December 30, 1899.]
1
for so doing, so that the person concerned may know on what ground that refusal is based and may bring before His Excellency evidence to contest the ground on which the Captain Superintendent has exercised his power to refuse. Without some such provision the powers given to appeal will be perfectly useless. With regard to clauses 13, 14, and 15, there is no objection on the part of any of these dealers to keeping proper stock books and sale books or to furnish. ing periodically a return showing the quantity and description of arms and ammunition in their possession on a given day, but there is the strongest possible objection, and a very reason. able objection, to, the books being examined by any police constable who, authorised or un- authorised, comes. into the store and asks to see th books. The power of examining these books should be confined to certain persons, and if not exercised by the Captain Superintendent written authority should certainly not be given to anyone under the rank of an Inspector, and certainly it ought to be made an offence for the person who examines these books to communicate the contents to anyone who will profit by the knowledge. There might be trade matters in connection with his business which a dealer may not wish to be known to anybody. As to sec. tion 19, I submit that however desirable it may be that no arms whatever should be removed in, this colony from any one place to
any other unless they are securely packed in wooden boxes and distinctly labelled it will be im- possible nuder this provision; no man, whe- ther he has a licence or whether he has not can remove a weapon of any description or any ammunition, not even a box of perenssion caps, from Lane, Crawford's to his house naless securely packed in a wooden box and labelled. Such a provision by itself is enough to put an end to any trade in arms in the colony. If I am going out shooting, and my servant behind me is carry. ing my gun, he has to have it securely packed in a wooden box and labelled. In connection with
clause 20, which gives power to any member of the police force to open and search any box or package containing or suspected to contain arms or ammunition, I submit that this is a power which should be entrusted to a tho-
or
roughly competent person, and there ought to be some provision for the punishment of any police constable who wrongly arrests interferes with a person without reasonably sufficient grounds for believing that there are arms in the box he is carrying. Such a provision as the one in the Ordinance only give rise to crime instead of preventing it. Section 22 is of precisely the same character. The provision in this section is a very valuable one if properly safeguarded It is to the effect that the master of any ship may search any passenger's baggage and may give him into custody if arms or ammunition are found in his possession and he cannot satisfactorily account for them. I have a license to carry arms in this colony, but if I go on board a ship and am going to Shanghai and Lake
arms
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
right to lo. I submit that this Ordinance wants a thorough and careful consideration not mere. ly in principle but in its details, and I respe t fully ask your Excellency and this honourable Council on behalf of my clients that the further procedure of this Ordinauce may be postponed and the whole matter be more fully and care- fully considered,
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
591
THE PLAGUE AT KOBE, A report was submitted from the British Consul as to an outbreak of plagne
at Kobe. A telegram dated Deo. 20th said one case 00- been 1 cases since the outbreak on the 14th curred the previous day, and that there had
November.
THE HEALTH OF THE COL'ANY.. The death rate of the colony for the week ended Dec. 2nd was 23′4, against 17 for the previous week and 186 for the corresponding week last year. The rate for the following week was 22, againg! 25'1 for the corresponding week last year,
This was all the business.
The fortnightly meeting of the Hongkong Sanitary Board was held on 21st December. The President (Dr. J. M. Atkinson, Principal Civil MedicalOfficer) occupied the chair, and Hon. F. H. May, Captain Superintendent of MAJOR GENERAL LAWTON KILLED there were also present the Vice-President (the Police), Mr. E. Osborne, Dr. Clark (Medical Officer of Health) Mr. Fang Wa Chuen, Mr.
AT SAN MATEO. Chan A Fook, and Mr. C. W. Duggan (Secretary)
THE NEW MEMBERS.
His Excellency the Governor of Major Brown, The Secretary reported the appointment by R.A.M.C. and Messrs. Fuug Wa Chuen and Chau A Fook to be members of the Sanitary
Board.
MODEL CHINESE TÉNEMENT HOUSES. submitted from the Colonial Secretary
The following letter, dated Dec. 2ud, was
"In reply to your query as to whe her the designs for model Chinese dwelling houses, I Government is prepared to offer a premium for am directed by the Governor to inform you that His Excellency does not approve of offer- ing any such premium."
THE CLO E TIME FOR GAME BIRDS.
A letter dated Dec. 4th was submitted from Mr. C. Vivian Ladds (Colon al Veterinary Surgeon), who said :-
"Part of section 3 of Ordiu nes 15 of 1885
FIGHTING THE MEN ACROSS THE RIVER.
DEATH INSTANTANEOUS.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Manila, 20th December. The death of General Lawton is the saddest and heaviest blow of the war. While everyone who has campaigned with him and witnessed his rackless bravery and contempt for danger, has looked forward to just such an end, yet when
spread, more profound and sincere; the whole. the shoulder. Never has.grief been more wide- the news caine it struck men like blows from
army had grown to love their great fearless, energetic, considerate commander and men who once served under him were his voluntary- uncesses, the latter finished only last Saturday, slaves. His Indian campaigns and Philippine
when he returned from the north after months of the most astonishing and complete work- led him to be looked upon by the people of the United States as the one man who thor oughly understood the problem and who bad and final solution. He was beginning the end, the energy and spirit to bring about an early the clearing up of the southern provinces, which was considered a short matter, when death claimed him.
