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storage of dangerons goods which have been heretofore made, and from any bye-laws relat- ing to dangerous goods which may hereafter be made unless such special classes of goods are expressly mentioned in snch bye-laws, etc. By that means such special classes of dangerous goods will be exempted from the severe tests which have been hitherto applicable to them in common with all other dangerous goods. At the same time, however, it appears desirable, looking to dangers which might arise from the mixing of low flash oil with the high test oil, to retain the power of making bye-laws for the movement of and conditions for the storage of | such special classes of goods, instead of exempt ing them altogether from all the liabilities at taching to dangerous goods." As honourable members will see from the amendments which have been circulated, I shall have a few verbal amendments to suggest to clause 3 of the Bill in committee.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY 8econded, and the motion was carried.
The Council then went into committee to consider the Bill clause by clause.
The following proposed amendments were adopted :-
That in the seventh line of clause 2 of the Bill, the words "other than sefety fuzes," be inserted after the word "fuzes; " and
That in the ninth line of clause 2 of the Bill, the words "other than percussion caps or prim- ing caps or empty sporting cases "* be inserted after the words "ammunition of all descriptions;" That in the fourteenth line of clause 3 of the Bill, the words "Ordinance 8 of 1873 or Ordinance 8 of 1892," be substituted in place of the words "any Ordinance: " and
That a new clause be added to the Bill, to be numbered clause 4, and that such new clause run as follows:-" The provisions of section 11 of Ordinance 8 of 1873 shall not apply to any goods the storage of which is provided for by any other Ordinance."
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL-The ob- ject of the new clause is to make the provisions of the Dangerous Goods Ordinance with regard to storage not apply to goods the storage of which is specially provided for by other Or- dinances. I may mention that in the Merchant Shipping Ordinance there is a special provision made for the storage of certain goods which would come under the term dangerous goods, and I do not propose by this Bill to interfere with these special provisions, and that is the reason why I propose that clanse 4 be included in the Bill.
The Bill passed through Committee and the Council resumed.
THE SUMMONING OF CHINESE BEFORE THE
REGISTRAR-GENERAL.
The ACTING ATTORN; Y-GENERA-I beg to move the second reading of the Bill entitled au Urdinance to provide for the summoning of Chinese before the Registrar-General. This Bill is for the summoning of Chinese before the Registrar-General to give information regard. ing any matter in which the Registrar-General is directed by the Governor to enquire. The rea- son for this Bill is that it is necessary that the Registrar General should have power to summon before him any Chinese whom he desires to question upon any matter of importance con- nected with the New Territories and affect ing the Chinese. At present there is no power for the Registrar-General to compel the appearance before him of Chinese, and it is very desirable that he should have such power. I may mention, sir, that this Bill is framed upon similar lines to certain laws which are in operation in the Malay States. I understand from the Registrar-General that it is necessary that he should have this power to summon Chinese before him and that it would very much facilitate the government of the New Territories if such a measure as this is passed.
The COLONIal Secretary seconded. The Hon. Dr. Ho KAI-I do not intend to offer a strong opposition to the second reading of the Bill, but at the same time. Sir, I would wish to remind the Council that a Bill of this nature confers a very great power upon an official of the Government—a power which, in some respects, is not possessed even by His Excellency the Governor or by the Chief Justice. As the Bill we have before us cou- tains certain provisious expressly affecting the Chinese and the Chinese alone, whether a British
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
subject or otherwise-and this makes the Bill very much more objectionable it may be considered as class legislation, and as a general rule the Legislaturo regard such legislation with a great deal of disfavour and suspicion. In the present instance, I must say that in dealing with the affairs of the New Territory it may necessary for the Registrar-General to possess suol power in order effectively to carry out his functions, and for that геавоп and my honourable colleague who represents with me the Chinese bave thought it wise not to offer any strong opposition. Of course we are quite prepared to sacrifice a certain amount of our liberty with the object of helping the Government to carry out their policy for the good of the Chinese inhabitants of the New Territory; but at the same time I would ask Your Excellency to give instructions if this Ordinance be passed that tact and discretion should be exercised. Otherwise the Chinese will suffer a great deal, and in the case of an abuse of power I hope You Excel- lenoy will give instructions that speedy redress shall be given. On a former occasion when a law was passed for the inspection of houses the Governor at the time (Sir William Robinson) | gave the Council his word that such powers would be exercised with a great deal of tact and discretion, and that in the case of any abuse of such power he would at once direct a strict enquiry. I wish the Council also to consider whether a measure of this kind should be allowed to continue for a very long time. I think it will meet the circumstances of the case if this Ordinance is allowed to be in operation for 12 months or a definite period, and at the end of that period it may be renewed from year to year if considered necessary. Of course the New Territory in its present coudition requires special legislation. but by and by when it has be- come enlightened and prosperons like Hongkong I see no reason why it should not be brought under the same laws as Hongkong. In an old Ordinance passed for the protection of women and children we have a precident and an exam. ple of an enactment which is renewed from year to year, and in this case in committee I shall move that a clause be inserted limiting the operation of the measure to 12 months, at the end of which time it may be reuewed if necessary.
