186
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
SUPREME ( OURT.
colony and advance the health of the com. munity if an alteration in the law is made.
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-I quite realize the importance of having these divans put into and maintained in a proper sanitary condition, but will this mode of working the opium farm be practicable? Will it be practicable for the opium farmer to carry on the work?
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-It has beeu found quite practicable at Singapore, where the Ordinance has been in force some time, and the it has not led to the reduction of
farm. revenue arising from the opium The revenue from the last farm at Singapore was higher than the previous one, so it was stated in the newspapers.
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-Has the views of the present opin farmer been obtained as to how this Ordinance will work?
the
view
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-Personally I have not obtained them; I do not know whe- ther any other member has. As a rule
farmer's
is opium
to get as large a profit as possible. The sanitary arrangements do not, with him, compare with the pounds, shillings, and pence, or rather the dollars that he wishes to get out of the farm.
This concluded the discussion.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that as the alterations were material it would be necessary to suspend the Standing Orders in order to get the Bill passed that day.
The Standing Orders were thereupon sus- pended and the Bill was read a third time and pässed.
Council resumed.
WIDOWS' AND ORPHANS' PENSIONS
ORDINANCE.
The COLONIAL TREASURER-I beg to move the second reading of the Bill entitled an Or- dinance to amend the Widows and Orphans' Pensions (Amendment) Ordinance. No. 28 of 1895. The necessity for this Ordinance is given in the objects and reasons. definition of "salary in Ordinance 30 of 1890 was found to be inadequate and was amended by section 1 of Ordinance 23 of 1895. The amended definition made house allow-
ance
The
a part of an officer's salary, but did not include in the term salary the estimated value of free quarters. Hence there arose the anomaly that an officer who received an allow ance for house rent contributed to the Widows' and Orphans' Pension Fund a percentage on such allowance, whereas an officer occupying free quarters paid no contribution in respect of the estimated value of such free quarters. To remove this anomaly and to bring the definition of
salary" in the Widows' and Orphans' Pension Ordinance into line with the definition of "salary" given in No. 11 of the Pension Rules published in Government Notification No. 452 of 1895, this Ordinance is required. I may mention that this Ordinance merely affects the internal working of the Civil Service. The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded. Bill read a second time.
Bill carried through all its stages and passed.
NATURALIZATION ORDINANCE.
Ordinance for the The Bill entitled an naturalization of Ho Mui Sz, alias Ho Lin Shing, was brought up by the Attorney-General for the second time and passed.
ADJOURNMENT.
The Council then adjourned until Monday Week.
FINANCE COMMITTEE.
A meeting of the Finauce Committee was then held. Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart (Col- onial Secretary) presided and all the members, with the exception of the Harbour Master, were present.
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MINUTES.
26th August..
IN SUMMARY JURISDICTION,
BEFORE SIR JOHN CARRINGTON (Chief JUSTICE.)
CHU VA V. LINSTEAD AND DAVIS AND CHU KWAN,
The hearing of this case was resumed. Plain- tiff sought to recover abont $600, being balance due on a deposit account.
Mr. M. W. Slade (instructed by Mr. C. D. Wilkinson) appeared for the plaintiff and Mr. G. C. C. Master for Linstead and Davis.
Chn Kwan, who was added as defendant on the first day of the hearing, did not enter an ap. pearance and judgment was given against him by default.
Mr. Slade applied for costs against Linstead and Davis.
His Lordship directed Linstead and Davis to pay the costs in connection with the cross- examination of the plaintiff.
30th Angust.
IN BANKRUPTCY.
BEFORE SIR JOHN CarrinGTON (ÜHIEF JUSTICE).
WONG IU YING, ex parte THE DEBTOR, The debtor applied for his discharge.
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[September 1, 1897.
A STEAMER LOST IN A TYPHOON.
'TWENTY-ONE LIVES LOST.
On 25th Aug. the Chino Mail received the following special telegram :
Shanghai, Aug. 25th 5 p.m.
Mr. Collins, third engineer of the Penang- owned steamer Cheng Hye Teng, and ten Japa- bare nese and Malay members of the crew, arrived at Ningpo.
The steamer, which was on a voyage from Moji to Hongkong with coal, was caught in a typhoon, and foundered on the luth inst.
Captain Scott, who was in command, coin- mitted suicide by shooting.
Four European officers and engineers and the other members of the mixed crew-making a total of twenty-one-were drowned.
The survivors had been drifting 'about for four and a-half days in an open boat, without food or water, when they were picked up by a Chinese junk and rescued. The boat was towed into Ningpo.
