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in costs:--" The Observatory in Manila is in tim bonễn e? maca who possess very little sci- cosila ofactión" and that "peandol is caused by tho Observatory continually communicating Cautional typican warnings to the newspapers to Hongkong?
(3.) Wes this communication to the Weather Brucas of also United States Government made with the knowledge and consent of the Colonial Government?
(2.) Ras Er. Doberek been asked to explain his estion in conferuing an Observatory to whom the Colony is so much indebted for the timely teza wamingo received for a number of years (4)-What cotion do the Government pro- pero to take in this matter ?
(5.) not on apology or an explanation Go to the Director of the Manila Observa- Gory foam the Government !
(1)In referencs to the correspondence be 6 the Kowloon Behool Committee and the Goverzeat on the cabject of the provision of Guztional facilities for the European children fa tant portion of the Colony, and which, after Catending oror come two years, eventually callestel la on offer by His Excellency Mojss-Coneral Blook "to establish a school open to children of ony nationality, to provide 8 trasting sto2, to charge fees at the same rate in the focs zaid of Queen's College, and to give Pressly English education," which was grate kelly casepted by the Kowloon School Com. mitter in Esytember last, will the Government by good enough to coy what has been done in to mattor.
(7.) If the rokeme is being carried out, when gill ého teashore arrive from England?
(3.) Et being proposed to rent a house for the perpose for a period as a trial, has any building been secured by the Government ?
(9.) I nothing has been done towards re- Emption of the pledge made by the Govern- Beat to the Kowloon School Committee, is it Intended to go on with the scheme ?
(10.) 12 xot, will the Government give reasons for not co proceeding P
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL-In the absence of the Colonial Secretary I give the following answers to the questions put by the bon, member. The answer to the first question is Yes. The answer to the second question is No. The answer to the third question is Yes. The answer to the fourth question is, Dr. Doberak's action has been disapproved. The Military Governor of the Philippines has been informed that his request was not authorized, and a hops was expressed that the order for the discontinuance of the typhoon warnings from Manila should be rescinded, as the meteorologi- eal information conveyed was highly appreci- sted by the Chamber of Commerce and nautical men of this port. Question No. 5 is not a question os to fact and does not require any amaror. With reference to questions 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 the Secretary of State has withdrawn his cpproval of the necessary expenditure for the establishment of the cohool until the Colony fan made such inancial arrangements as to Chow a purplus of $100,000.
The Hon. E. R. BELILIOS-I do not know Okothor I am in order, but I wish to give notice that I propose at the next Council meeting that f the next year's estimates a certain sum be cot calde for building a school at Kowloon.
E EXOOLLENCY-I am afraid the resolu- Elen would not be in order, because a resolution
hich binda the Council to the expenditure of Sando mact come from the Government or by
Cerminion of the Governor.
THA EXTENSION OF THE COLONY.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE NEW TERRITORY TO BE EXEMPT FROM |
THE OPERATION OF CERTAIN LAWS. The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I beg to move the first reading of a Bill entitled An Ordinance to exempt the territories comprised in the recent extension of the colony of Hongkong from the operation of certain laws, and for other
purposes.
The COLONIAL TREASUREE seconded and the
motion was carried.
On the motion of the ACTING ATTORNEY- GENERAL, seconded by the COLONIAL TREA- SUREE, the standing orders were suspended in order that the Bill might be carried through all its stages at that sitting of the Council.
The ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL, in pro- posing the second reading of the Bill, said Honourable members will see that the object of this Bill is to exempt from operation in the new territory which has been recently added to this colony certain Ordinances, and the bye-laws, rules, and so on made under those Ordinances, which are not for the present considered ap- plicable to the local circumstances of the new territory. Honourable members by referring to the schedule to this Bill will see that the Ordinances mentioned fall practically under six heads. The first head is the Cattle Diseases, Slaughter-houses, and Markets Or. dinance of 1887, and the various Ordinances which have been passed since amending that Ordinance; and I may mention that I shall have to move an amendment in com. mittee upon that point, because 1 see there is an amending Ordinance, No. 12 of 1890, which, owing to an oversight, has been left out. The second heading deals with licensing, and two Bills seem to come under that head-21 of 1887, the Licensing Consolidation Ordinance, 1887; and 24 of 1898, the Liquor Licenses Ordinance 1898. The third group includes the Raw
Opium Ordinance 1887, No. 22 of 1887; No. 21 of 1891; the Prepared Opium Ordinance, 1891, No. 22 of 1891; the Raw Opium Amend- ment Ordinance, 1891; No. 4 of 1894, an Ordinance to amend the Prepared Opium Ordinance, 1891, No. 15 of 1897, the Prepared Opium (Divans) Ordinance, 1897; No. 1 of
1898, an Ordinance to amend the Prepared Opium (Divans) Ordinance, 1897. That is the third group in the schedule. The fourth group No. 24 of 1887, and various Bills mentioned in includes the Public Health Ordinance, 1887,
the schedule which amend the Public Health Ordinance or which are concerned with public health. For instance there is No. 18 of 1894, the closed Houses and Insanitary Dwellings Ordinance, 1894. The fifth group includes No. 15 of 1889, the Buildings Ordinance, 1889, and the amending Ordinances to it; and the last group includes only No, 16 of 1896, the Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance, 1896. I think honourable members will readily appreciate the fact that with regard to Ordinances like the Public Health Ordinance and the amending Ordinances to that Ordinance and the Building Ordinance and the amending Ordinances to that introduce these Ordinances all at once into Ordinance that it would not be proper to
the
into which these Bills seem to divide themselves
|
[April 22, 1899.