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The Hon. W&I Á YUK—I have much ples. sure in endorsing the observations which have fallen from the honourable member.
course
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[December 23, 1899.
from the second clause that "The Governor may at any time direct the Registrar-General to enquire into and report as to any matter which connected with the New Territories as defined by section 2 of Ordinance No. 12 of 1899, if such matter exclusively concerns per- sons of Chinese race, whether British subjects or otherwise." The Registrar-General will only summons Chinese to come before him in certain cases into which he is directed by the Governor to enquire. Therefore, in no case can there be any action whatever without the direction of the Governor, and I think the honourable. member will accept my assurance that the Ordinance will be carried out with every con sideration for the Chinese and with every anxiety on the part of the Government that we shall never be forced to bring the pro- visions of the Ordinance into operation at all. I think that when it is known that we have power to compel the attendance of these people who do not up to the present appear anxious to come forward the Chinese will yield gracefully to the necessity and come in when invited without our having to resort to this power. With reference to the suggestion of the honourable member that this Bill should have a duration clause, I think it is a very fair suggestion. I shall have no objection whatever to it. I hope that in a short time the necessity for any such Ordinance as this will disapp ar.
The Council then weut into committee to. consider the Bill clause by clause.
O the suggestion of the Hon. Dr. Ho KAL, seconded by the Hou. WEI A YUK, the follow- ing clanse was added to the Bill:-"This Or. dinance shall continue in operation for a period of two years from the coming into operation of this Ordinance, and for such further period or periods as may from time to time be deter ruined by resolution of the Legislative Council '
The Bill passed through committee, ud t ́e ouncil resumed.
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THE ARMS AND AMMUNITION BILL. The ACTING Attorney-GenEBAL—I beg to move the second reading of the Bill entitled an Ordinance to amend and consolidate the law relating to the carriage and possession of arms and ammunition.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.
our
The Hon. E. u. BELILIOS -A petition has been presented to Your Excellency by firms dealing in arms in this colony praying that they be heard by counsel in opposition to the passing His EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR-I think of this Bill. Tu moving that the prayer be the observations of the honourable membersruuted I beg Your Excellency's permission to who have just spoken are very much to the make a few remarks. I venture, sir, to ask you point, and I think it is only right that not alone kindly but finally and definitely to withdraw the the Council but that the Chinese people in the Bill. It is a absurdly strict in its provisions New Territory should have some idea why this that no postponement of its consideration, Bill is introduced by the Government at the no amendment of its clauses in committee, can possibly improve it. I maintain, sir, that present time. The condition of the New Ter- ritory is peculiar. The Chinese do not under- the law now in force is already s'ringent a and our ways, and we desire-I desire most enough for purposes, and to proo ed to make it still more stringent will, I am afı aid, heartily-to interfere with the Chinese and their custotus as little as possible, but it is undermine the freedom of this port, the free-
dom absolutely necessary that the land in the New upon which our prosperity Linly depends. Territory should be registered. Of course all We will be arrogating to ourselves powers we members of the Council know that in the
do not possess, inasmuch as such legislation will' interests of the Chinese themselves it should be based on the assumption that Hongkong be registered; but for some reason, probably is the ulyjentrepôt iu China, the only gute some suspicion which I hope will be removed way through which arms and ammunition could in the
of time, the Chinese have be intr- duced into this vast Empire on whose nut been for some time as anxious to register fringe we stand. Be anse rebleries un pira.. their land as they might be, and for a consi- cies are committed on the West River, miles derable time we have found great difficulty away from this small island, we are asked to in getting the Chiuese to come forward and remodel our old law and thus seriously jeopar give any information about their land or about dize an important branch of the trade of this registration. It tuen hecame necessary to ap- colony. It is tautamount to restricting and prouch the Chinese through their elders, their hampering our opiam trade because a few leaders, for the purpose of explaining why it peop e commit suicide by eating the drug. A was necessary that land should be registered. tendency or inclination seems recently to have However, on more than one occasion when these developed in this Conueil to ferret out old laws Chinese ellers had been invited to come in they aud remodel them regardless of what the con- guva no attention whatever to the invitation. sequences may be to the inte esis of this colony. We seen to be elated with our surplusses and Such conduct under Chinese jurisdiction-re- fusing when invited by a high official to come appear to think that whatsever strain the in and assist him and give him information-- progress of the colony may be subjected to our would not have been tolerated for an instant. prosperity will continue uninterrupted. We do not propose to take the stringent must remember that there is always the prover- measures which would have been taken had the bui lust straw and that a calm generally fol- people remained under Chinese jurisdiction, but lows a storm. If by these enactments we were we do wish to get the power to compel their atten. to adversely affect the growth of the colony dance and to inflict a small fine in case they and a retrograde movement were once started. disobey the snmmons. As to the observations | it would be difficult to retrace our steps and to undo the mischief effected. It will be remem- of the honourable gentleman with referenc, to the supervision, so to speak, of the exercise of bered a few weeks ago when the Bill providing for the closing of disorderly houses was before. this power, the honourable member will see
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