MR. DANBY AND THE POST OFFICE.
The following is the reply of the Postmaster- General to Mr. Danby's second letter respect- ing the non-delivery of a registered letter:---
General Post Office, Hongkong, 23rd Angust, 1897.
- Sir.-Iu reply to your letter of the 21st inst., I have the honour to inform you that I am quite prepared to justify the action of my department in the proper quarter.-I am, sir, your obedient
A. M. THOMSON, Postmaster-General.
servant,
Mr. J. J. Francis, Q.C. (instructed by Mr. Bowley), appeared for the debtor, and Mr. E. Robinson (instructed by Mr. Ewens) for the trustee. Mr. Bruce Shepherd (Official Receiver) W. Danby, Esq., appeared in person.
Mr. Francis said he had to apply for the dis- charge of the debtor. But first of all he askel that a report made by the trustee might be taken off the file, the report being a document not authorised by anything in the Bankruptcy Ordinance. That duty devolved entirely upon the Official Receiver, and the trustee could only be heard on an application for disching.
Mr. Robinson said he had only receivei notic of that application when he went into the court and consequently he had not had time to look up the matter. The point was a most import aut one and he asked for an adjournment in order that he might have time to consider the question. Certainly if it were the fact that the trustee had no power to make a report it would be a casus omissus
His Lordship thought Mr. Robinson was en- titled to time and adjourned the case until to-
morrow.
TIE POLICE SCANDAL.
DETECTIVE-INSPECTOR QUINCEY
DISMISSED.
On 25th Aug. Hon. F. H. May, Captain Superintendent of Police, ordered the dismissal from the Poce li Force of Detective-Inspector Quincey for gross neglect of duty in not discover- ing and in not reporting a common gaming house at No. 2, Wa Lune.
THE MOUNT AUSTIN HOTEL.
On 26th Ang. His Excellency the Governor received a telegram from the Secretary of State in reply to the petition forwarded by Hong- kong residents protesting against the conver- sion of the Mount Austin Hotel into military barracks. The Secretary of State wired that the Government refused to interfere in the matter., This reply has been forwarded to Mr. Gershom Stewart, one of the promoters of the
The minutes of the last meeting were read petition. and confirmed.
GAOL INDUSTRY.
The only minute was one in which the Gov. ernór recommends the Council to vote a sum of $500 in aid of the vote "Material for re- munerative industry, Victoria Gaol.”
Vote recommended.
ADJOURNMENT.
The Committee then adjourned.
A telegram has been received from Genoa by Mr. G. A. Derrick, Singapore, from Mr. W Bibby, the manager of the Raub Mines, to the effect that he was then, Aug. 19th, "much better." Mr. Bibby went home in poor health, and it will be a source of gratification to many to hear that the voyage has so far been bene- ficial.-Free Press.
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STRINGENCY IN THE MONEY MARKET.
30th August.
connection with
It was reported on Saturday that the banks were about to materially curtail the accom- modation hitherto afforded in connection with share market and that serious trouble would be experienced over to-morrow's settlement. The reports appear to have been exaggerated, and although some trouble unfortunately seems ineritable no fear need be entertained of the occurrence of a general crisis similar to that of 1890. There has for some time past been considerable stringency in the money market, caused by the withdrawal of large sums to send up country in the silk trade. This takes place every year, but has been somewhat more accentuated this year than usual. The withdrawal of the Japan. ese yen from the local currency has contributed to the stringency. Also over speculation has been taking place in the share market, which under the influence of tight money. has resulted
Under the in а partial collapse.
have cumstances the banks
deemed it prudent to convey an intimation to the brokers that accommodation cannot be afforded to an unlimited extent. Bona fide investors are not likely to experience inconvenience, but plungers who cannot provide good margins may find themselves in an unpleasant position. The depreciation in the value of stocks is not likely to be of long continuance, as large sums of money, showing good profits, are expected to come back to the colony in the course of the next few months and will be available for in-
vestment.
$
cir-
We have received from the Canadian Pacific Railway Co. a batch of literature relating to the Company's line which should prove attractive to persons contemplating a holiday across the Pacific, and no pleasanter holiday ground could be found. Fishing and shooting on the Canadian Pacific Railway" will interest sports- men, and the Canadian National Park," with its descriptions of the glaciers and mountäin ranges of British Columbia, tells how the scenery may be best seen, while Gold in Cariboo and Kootenay" gives useful informa- tion to persons interested in mining enter- prise.