arises under the following circumstances. It sometimes happens that there is good cause for stopping the supply to one or two houses in a terrace comprising, say ten houses in all, all of which are supplied through one connection with the main, a lot into
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
from what may be termed a subsidiary main laid along the terrace. The only means of stopping the supply without entering on private property would be by shutting the valve or stop-cook which controls the supply to the whole terrace of houses. necessity for empowering the Water Authority to enter upon private property for the purpose of disconnecting or otherwise dealing with the service of water to the particular house or houses in question, Section 3 of this Bill is intended to remove a doubt which had been suggested as to whether a water service to a garden not used for purposes of pecuniary profit would come strictly under the heading of non-domestic supply. Sections 4 and 5 of the Bill are intended to remove doubts as to the power to charge for connecting a water-service supply with the water-works or for fixing meters. Section 6 is intended to legalize, if and so far as they require legalizing, any pay. ments made under the various sections of the Waterworks Ordinances which are amended by sections 3 to 5, inclusive, of this Ordinance.
cubine, four daughters, and a son. The con test in this case was between two alleged wills. It was stated on the part of the defendant that Leung Wai Hing on the morning of the 31st March last, before he embarked on a steamer
[January 7, 1899.
From his speeches so we know that Lord
Charles Beresford has
ward by the defendant. By that will the elder brother, the defendant, was appointed trustee of the entire property and practically executor of the will with full power to pay off debts, with full power to sell and dispose of property, Hence arises the bound by the trust to provide maintenance points which have come before his Lordship, 1
during their lives for the persons named in the will, provide proper outfits for the daughters on their marriage, with the ultimate trust in favour of the only son then living or of the two sons if a son should be born after his death. The allegation on the part of plain- tiff was that no such will was made by the testator before leaving Hongkong, but that when about to leave Hongkong for Canton he signed at his brother's request, who was partner in the Mee Kee, three blank sheets of paper for the purpose of enabling his brother to carry on the business. The testator went away in a very great hurry. Two or three members of his family had already died of plague, and he be- lieved himself to be already affected. The plaintiff alleged with reference to the will she propounded that after the testator had got ou board the steamer, and while he was on his way to Canton on board the steamer, at her request, she kuowing he had made no will, he made the will which she propounded, which will gave to his legal wife power to manage his Hongkong and Canton business for her own support, and also directed her to provide for his sons and daugh- ters, and other matters of like account
Evidence was then given in support of the plaintiff's case,
NATURALISATION,
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I beg to move the second reading of a Bill entitled an Ordinance for the Naturalisation of Wong Shu Tong, alias Wong Ka Yau, alias Wong Wing Kwan. As honourable members will see from the recitals in the Bill, the gentleman whom it is proposed to naturalise is now employed as compradore to the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company at Victoria, in this Colony, and is a partuar in the I SHANG firm, carrying on business as coal merchants at No. 68, Praya Central at Victoria aforesaid, and owns considerable landed property in this colony. He has resided in this colony for the last forty years, and has declared his intention of residing here permanently, and has petitioned to be naturalized as a British subject, within the limits of this colony.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was carried
The Bill, having been considered in committee and no amendments having been made in com- mittee, was read a third time and passed.
ADJOURNMENT.
C
The Council then adjourned sine die. His Excellency the GOVERNOR Wishing all present
very happy new year.
SUPREME COURT.
3rd January.
IN ORIGINAL JURISDICTION.
JUSTICE).
A WILL DISPUTE.
The hearing was adjourned.
THE REBELLION IN
SZECHUEN.
IMPERIALIST SUCCESSES.
[SPECIALTELEGRAM TO THE “DAILY PRESS."]
SHANGHAI, 3rd January. Chungking wires that a great battle took place at Sanchiaotsang on the 7th December, in which the Imperialists were victorious.
LORD CHARLES BERESFORD AT THE CITY HALL.
IMPORTANT SPEECH ON THE
very great atten- tion to the question of the “open door" as essential to our trade with China, an opinion in which all interested
must agree, and we shall also listen, with the greatest in terest to his suggested commercial alliance of the largest trading nations, an alliance which must prove of inestimable benefit to all, both in the interest of peace and the extension of commerce. (Hear, hear.) Of all the various sincerely hope that he has not failed to recognise that what concerns us very deeply is that, in spite of all efforts by Chambers of Com merce and Consuls, our treaties are deliberately flouted in the matter of provincial exactions, and that our trade is thereby prevented from expanding as it otherwise would certainly do, were our importations allowed to reach the consumers without being burdened by indefinite inland taxes. (Hear, hear.) In spite of clanse No. 28 in the Treaty of Tientsin, it is only within a very recent time that a transit pass was of any value in the Southern Provinces, Now a transit pass is a very good thing as franking the goods to their destination after payment at port of entry of one duty and half, but when there is an undefined Tso-li or Lo-ti-shni tax awaiting the shipment at its destination, I should like to know what is the good of pretending that the commercial clauses of the Treaty of Tientsin are being carried out. (Hear, hear.) This system of inland taxation is not only a bar to trade in regard to the amount, levied, but it also causes continual delay and opportunities for squeezing en roule which ought to be done away with, and which nothing but the complete opening of the waterways of China will remedy. Such: an opening of the inland waterways, com- bined with efficient policeing, would put down the piracy and brigandage which are so rife in these Southern Provinces, and which are a constant deterrent to trade. We have there. fore every reason to press for these necessary measures as well as for the reform of fiscal taxation. There are many other points which arise in the great China question, but which I must leave to Lord Charles Beresford to deal with, and I have therefore now very much pleasure in requesting him to address this meeting. (Applause.)
