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would it meet the wishes of the unofficial mem- bers if they were called in consultation with the Governor in Ezhentive Council ? It is not usual for a proclamation to be issued by the Legislative Council, at least I can think of no instance where a proclamation has been issued by the Governor in Legislative Council. The Legislative onucil legislates. Without proper ressoc for it I am doubtful if it would be a pro- per course to allow or to give power to the Go- vernor in Legislative Council to issue a pro-
lamation.
The Bill was passed through committee read a third time, and passed.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
The COLONIAL SECRETARY did not sug. gest that it was absolutely necessary to get a licence, but there should be come clause inserted so that the police should be notified where the arms were.
Hon. A. MCCONACHIE replied that he should be quite willing that merchants should be re- quired to otify the police, but not that they should be pat to the decessity of taking out a licence.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-Government will accept that arrangement.
The clause thereupon stood over.
Heu. C. P. CHATER-I think that would suit us admirably, and I was going to suggest it, but The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL said there I thought it was not possible. Our great object were other objections to the Bill, as the retai was that your Excellency should have the opi- Chinese dealers thought it was very hard for them nions not only of the official but also of the unio may instances if they had to take out a licence. official members before issuing the proclama. Many of their purchasers were out of the clony, tion.
and it was therefore proposed that if the par- His EXCELLENCY-It will always give me a chaser was not a resident, an export permit ba great deal of pleasure to allow one or two mem-obtained from the Captain Superintendent of bers of the Legislative Conncil to assist rie be- Police in order that the polic might know fore issuing a proclamation of this nature. whether the arms were going from the colony. The clause was then passed after a light Several gentlemen, who were introduced by Hou. alteration had been made.
J. J. Keswick. interviewed him yesterday, and objected to this proposal, as it would cause great trouble and inconvenience to have to go to the police, and they suggested that they should nbstitute for the police the Superintendent of Imports and Exports-the Harbour Master. The ACTING ATTORNEY-GEN. RAL said It was also suggested that the Harbour Master that the hon. member opposite (Hon. C. P.should send a duplicate of the permit to the Chater) had kindly given notice that certaiu | police. An amendment was then drawn in these persons exempted from serving as jurors would. as the Bill was framed, come under its provisions instead of being exempted as previously. 1. bad therefore introduced alterations to exempt such persous as are exempted by law from serving on the jury on account of their avocation or profession,"
THE ARMS BILL.
The Council then went into Committee on the Arms Bill.
Hon. C. P. CHATER Seconded and the alteration was agreed to.
The HARBOUR MASTER pointed ont that Volunteers were not mentioned in the Bill. Were Volunteers considered in military service when they were not actually at drill or called out? They had arms in their possession.
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terms. They did not ask to be exempted in the case of any small arms sold for a sam under $5. Of course this would throw extra work upon the Harbour Master.
Hon. R. M. RUMSEY sail be did not mind that But he thought the police should be ac- quainted at puc when permits were granted, as if he granted a permit and then sent a duplicate to, the police, do one would know where the arms were by the time the police got the duplicate, as the man would have gone away and there was no guarantee that the arms had been exported at all.
It was thereupon decided to let the clause stand over, Clause 15 also stood over, as part of it was affected by clause 6.
Council r. sumed.
THE WATER ORDINANCE.
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I do not know whether under the Ariny Acts they d.come within the definition of military in the Acis. believe they do in England but I do not know whether they do here.
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the Clanse 5, on w ich the question arose, was ao-second reading of the Water. Ordinance, and cordingly amended by the addition of the words explained one or two clauses.
naval, or military, of volunteer, orjcivil service. The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS-I have
Hon. A. Mc.ONACHIE proposed that the words in course of traushipment" be added, thus rendering it unnecessary for shipping firms and merchants to take out a licence for arms which were being transhipped. It would be a great inconvenience sud delay to shippers and merchants if they had to take out a licence every time they transhipped cargo. He thought the words proposed could very well be inserted.
The ACTING ÁT ORNEY-GENERAL said he had ouly one objection to the words bing added and that was that arms must be nuder the cognisane of the police, who, if licences were not taken out, would not know where the arins were. The COLONIAL SECRETARY-I think it is most important that the police should know when arms are arriving in this colony. These arms can be lauded and kept, but it is for au indefinite period. I think it is very importaut that the police should know where the arms are
Hon.. A. MCCONACHIE-If business is to be trammelled with so many conditions it will be impossible to carry on business in the colony at all.
[April 11, 1895:
ter of the year the Government would be deriving absolutely no benefit from the maintenance of the works.
The suggestion fell through and the Bill was read a third time and passed.
