, Hongkong, Buildings. Addition to Printing Office, Victoria Gaol.
THE CHAIRMAN―This vote is required for demands on account of Government work―work done for Government offices. In the printing department in Victoria Gaol it was found necessary, in order to cope with the work, to enlarge the printing shop. The work cost about $2,500, and in addition a further vote may be required later on in order to purchase additional machinery which is expected to cost about $2,300, but that will depend upon whether the expense is incurred this year or not.
Post Office
The Governor recommended the Council to vote a sum of $375 in aid of the vote Post Office, Other Charges:―
Rent of Telephone Exchange .............. $ 25 Transport ............................................... 350 ——
Total ................................ $375
THE CHAIRMAN―The sum of $25 is on account of telephone exchange rent. The item is for an installation for night use in the senior clerk's quarters, so that he can keep in touch with the office all night. The second amount is for the transport of mails in the harbour.
Water Works Maintenance
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $26,500 in aid of the vote Public Works, Recurrent, Hongkong, Water Works, Maintenance of City and Hill District.
THE CHAIRMAN―The Director of Public Works will probably be better able to explain this than myself.
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS―The principal causes of this increase are, first of all, the changing and cleansing of the entire contents of the filter beds throughout the whole of the water works service. The sand and stone that is used in the filter beds all became very foul, and it was necessary to take out the whole of it and cleanse the beds.
HON. MR. HEWETT―Is not that work which might have been anticipated when the budget was drawn?
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS―It might have been foreseen, but the large consumption of water is partly the cause of it.
HON. MR. HEWETT―Is the consumption much greater this year than last year?
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS―There was a heavy draw off last year, and filtration had to be very considerably increased. Steps are being taken to increase the filter area, but it will be some time before it is available. The work first mentioned by me is responsible for nearly $8,000. Then, in the case of Tytam Tuk, about $5,600 is entailed for additional pumping, overhauling and repairing of engines. In the case of the supply for the high levels and the Peak, both pumping mains and engine have required exceptional repairs costing about $1,400 extra. It was also necessary to supplement the pumping machinery for these districts by utilising a temporary pump to keep up the supply, and that entailed an expenditure of $5,700 for running that engine. Then, at Tytam Tuk the temporary pumping engine installed before the permanent engines were provided was utilized for intercepting water which would have otherwise run to waste, and this cost $5,000. In addition, owing to the water famine, we spent about $1,300 on extension of mains to take in some additional streams.
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