342
arms.
November 4, 1897.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
ward, but I trust at the next meeting 1 This will ensure the dne protection of Chinese shall be in a position to do so. The by-law has residents in Hongkong, while it will facilitate the extradition of offenders who fly to this been sent back to the Sanitary Board with a view to its defining the word "street" more colony fresh from the commission of crimes of clearly. The suggested alteration is as follows: violence in China, and swell the ranks of our I have quoted very shortly For the purposes of this by-law the word criminal classes.” street' shall mean and include the following: from the objects and reasons, and I think it is street, road, lane, alley or passage, whether only necessary to add that this matter has been thoroughfare or not." If, as is hoped, the Sani- very carefully considered. The Viceroy was tary Board will see its way to adopting the sng-desirous that changes should be made and the gestion the by-law will be submitted at the next matter was submitted to the Government, meeting of Council.
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HANSARD REPORT.
at Hsiaochan, fifteen miles west
of Tientsin, to be ready to start for that city at a moment's notice-a proof that absolute reliance is not placed on General NIEH. It would
that this insurrec- appear tion is more formidable than most of the little local rebellions continually occurring în China, on account of the hardier char- acter of the population and the possession by them of a comparatively large supply of The superiority of the Imperialists has heretofore been mainly in arms aud dis-
In pursuance of notice Hou. T. H. WHITE- cipline, but if the former proves an illusory
HEAD asked the following question :—If the advantage the latter rarely counts for much. Honourable the Colonial Secretary, after last Quite apart from the desirability on grounds meeting of the Finance Committee of this of good government and the safety of Council held on 13th ulto, requested or directed Tientsin, there is another reason why the the reporter of the Daily Press and for the official Hansard report of the proceedings of Peking Government should do their best to promptly quell this outbreak so near to the this Council, to suppress any portion of the metropolitan province. The Trans-Siberian discussion on the subject of the Military Con- Railway is to be extended through Man-ribution, which took place at said meeting, and if it was at his suggestion that a question put churia, and Russia will naturally feel re- by me at that meeting with reference to the luctant to have this most important highway Military Contribution, the Honourable Mem- left to the mercy of a horde of rebels. The ber's reply thereto, and the Honourable the Co- Russian Government may therefore, in the lonial Treasurer's correction of an error into event of any serious Imperialist reverses, in- which the Honourable the Colonial Secretary sist on occupying Manchuria with Russian bad fallen in his reply, did not appear in the troops to ensure its pacification. It is nced-report of the meeting of the Finance Committee in any one of the three local newspapers and is less to point out that such an occupation not contained in the official Hansard report as would be indefinitely prolonged and might sent round by the Daily Press to Honourable eventuate in a new and most advantageous Members for revision. (to Russia) rectification of the Siberian frontier.
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Hongkong Legislative Council was held at the Council Chamber on 1st Nov. Present:-
His EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR. Sir WILLIAM ROBINSON, G.C.M.G.
His EXCELLENCY Major-General BLACK, C.B. (Officer Commanding the Forces).
Hon J H. STEWART LOCKHART (Colonial Secretary).
Hon. W. M. GOODMAN (Attorney-General). Hon. R. MURRAY RUMSEY (Harbour Master).
Hon. F. H. MAY, C.M.G. (Captain Super-
intendent of Police).
Hon. T. SERCOMBE SMITH (Colonial Treasurer).
Hon. R. D. ORMSBY (Director of Public Works).
L
Hon. C. P. CHATER, C.M.G.
'Hon. Ho KAI.
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD.
Hon. E. R. BELILIOS, C.M.G.
Hon. J. J. BELL-IRVING.
Hon. WEI A. YUK.
Mr. J. G. T. BUCKLE (Clerk of Councils).
MINUTES,
The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.
GOVERNMENT BALANCES,
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-With reference to the question of the hon. member represent ing the Chamber of Commerce, asked at the last meeting of the Council, I have the honour to lay on the table the general instructions regarding Government balances.
FINANCE COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY moved the ad- option of the report of the Finance Committee, No. 8.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, Carried.
COMMON LODGING HOUSES. The COLONIAL SECRETARY-I beg to move that this Council approve of a sanitary by-law for the licensing and regulation of common lodging houses, made under sub-section 12 of section 13 of Ordinance 24 of 1887 and sub- section d of section 1 of Ordinance No. 26 of 1890.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL seconded. Carried.
THE DEFINITION OF A STREET.
