December 22, 1900.] Ordinance had a schedule to it, and this has been found a very inconvenient manner of pro- viding for the establishment, because every time you alter the constitution of the force by adding officers or men, or altering the dis tribution of the men, it necessitates an Act of Parliament and the passing of a new schedule. Looking at the Straits Settlements Ordinance, I find that, instead of being included in the schedule, the establishment of the force is provided for by an enactment equivalent to section 3 of this Ordinance, which provides for the constitution of the force and enacts that "the Governor may also authorise the engagement for the service of the Police Department such clerks, coxswains, engineers, stokers, seamen, boatmen, and other employees as may, from time to time, be provided for by the Governor and Legislative Council by annual vote or otherwise." The only really new sections in the Ordinance are sections 3 and 4, which take the place of the old schedule I mentioned, and of sections 4 and 5 of Ordinance 14 of 1887. In making the consolidation of the Ordinances in force some of the language used in the Act of 1887 has been found obsolete now. For instance, we do not speak now of Colonial Surgeon," but say Principal Civil Medical Officer," and such like alterations, Substantially the Ordinance before you is just as the law stands at the present time, with the exceptions of sections 3 and 4. I beg to move the second reading,
带着
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was carried.
The Council then went into committee and considered the bill clause by clause.
On the Council resuming, no material altera- tions having been made in the Bill in committee, the Bill, on the motion of the ATTORNEY-GEN- ERAL, seconded by the COLONIAL SECRETARY, was read a third time and passed.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. | a coolie carrying your gun for you would not be liable to arrest. But rather than have any difficulty the Secretary of State thought it better that it should be made clear that such a person should not be 1 able. With regard to section 4, honourable members will remember that by section of the principal Ordinance it is provided that when arms and ammuni- tion not covered by a permit are found on a junk, everybody found on the junk was held liable. This section has been amended by adding, at the end thereof, the following proviso:-"Provided that every person proceeded against under this section shall be a competent but not compell- able witness, and that no person shall be liable to any punishment under this section if it is proved to the satisfaction of the Magistrate that he was not the person in charge, but was on board as a bona fide passenger or member of the
crew and
neither a party to, nor aware of, the presence of any such arms or ammunition on board." Section 5 deals with a technical quibble which Was taken before the Magistrate recently, making it incumbent upon the arms-dealer to ask the name and address of the purchaser. The amendment to section 15 is necessary because, without inspection of stock, the ac- curacy or otherwise of the stock book cannot be ascertained. The object of the substitution of section 7 for section 18 of the principal Ordinance is to enable the Government to know what arms and ammunition are imported into the colony. Section 8 of this Ordinance is new and is intended to meet cases where arms,
WOS
etc., are shipped for some port beyond the colony but are landed here because the ship does not go so far as to the port of destination. In the absence of a bonded warehouse and of a cus- toms house in the colony the arms once landed are under the control of the person in whose custody they are, and unless they are constantly watched by the police, there is no guarantee THE BANKRUPTCY ORDINANCE. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-The next item that they might not, in some instances, even. tually find their way to some place other than the original port of destination. Hence it is desirable that the police should know where they are. Section 9 prevents the application of sections 2 and 8 where the arms or ammuni- tion are consigued for the use of Her Majesty's Military or Naval Forces."
in the Orders of the day is "Second reading of the Bill entitled An Ordinance to further He amend the Bankruptcy Ordinance. 1891. said-This Bill was only published in the Gazette on Saturday last, and consequently it may be advisable that the second reading should stand over until the next meeting of the Council. Any of the public feeling interested in the sub- ject and wishing to make representations to the Colonial Secretary or myself will be at liberty to do so.
The second reading was accordingly allowed to stand over.
NATURALISATION.
The Bill entitled an Ordinance for the Natur- alisation of Chan Ping Hung, alias Chan Shok Shan, was read a second time, and after it had been considered in committee it was read a third time and passed.
THE ARMS AND AMMUNITION ORDINANCE.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL proposed the se cond reading of a Bill entitled an Ordinance to amend the Arms and Ammunition Ordinance,
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1900. He said-This Bill amends the Ordinance which was passed by this Council not long ago. That Ordinance was of some importance and it was sent home and I think there was a protest sent with it. In reply the Secretary of State in his despatch of the 28th June, 1900, approved of the Ordinance, but suggested two slight amendments, and these two amendments appear in sections 3 and 4 of the Bill. Section 2 of the Bill explains the meaning of the word importer "as including "every person, whe- ther a commission agent or otherwise, to whom, or to whose order, arms or ammunition landed in this Colony are consigned." It was found that commission agents were getting arms sent into the colony on commission and they said they were not importers. Rather than have any discussion about it it was thought better to make the meaning more clear by legis lation. It is perfectly clear that a commission agent who imports goods into the colony is an importer; he is a man who brings or causes to be brought arms into the colony. As regards the third section, that deals with a difficulty suggested in the memorandum submitted by the arms-dealers. They seemed to say that if a coolie was carrying a gun belonging to his master he might be held to be liable. I do not think I should hold that if I were a Magistrate. I should say that if you are one of the exempted parties
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was carried.
