October 20, 1900.1
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT
which are
6, three
the color other
the post. On the 15th inst, a meeting of the Hong or shall be delivered in, or
like to point out that the remainder kong Legislative Council was held in the from the colony otherwise than by or Council Chamber at the Government Offices, the General Post Offico-is no new law at all. there being present:
His EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR (Sir HENRY It is the law which is enforced at the present time. Practically, therefore, this will make BLAKE, G.C.M.G.).
no one will wish to convey a letter if he can- substantially no alteration in the law, because
not deliver it, and he cannot deliver it at the present time. There seems to be an impres sending" chits" to be delivered from house to sion that people will be prevented thereby from
house or from an office to an office. I need hardly say that nothing is further from my intention
His EXCELLENCY Major-General GASCOIGNE, C.M.G. (Commanding the troops).
Hon. J. H. STEWART LOCKHART, C.M.G. (Colonial Secretary);
Hon. W. MEIGH GOODMAN, Q.C. (Attor ney-General).
Hon. A. M. THOMSON (Colonial Treasurer).
Hon. R. D. OEMSBY (Director of Public Works).
Hon. Basil TAYLOR (Acting Harbour Mas ter)
Hon. C. P. CHATER, C.M.G.
Hon. Dr. Ho KAI.
Hon. JOHN THURBURN.
Hon. B. M. Grat. G
Hon. JJ KESWICK.
Hon. WEI A YUK.
Any prohibition more ridiculous than that could scarcely be imagined. That will not be the effect. If honourable members will read the section they will see that certain correspondence is exempted by law. Now the question is, What is the correspondence exempted by the law? The answer is in section 7- All corres pondence which, by any Act of the Imperial Parliament, is exempt from the exclusive pri-
Mr. R. F. JOHNSTON (Acting Clerk of Coun-vileges of the Imperial Post Office, shall within
cils).
DATAPROINTMENT OF COMMITTEES.
this Colony be exempted from the exclusive privilege of the Postmaster General of the
an extract from the
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when
Tere
valuable to the crew
with
The crew were stolen property, was clear that the the proceeds of th outside the jurisdiction of this then stood. That law is being Magistrate had no power to co
Ordinance which is down for second to-day. But the present Ordinance
forward as an honest attempt to masters and crew to a sense of
sibility for the safety of their bona sengers.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY Seconded, and the motion was carried.**
The Bill was considered by the Council in Committee. No alterations were made, and on the council resuming the Bill was read a third time and passed.
THE POSSESSION OF STOLEN PROPERTY
The ATTORNEY GENERAL propose
His EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR announced Colony," I have taken the trouble to make cond reading of the Bill entitled that he had appointed the following commit-vent any misapprehensi Perial Act to pre- dinance to amend the Law with resp
teeg:-
Law Committee.-The Attorney-General, the Hon J. J. Keswick, the Hon. Dr. Ho Kai the Hon. Wei A Yuk and the Hon. R. M.
Gray.
Public Works Committee. The Director of Publio Works, the Colonial Treasurer, the Hon. C. P. Chater, the Hon. Dr. Ho Kai, and the Hon. J. Thurburn..
Finance Committee.--All the members of the Legislative Council, with the Colonial Secre- tary as Chairman. ---
FINANCIAL.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the -table Financial Minutes No. 54 and 55 and moved that they be referred to the Finance Committes.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL seconded and the
motion was carried.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid
on the
table the report of the Finance Committee and moved its adoption.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL seconded and the motion was carried.
DAIRY BYE-LAWS.
On the motion of the COLONIAL SECRETARY, seconded by the DIRECTOR of PUBLIC WORKS, Dairy Bye-laws made by the Sanitary Board under section 13 of Ordinance No. 24 of 1887 were approved.
THE RESUMPTION OF CROWN LANDS.
On the motion of the ATTORNEY-GENERAL, seconded by the COLONIAL SECRETARY, & Bill entitled An Ordinance to facilitate the re- sumption by the Governor of Crown Lands required for a public purpose was read a first
time.
THE ESTIMATES.
and according to the Imperial Act among the letters which are exempt are letters sent by messenger as to the private affairs of the sender or receiver. Therefore the sliglit amendment made in the existing law by this Ordinance will have no effect whatever on chits or any legitimate transaction in the colony, The only reason for the slight amendment is that sometimes the police have been able to find a Chinaman with a large bundle of letters in. his hand from different people which he was just going to deliver, but when brought before the Magistrate he will say, "I nover I delivered them." delivered them and you cannot prove that The truth is that he is conveying them for the purpose of delivering them. Therefore I have made this slight alteration in order that we may enforce the spirit of the law as it is at the present time. I may say that these words which I have inserted are in the Imperial Post Office Act which was passed in the first year of Her Majesty's reign. They have never been altered up to the present time, and seeing that they have undergone a 63 years' test in enough for Hongkong. England I consider that they are quite good
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded and the motion was carried.