THE RIVER FIGHT,
provides that and no person shall from the month of April to the mouth of Sept. both inclusive offer Now as pheasants and partridges pair in March, for sale in this colony any pheasant or partridge.' if not before, I recommand that the Govern ment be asked to amend this part of the Ordin. ance so as to read, And no person shall from both inclusive offer for sale in this colony any the month of March to th, month of September pheasant, partridge, or quail,' quail being in-
But oh the pity of it, that one so great should die in such a cause, under such circum- cluded in the amendment for the reason that at
stauces. Such abilities should be matched present these birds are not protected at all. and against a worthy foe. The fatal fight itself was a very ordinary affair, such as may happen during the whole of the breeding season."
The Vice-President minuted Mr. Laddsery week, and it began at the crossing of the San Mateo river, a place that has been captured suggestious are good ones. Shooting licenses and abandoned half a dosen times during the run from 1st September to 1st March, but
insurrection. ander the present law game dealers can sell and La Loma on Monday and after marching Two columns left the deposita game for a month after sportsmen are barred the whole night through a blinding rain storm from shooting it'
a junction was formed about daylight some three miles out of San Mateo. Two squadrons of the 11th Cavalry under Colonel Lockett
are therefore offered for sale in the markets
"
On the motion of the PRESIDENT, seconded
by Dr. CLARK. it was decided to forward the suggestion to the Colonial Secretary with the recommendation that it be adopted.
DRAFT COCKLOFT REGULATION.
agreed to. It was decided to print as amended and further consider the regulations at the next meeting.
THE SCHEME FOR THE EXTERMINATION OF
RATS.
The Secretary reported that a communica tion had been received from the Government approving of the Board's scheme for the exter- mination of rats.
went around the town to the north, while a battalion of the 29th and one battalion of the 27th attacked in the direct front under the personal leading of Lawton. A swift wide river, swollen by the storm, separated the men from the enemy, who were entrenched on the San Mateo bank. From Reven to eight o'clock the hottest kind of a fire was exchanged across the river and then an attempt was made to charge across but in addition to the accurate firing from the trenches the current was to strong that the men found it necessary to return to their former positions. A second at`ack was opened, and this time the insurgent fire slackened a little under the terrific volleys of the infantrymen, and a few men succeeded in getting down beyond the banks and working across. Lawton had been watching the advance from a little knoll sone distance behind and Dr. Clark minuted—“The matter can best above the immediate danger line. For some be dealt with now by the committee appointed reason, probably in order to burry the men up, to consider the question of a Trust Fund for the General went down on to the lines and Sanitary improvements. Such overcrouding directed the men himself. He was dressed in a as may exist can be dealt with under the re-long, yellowish white rain-cost and a white cently passed laws if we are only given the necessary staff asked for by the Board when the estimates were sent in."
PLAGUE AND OVERCROWDING.
The papers on plague and overorowding had been re-circulated for discussion of the matter at yesterday's meeting.
with me I am exporting; I am not carry.
Draft Cockloft Regulations to be made under ing them for use in the colony, and if I have section 5 of Ordinance 34 of 1899 were con- no licence to export arms I have no justi-sidered in committee and certain amendments fication for having them on board that ship and I am liable to be arrested. The greater part of these provisions have a certain amount of justification if properly safeguardel, but as they are they are likely to do ten thousand times more mischief than good. While we may be under certain social obligations, considering our proximity to Chins, to assist the Chinese Go-- vernment in preventing rebels and troublesome characters from getting arms, we must also take care that we do not attempt to interfere with honest people getting arms for their own protection, and we must also take care, while we endeavour to serve the Chinese Government, that we shall accomplish the object we have in view But if this Bill is passed the arms trade will be driven. from this place to Macao or elsewhere and arms can be purchased there. 80 we shall be doing the Chinese no good while we ran the risk of doing ourselves considerable injury. With reference to the sale of arms in this colony and the carrying of arms in our own territory, the Government is perfectly right in taking any reasonable measures for the peace and the promotion of the good govern ment of the colony, but when it goes beyond that, and interferes unduly with a lawful and legitimate trade, we are doing what we have no
The further consideration of the question was postponed for three months. Mr Osborne re- marking on the difficulty which would be ax- parienced in finding accommodation for the people who might be turned out of their houses: if the question were dealt with at the present 'time.`
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helmet, and the moment that he came into view the enemy saw the conspicuous figure and re- cognized its great height, and bullets began to whistle. Lieutenant Breckenridge and Cap-
tain Sewellof, his staff, both oilled his atten. tion to the fact that he was a special targat, but the same warning, equally true, -- had been given a hundred times before, and tho General laughed it off. In a mi ›ute Brecken- ridge was hit and felt heavily, and sa bo wan