,
The COLONIAL SECRETARY—With regard to the other sanitary by-law which I had intended to move that the Council approve today, I am not able to bring it for
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-In Finance Committee, the Colonial Secretary, with re- ference to the Military Contribution, used the words:"The question of exchange comes in." Therefore the Treasurer reminded the Com- mittee that as the contribution was a fixed per- centage of revenue, the exchange question did not arise, and thus the self-evident slip of the Colonial Secretary was immediately corrected. At the close of the meeting, the Colonial Secre- tary mentioned the mistake to the reporter for Hansard and said, jokingly, he trusted it would not be handed down to posterity. Subject to this explanation the answer to the question of the Honourable Member is in the negative. It may be well to add that while Hanered is in- tended to give an accurate and ina d'vní res count of what occurs in Council it is not usual to record every nnintentional slip or lapsus lingua which is corrected at the time.
APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE,
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-I have the honour to move the second reading of the Bill entitled An Ordinance to apply a sum of not exceeding two millions three hundred and forty. three thousand seven hundred and thirty dollars to the Public Service of the year 1898.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded. Bill read a second time and referred to the Finance Committee.
CHINESE EXTRADITION ORDINANCE.
†
but I could not
to advise see my way the Government to adopt all the amend. ments which were suggested. The present amendments appear to be sound and based on a sound principle. My memorandum was, I believe, sent to the Secretary of State, who approved of the principle of this Bill. A slight alteration will have to be made in Committee owing to the Interpretation Ordinance, which we are passing to-day. That Ordinance gives " consular the interpretation of the words same 88 that contained in the Imperial officer." The interpretation is precisely the Interpretation Act. In Section 11 of the new Ordinance the expression" consular officer" is thus defined: "The expression consular offi. cer shall include consul-general, consul, vice- consul, consular agent, and any person for the time being authorized to discharge the duties of consul-general, consul, or vice-consul." That will simplify the Bill and in the Committee stage I shall move that the complicated ex- pression at present in the Bill be altered to
consular officer."
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded. Bill read a second time.
Council went into Committee on the Bill. Hon. Ho KAI made some observations which could not be clearly heard.
The Bill was left in Committee. Council resumed.
· WATERWORKS ORDINANCE, The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I beg to move the second reading of the Bill entitled An Or- dinance to further amend The Waterworks Or- dinance, 1890. The reason for this Bill is that the supply of water for Kowloon is limited and the demand the supply. The object of the Bill is to prevent the necessity of laying on water in the case of Chinese houses in Kowloon where an adequate ..ater supply can be obtained from the public fountains.
soon overcomes
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS-I beg to second. I may say that a similar course way adopted in Ceylon where it was found to be very necessary.
Bill read a second time.
Bill went through all its stages and passed.
NATURALIZATION ORDINANCE,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAI, I beg to move the second reading of the Bill entitled An Ordin- ance for the Naturalization of U Hoi Chan alias U Chiu Tsün.
Bill read a second time.
Bill went through all its stages and passed. CLOSED HOUSES AND INSANITARY DWELL- INGS ORDINANCE.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL--I have the hon- our to move the second reading of the Bill' entitled An Ordinance to amend the Chinese Extradition Ordinance, 1889. The objects
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I beg to move and reasons of this Ordinance are so fully set forth in the memorandum which I have the second reading of the Bill entitled An This prepared and which has been in the hands of Ordinance to amend The Closed Houses and members that I do not feel it is necessary Insanitary Dwellings Ordinance, 1894. to make any observations
Ordinance gives a more comprehensive inter- on the subject. Some time ago I think in 1889-a similar pretation of the words "height of any build. defined in section 12 of the proposition to that contained in this Billings," as
The definition as it was brought forward, and it was objected principal Ordinance. to by some members of the Council be- originally stood has been found inapplicable cause it was thought that Chinese who had in many cases, as it contained nothing to limit been for some years in the colony might be the height of any structure in which the main got back into China on some pretence or other walls did not effect a junction with the eaves, and wrongly punished. Precautions against and this Ordinance endeavours to meet that
difficulty. this have been taken and if members will ex- amine the first safeguard provided by the Ordinance they will see that depositions will be received only in certain cases. Secondly, the depositions must be taken in the presence of the British Consul or his deputy in the Con- salar Service, and his certificate, as mentioned in the Ordinance, must accompany them. This ought to secure their bona fides as well as Some regard for the elementary principles of English evidence in such documents. The Depositions third safeguard is as follows:--- will not be admitted where the acensed has resided more than six months in this colony.
**
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded. Bill read a second time.
Bill went through all its stages and passed.
INTERPRETATION ORDİNANCE.
The ATTORNey-General-I beg to move the second reading of the Bill entitled An Ordinance to consolidate and amend the Laws relating to the Construction of Ordinances, to further shorten the language used in Ordin. ances, and for other like purposes.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded. Bill read a second time and referred to the Law Committee.