· LORD CHARLES BERESFORD, who was re- ceived with lond cheers, said-Mr. Gray, ladies and gentlemen: I have to return my hearty thanks to the Chamber of Commerce of Hong- kong for having asked me to address them here before I get home to England. I think it is very necessary I should say a few words here to the Chamber of Commerce, because I have come out bore in the interests of traders, parti cularly British traders, of this great country, and I was sent out here by the Associated Chambers of Commerce, which, as you
CHINA QUESTION. Yesterday afternoon a public meeting pro- moted by the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce was held in St. Andrew's Hall, City Hall, for the purpose of welcoming Lord Charles Beresford, M.P., to the colony and bearing an address from him. Mr. R. M. Gray, as chair-know, in many cases include numbers of BEFORE SIR JOHN CARRINGTON (CHIEF and there were present on the platform in ad- to what your chairman said just now as to my man of the Chamber of Commerce, presided, foreigners interested in trade. With regard - dition to Lord Charles Beresford and his private knowing much about China, I am afraid I secretary (Mr. Robin Grey), Messrs. T. Jackson, must differ with him entirely. I shall not A. Haupt, N. A. Siebs, A. McConachie, H. A. pretend when I go home that I know all about Ritchie, W. Poate (members of the Committee China or even a very little about China. What I of the Chamber of Commerce), and R. C. Wilcox shall pretend to do is, as far as I am able, to com- (secretary to the Chamber of Commerce). municate your views to the people at home, the The CHAIRMAN said-In introducing Lord great electorate at home, what your wishes are and Charles Beresford to this meeting I feel that I how you consider they should be carried out, and have undertaken a very grateful task. It was what you wish in regard to danger in the future, a great disappointment that we did not hear and how you think that danger can be disposed. him speak upon his arrival ont, but we cannot of or modified. (Hear, hear.) Well, as far as fail to admit that he was the best judge upon I have gone, and I have visite every place this point, and it will give us all the more
where there is a British community, I have pleasure to listen to him now that he has found one opinion among our countrymen, made himself master of the Chinese question by and that opinion is that something has got to most energetic and exhaustive enquiry and by be done (Hear, hear)-that we cannot go on personal observation. (Hear, hear.) We are as we are doing, and that our trade and com- much indebted to the Associated Chambers of merce must be secured in the future. (Hear, Commerce of Great Britain for inducing Lord hear.) I have been bold enough to put before Charles Beresford to come out, and we are also the China Association what I think that some- very much indebted to Lord Charles Beres- thing should be. Anyway it is a something That such and it is a policy, and at the present moment válue of $14,000, and his half share in
an enquiry was needful, nay. imperative, for we have nothing whatever to secure our "the i
Mee Kee was said to be worth about $10,000. | British interests, I think you will all agree,
trade for the future, ard I think you He left surviving him a grandmother, Leunt and the only regret to my mind is that this will agree with me we have no policy at all Mak Shi, his own mother, Leang Ngo Shi, a mission was not undertaken several years ago— | in regard to our affairs in China.
(Hear, step-mother, Leung Cheong Shi, and his wife, (Hear hear)-so that the position in China might hear). As to this waut of policy and as to cer- the present plaintiff, Leung Shi, who at the have been brought clearly before our Government, tain things not being carried out I have ob- time of his death was pregnant and had since which would have been of the greatest value served remarks which rather censured your given birth to a son. There were also a con- during the stirring events of the year just closed. Minister, Sir Claude MacDonald, Now Ido not
In this case Leung Hing Sung, or Leung Shi, was the plaintiff and Leung Ngan Pan the defendant, the interveners being Leung-Mak Shi, Leung Ngo Shi, and Leung Cheong Shi.
lessrs. Francis and Pollock (instructed by Mr. Gedge) appeared for the plaintif; Mr. Robinson and Dr. Ho Kai (instructed by Mr. Looker) for the defendant, and Mr. Slade (instructed by Mr. Looker) for the interveners. Mr. Francis said the testator whose affairs were concerned in this suit was called Leung Wai Hing, who died at Canton on the 4th of April last of plague. He had left Hongkong for Canton on the 31st of the previous month. He left behind property within the jurisdiction of that court consisting of household and lease- hold estate, and he also had a half share in the business carried on under the style of
· the
to the Kee. He owned household property | ford, for accepting the mission.
}