The Council then went into Committee to consider the Bill clause by clause.
the the He
Jurisdiction exerciseable in cases relat Receipt or Possession of Stolen said-This law is simply a tra English law on the subject. A Bill in August, 1896, in England, dealing with this matter, and this is a transcript. If it is law for England I think honourable will admit that it will be a useful on colony.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY the motion was 8 carried.
The Bill was considered by the Council committee, and no alterations were Therefore, on the Council resuming the Bill read a third time and passed.
posed the
ŠAUTSKS THE NEW TERRITORIES, The ATTORNEY-Genreal second reading of the Bill entitled ance to extend the operation of such of this Colony as are not at pre in the New Territories to a certain. such New Territories. He said "This intended to extend the laws at present in Hongkong and Kowloon to a portion of what may be conveniently the New Territories. If honourable bers had before them a map of the New ritories they would find that portion which drains in a southerly direction from the Kowloon mountain range has not been made into a dis- triot. The rest of the New Territory itself No alterations were mate, and on the Council has been divided into districts. Committees an resuming the Bill was read a third time and so on have been appointed, but a portion of land psssed.
south of the Kowloon range has not been includ- PRECAUTIONS AGAINST PIRACY AND ROBBERY.ed, and at present it is a sort of "no man's land. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL proposed the so- It forms a part of the New Territory, it is true, cond reading of the Bill entitled An Ordinance but it is not included in one of the districts, to provide more effectual means to ensure and there is no reason whatever why the country the observance, by those in charge of cer- north of the present British Kowloon and The COLONIAL SECRETARY proposed the tain steam launches, of reasonable precautions south of the Kowloon range should not all bo second reading of the Bill entitled An Ordinance against piracy and robbery. He said Tho assimilated to British Kowloon for the purposes to apply a sum not exceeding $3,380,134.29 to need of some legislation on this subject is of legislation. Unless this is done no building the Public Service of the year 1901. He said-emphasized by the fact that only in our mor- laws and no sanitary laws found very useful If the second reading passes the Council, sir,ning local newspaper of to-day we find two more elsewhere can to enforced. “The objects and I intend to move that the Bill be referred in the instances of steam launches being pirated, one reasons" attached to the foot of the Bill explain usual way to the Finance Committee for con- the Kong Hoi, which was pirated on the 9th the Bill as shortly as I can do They say
instant, the other the Nau Chau, which was That portion of the New Territories, between pirated on by pretended passengers on Laichikok and Lyeemoon Pass, which drainkin the 13th, only last Saturday. But the a southerly direction from the Kowloon Moun- necessity of such legislation was demonstrated tain Raugo, is so closely connected with wha some months ago in two other ratos. In the used to be known as British Kowloon, that it first of these the master said he congidored it is desirable that the laws in forces in the l the duty of the police to search passengers for should apply equally to the former district i arms before starting. It was not his business. may, at first sight, appear that it will be dificul When the police had searched the passengers to enforce compliance at once with all the re The ATTORNEY-GENERAL proposed the he calmly stopped a quarter of a mile after quirements of some of the Ordinances gevond reading of the Bill entitled an Ordin- starting to pick up other passengers, four or gix, were declared by Ordinance No. 10 of 1899 ante to consolidate and amend the laws relating from a sampan. These parsengers, who were to apply to the New Territories. All t to the Post Office. He said-If honourable pirates with concealed arms, pirated the launch really required, however, is consi members will look at the 41st section of this and robbed all the bona fide passengers. In the tact in the administration of Bill they will see that it repeals five Ordinances, second case the launch running, I think, to alternative would appe The law remains, with the exception of one Yaumati was pirated by passengers and the district in question point which I will mention directly, precisely taken to Canton River, where three ar ing, or Licensing the same as before, only instead of having five four junks were pirated by this steam dinance app Ordinances we shall be able to find the law relat- launch. I cannot but think that some of || latter ing to the Post Office in one single Ordinance. | the crew connived at all this. The people at the applicab The exception occurs in section 6. The only words <Ya end ought to have immediately notified, set to part of
sideration.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL seconded and the
motion was carried.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-This Bill hav- ing passed the second reading, I beg to move that it be referred to the Finance Committee.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL seconded and the
motion was carried.
THE POST OFFICE.
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