I think honourable members will readily appre- ciate the fact that the incidence of taxation on the other side is different to a certain extent from the incidence of taxation with us; and therefore it would not be desirable in the first instrance to make our laws in regard to licensing applicable to the new territory. The Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance in force here provides that returns showing the cause of death shall be given, and it would be impossible to apply that Ordinance to the new territory at present. There is only one other provision, I think, in this Bill to which I need draw the attention of honourable members, and that is clause four, which provides that- "Where, in any existing grant of any right or privilege or farm or in any existing contract, the expression the colony' or the word Hong- kong' or any similar expression referring to geographical limit or extent in relation to the colony of Hongkong occurs the same shall apply only to the territory which was within the limits of the colony at the time when such grant or contract was made." Honourable members will readily appreciate the fact that this provision is absolutely necessary in order to prevent any person who has a farm from raising the contention that it extended not merely to the old limits of the colony but also in the new territory. With these ob. servations I beg to move the second reading of this Bill.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded and the motion was carried.
The Council then went into committee to consider the Bill clause by clause.
On resuming the ACTING ATTORNEY- GENERAL said, an alteration having been made in committee on his suggestion, moved the suspension of the standing orders in order that he might move the third reading.
The COLONIAL Treasurer seconded, and the motion was carried.
On the motion of the ACTING ATTORNEY- GENERAL, seconded by the COLONIAL TREASUREE, the Bill was read a third time and passed.
LOUAL COMMunities and tribunals. On the motion of the Acting AttornEY- GENERAL, seconded by the COLONIAL TEEA- SUREE, the first reading of a Bill entitled an Tribunals was passed. Ordinance relating to Local Communities and
The ACTING ATTORNEY-ĠENERAL moved the suspension of the standing orders in order that the Bill might be carried through its various stages and passed at that meeting of Council.
1
The COLONIAL TREASURER Seconded and the motion was carried.
provided specially for the hinterland or is it a The Hon. E., R. BELILIOS--Is this being copy of an Ordinance in force in any other part of Her Majesty's dominions? I think it would save time if we were enlightened on that matter. Are we to scrutinise every line to adapt it to the colony P
The ACTING Attorney-GénERAL—In an. this Bill is founded to a certain extent on the swer to that question I have only to say that lines of the Ceylon Villago Commuuities Bill, but in other respects it differs materially. That is to say, it has been found necessary to make considerable alterations in order to adapt the provisions of the Ceylon Bill to the circumstances which exist in the new territory.
new territory because they contain rather elaborate provisions with respect to sanitation and with respect to the construo tion of houses; and I think it will be obvions to honourable members that it would be impossible in the first place to apply these laws in all their rigidity to the new territory.
The ACTING Attorney-General, in pro. No doubt as time goes on it will be found posing the second reading of the Bill, said-I pro- possible to improve the sanitary condition of pose to take hon, members shortly through the the houses over there. With regard to the provisions of this Bill in order that they Opium Ordinance, no arrangement has yet been may be able to follow out the scheme of come to as to how opium is to be dealt with on the Bill. Of course clause one of the Bill is the other side-I mean with regard to the ques purely formal. Clause two of the Bill says:- TRO ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I beg to fore, that this Ordinance should be excluded for requires- Colonial Secretary' shall include any tion of opium farming-and it seems to me, there- "In this Ordinance, unless the context otherwise boy on the table "Extracts from papers relating the present. But honourable members will see to the catension of the colony of Hongkong."
officer appointed by the Governor to discharge that under section three of the Bill there is power any of the duties of the Colonial Secretary HE EXCELLENCY-I think it would be as given to the Governor in Council to at any under this Ordinance: Natives' shall mean voll to call attention to the fact that the papers time apply by Order-in-Council to the new ter- those persons resident in the country whose hil on the table are extracts from papers; for ritory any Ordinance and any rules made under fathers are of the Chinese race, whether although they are headed "Extracts from Pa- Ordinances which are excluded by the schedule such persons or their fathers are Chinese ca" it might be assumed that certain des- of this Bill. With regard to the Cattle Dis-subjects or not, and shall not include those who rates were ontire despatches. I wish it eases, Slaughter Houses, and Markets Ordin- to bo quite clear that they are not entire ances the same observations apply, as I made despatches, but only "extracts from papers." regard to the Public Health Ordinances and the I think it is only fair that the Council Building Ordinances. With regard to exempt should know this, otherwise they might infering the Licensing Ordinance and its amending | that they were the whole of the papers,
Ordinance from operation in the new territory,
:
have fathers who are not of the Chinese race." Honourable members will see, therefore, that the only persons to whom the term natives is to apply are persons whose fathers are of the Chinese race. Part two of the Bill, section three, given the Governor power to constitute