THE BUILDING ORDINANCE. The ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL moved the second reading of the Bailding Ordinance Amend- ment Bill, and explained that two sections of the old Ordinance which overlapped were thrown to. gether, and any contravention of the Ordinance would render the offender liable to a fiue not exceeding $100,
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS Seconded and said that the amendment in the form of no- tice to be given under section 70 of the existing. Ordinance had become necessary owing to the fact that the person giving such notice was not neces-. sarily liable for any contravention of that Ordi- nance that might occur in the construction of such bui ding or work to which the notice referred, and on the occurrence of each contravention the Director of Public Works bad under section 78 to enquire who was the owner of such building or work before he could take steps to abate the nuisance. It was evident that supplying the Director of Public Works with the name of the person responsible for the carrying out of the provisions of the Ordinance at the outset, when the notice was given, was not only a mat- ter of convenience to the person responsible for seeing that the provisions of the Ordinance were duly complied with, but might save much trouble and expense to the owner." Until recently the Ordinance had worked fairly well, but towards the latter part of last year an objection was taken by a firm of architects to enquiries being made as to the owner of certain works at the time the notice was given, and under the existing Ordin. ance his Excellency supported that objection. nch objections 80 seriously impeded the the work of the officers responsible for seeing that the provisious of the Ordinance were duly complied with that on the return of the Director. of Public Works from leave be considered it necessary to point this out and request that steps might be taken in the direction indicated in the present Ordinance.
Bill read a second time and the Council went into committee.
Hon. A. MCC NACHIE moved that after the words "the Building Ordinance, 1889," the fol- lowing be inserted:-"In the event of the in- formation contained in such notice being proved to be materially incorrect, the person signing the bonour to second the second reading of the the same shall be notified to that effect by the Bill. The main object in making these addi- Director of Public Works, and if, after stated tional lows is to enable those premises in which reasonable time, the information contained in the prescribed domestic limit was exceeded, and his notice is still found to be incorrect he shall which were liable under the old Ordinance to be liable," &c. As the Bill stood at present, the have their supply cut off, to have the supply Director of Public Works could, without any continued with a meter attached. It has notice whatever. summon anyone offending been necessary during the past two years against this Bill and he thought it was only just to disconnect a very large number of houses, and reasonable that notice should be served upon and every one will agree that the cutting off them, so that an opportunity would be given of entirely of water on premises is not to be ad-correcting errors and that they might not be vocated on sanitary grounds. At the same time summoned before the Police Magistrato. He every precaution has been taken before cutting referred to the by-laws u Leeds and Bir- off that supply to fix street hydrants in close mingham, where it was provided that notice proximity to the premises. Thus obstacles were should be first served and a reasonable time al- not put in the way of sanitary maintenance,lowed for the correction of information lodged which we all are so very anxious to meet, especi- with the authorities. ally in the Chinese quarter. The Act also provides for meters for houses outside the city of Victoria, and houses at Kowloon, and in the out- lying districts, where most of the premises are more or less isolated, and not tenement dwellings. Bill read a second time, and Council went iuto Committee.
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS said the notices Mr. McConachie referred to, which were given here just the same as in England, in certain cases, did not apply in this case. Here parties were required to give certain definite information-those parties were perfectly able and in fact were the only persons who coull. Hon C.. CHATER thought it would be give the information without a considerable rather hard upon the landlord ar houseowner amount of trouble. Should it be given incorrect. being responible for the cousumption of watery. it appeared to him on the face of it that
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL said there was nothing new in that. The owner was in serted in the Ordinance of 1890.
ibe COLONIAL SEC ETARY--I do not quite understand about trammelling commerce. There is no desire to trammel commerce. The object of the Bill is to protect the interest and the good | by his tenant. order of this colony. You cannot say it is trammelling commerce to let the polico kuow where the arms are situated. I understand that my hon. friend opposite would have no objea. tion whatever to have an arrangement whereby the police should be informed. Trammelling commerce" is somewhat exaggerated term
Hon. J. J. KESWICK quite recognised the im- portauce of the police knowing where the arms were transhipped; the authorities should be aware of the fact. Bear hear), He quite saw, on the other hand, that if arms arrived here and were landed at the wharves on the other side and re- mained two or three days or two or three weeks that it would pause a great deal of unnecessary trouble to take out a licence.
on. C. P. CHATER said that owners were suf- fering enough already, without having an ad- ditioual burden thrown upo· them.
The clause was passed as it stood. Hon E. R. BELILIOS moved that the effect of the Ordinance should be suspended during July, August, and September. It would be a great hardship to have to pay for water during the rainy season when the water was overflowing the reservoirs हूँ
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS pointed out that the colony had been put to considerable expense by its water supply, and during a quar.
it was given purposely incorrect. He could not conceive of auy Que gizing the information incorrectly in this relation, and he did not think it would ever be necessary to en force the latter part of the section; neverthe- less it was necessary to attach a penalty to any breach of the provisions of the Ordinance. Under the circumstances he regretted he was unable to accept the amendment of the hon. member.
Hou. C. P. CHATER seconded the amend- ment. It was only right and fair that before a person was summoned to the Court he should be informed by notice that the information lodged was incorrect.
Hen. E. R. BELILIOS supported.
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS said he could not conceive of any owney in this colony