The Bill was then considered in committee clause by clause.
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The COLONIAL SECRETARY, in seconding, said-I beg to endorse the remarks of the Attorney-General with regard to Sir John Carrington. I think the colony is to be con- gratulated on having obtained his services for carrying out this important duty. (Hear, hear.) On the Council resuming the Bill was read a third time and passed.
ADJOURNMENT.
It was decided to adjourn eine die.
THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. His EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR-Before we adjourn I may mention that there is to come before.us no further business
A short time ago a proposal this year. was sent in from the various banks to the effect that as Tuesday and Wednesday of next week would be public holidays it would be advisable that I should declare Monday to be a public holi- day as well. Having regard to the fact that there is a large amount of business done here I thought it advisable not to settle the matter· before sending it to the Chamber of Commerce for consideration. The Chamber of Commerce have now added their recommendation to that of the managers of the various banks, and there- fore I have declared Monday as well as Tuesday and Wednesday to be a public holiday next week. Therefore nothing now remains for me, gentlemen, but to wish you all a happy Christ- mas and a pleasant holiday. (Hear, hear)
MEETING OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
A meeting of the Finance Committee was held immediately after the meeting of the Council, the Colonial Secretary presiding.
The CHAIRMAN said he had only one minute to bring before the committee, and that was one in which the Governor recommended the Council to rote a sum of $6,954.40 to cover the cost of the erection of a Signal Station at Green Island. This expenditure had been incurred in connec- tion with the erection of a signalling station at Green Island with a view to improving the signalling of vessels coming into the harbour from the south. As members of the committee were aware it is often impossible on account of fog to signal the approach of vessels from the Peak, and therefore they arrived in the harbour before people had been notified of their approach. This new signalling station would ob- viate that difficulty. No doubt they would all agree that this was a very desirable improvement With be money well spent. (Hear, hear.) regard to this vote, there would be no further meeting of the Council this year, and it was perhaps not regular for the money to be ex- pended before the vote had been confirmed by the Council; but under the circumstances he thought he might take it that the committee would not object as members of the Council to the money being expended this year.
No objection was raised and the vote was passed.
On the Council resuming the Bill was read and that money expended in this direction would a third time and passed. PROPOSED REVISION OF THE STATUTE LAWS
OF THE COLONY.
The
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ATTORNEY-GENERAL proposed the second reading of an Ordinance to make provi- sion for the Preparation and Publication of a New and Revised Edition of the Statute Laws of the Colony. He said-The 'objects and reasons attached at the foot of the Bill explain it as concisely as possible, and it will be sufficient if I read them. They are as follows:- "The Concise Edition of the Laws of the Colony is now out of print, as also are several of the annual collections of Ordinances enacted since 1890. It has therefore been thought advisable to make arrangements for the preparation of a new and revised edition of the laws, and the Secretary of State has approved of such arrange ments being made. The (hief: Justice has offered to prepare such an edition, without pay. ment, and it is proposed by this Bill that he should be appointed a Commissioner for that purpose, with certain specified powers. These powers are similar to the powers which were vested in him when he was preparing new and revised editions of the laws of St. Lucia and Tobago, and, although fuller and more precise, they are not dissimilar to the powers which were exercised, without legislative sanction, by the compiler of the Concise Edition." I think we are all agreed that the time has come when a new edition of the laws is required. There have been many amendments since Mr. Leach's book was brought out, and so many important Ordinances have been passed during the ten past years that there is great need for a new edition. The preparation of that now edition will take up a good deal of time, but I think there is no one better qualified than the Chief Justice, who has revised two sets of laws in other colonies, to undertake the work. (Applause).
This was all the business,
Another step was taken in the hearing of the charge arising out of the West Hongkow shooting affray at Shanghai on Saturday week last, when Mr. Burrows, the Magistrate, took the evidence of the wounded soldier Beblo at tha camp hospital. He said that on the day of the assault he was in company with a comrade named Lohmann at a tea house in the North Honan Road. A disturbance occurred concern- ing the quality of the tes, and a crowd collected. round the door. He drew his bayonet to frighten the Chinese away. Subsequently a man in uni. form satdownat the table with them and they all drank tea together. They went out afterwards and walked along several streets, he having his arm hooked with that of the man in uniform. They had not gone far before they reached a court yard where there were some steps. He mounted the steps with the man in uniform and when he · reached the top he felt his bayonet was being drawn out; at the same time the man in uniform held a revolver at his chest. He shouted “My bayonet! my bayonet!" and heard a report. He felt his left arm drop as though some one had struck him a blow on the muscles. Ho ran away, and getting into a ricksha resol camp, whence he was sent to Hospital. The witness was cross-examined by Mo'Neill, and the proceedings then termins