L
44
amount of the offertories, and before long I confidently anticipate our having to face really serious difficulties-both pecuniary and other- wise.
Tho *explanation also speaks for itself and is, I repeat, both weak and unsatisfactory. What right, or reason, had the Church Body to assume that there would be any "probable uncertaiuty" of getting a really competent man from home? What steps did the Church Body take to ascertain the likelihood of such "uncertainty?" Absolutely none-the matter was rushed through, at a by no means repre- | sentative meeting of the Church Body, with almost indecent haste. And for what reasou? Simply to save the Church Body a little trouble. And who was mainly responsible for this pitchforking" pocess? I regret to say the ono man who should have had the interests of Church Matters most ne rly to heart; the man whom we would all wish to look up to as the spiritum head of the Church in this Colony. And why did he take up this position? At the risk of being considered wanting in respect, I must say that it looks very much as if he wished to get the whole running of Cathedral matters into his own hands. this leads to another point-what authority has the Bishop, or is he to have, over the working of the Cahedral services ? Personally, I cannot see that he should have more than a home Bishop has, but perhaps I am wrong.
And
There are many other aspects of this matter, but I fear I have already trespassed too much on your valuable space. Its importance to every member of the Church-going community must be my excuse. If all soalholders and subscribers will make a point of attending the meeting at S. Paul's College on Thursday, the 23rd inst, and give their proctical support to all such resolutions as may be brought forward for the well-being of Church matters and the insistence on their rights, something may yet be done to mitigate, at any rate, the evils which threaten us.Yours, etc,
CHURCHGOER.
CHINA AND MANILA STEAM-
SHIP COMPANY, LD.
An extraordinanary general meeting of this Company was held at the office, 14, Des Voeux Road Central, at 11 am. од the 14th inst. for the purpose of confirming the resolutions passed at the meeting of the Com- pany held on the 28th ult. Mr. R. Showan presided, and there were also present Messrs. A. G. J. Somerville, A. G. Gordon, J. S. van Buren, N. A. Siebs, D. E. Browo, A. V. Apcar, S. Benjamin, A. Babington, H. P. White, D. Gillies, and Mr. Fung Wa Chun.
The notice convening the meeting having been read by the Secretary,
The CHAIRMAN proposed that the first resolu tion be confirmed. It was in the following terms: That the capital of the Company be increased from One Million of Dollars (its present capital) to One million Five hundred thousand Dollars by the creation of ten thousand new shares of fifty dollars each."
The motion was seconded by Mr. APCAR and carried unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN then moved the confirmation of the second resolution, which was as follows That the now shares shall be offered in the first instance to the persons who, on the 15th January, 19 '2, shall be registered as shareholders, in the proportion of one new share for every two of the present shares, and that such offer shall be made by notice specify ing the number of new shares to which the shareholder is entitled and limiting a time within which the offer if not accepted will be deemed to be declined, and after the expiration of such time or on the receipt of an intimation from the shareholder to whom such notice is given that he declines to accept the shares offered, the General Managers may allot or otherwise dispose of all unaccepted shares to such persons on such terms and conditions and at such times as the General Managers shall think filt
Mr. GILLIES seconded the motion, which was also agreed to unanimously,
The CHAIRMAN then moved the confirmation of the third and last resolution, the terms of which were:-"That each of the said new shares
|
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND shall be paid for as follows:-the sum of Five | dollars on account thereof shall be paid on the 28th February, 1902, at such place as the General Managers shall appoint, the sum of Ten dollars further on account thereof shall be paid on the 31st May, 192, at such place as aforesaid, the sum of Ten dollars further on account thereof shall be paid on the 31st December, 1902, at such place as aforesaid, and the balance shall be paid in such instalments (at intervals between the payment of each instalment of not less than three months, and subject to notice being given in accordance with Article 51 of these Articles) and at such times and places as the General Managers shall appoint. Provided that the Goneral Managers may, if they shall think fit so to do, extend the time beyond the dates above-mentioned for payment of any money for the timo being unpaid on any or either of the said new shares."
Mr. BROWN seconded, and the motion was carried, nem, con,
The CHAIRMAN-That is all the business, gentlemen. I am much obliged to you for your attendance.
CHINA PROVIDENT LOAN AND MORTGAGE CO., LIMITED.
[January 18, 1902.
The next business was the election of a Cón- sulting Committee, and on the motion of Mr. EWENS, seconded by Mr. TERRY, Messrs. G. 3. Van Buren. P. White, Chow Hing Kee, and Chun Tang Shang were re-appointed.
Mr. WHITE then proposed that Messrs. F. Henderson and W. H. Potts be re-elected as audi:ors.
This was seconded by Mr. VAN BUREN and carried unanimonsly.
The CHAIRMAN-That is all the basiness, gentlemen. Dividend warrants will be ready to-morrow morning.
SUPREME COURT.
Saturday, 11th January.
IN S MMARY JURISDICTION.
BEFORE HIS HONOUR T. SERCOMBE SMITH (ACTING PUISNE JUDGE).
KWOK KAM CHUN v. COMPAGNIE DE MESSAGERIES MARITIMES, Evidence was resumed in this case, in which plaintiff claims $1,000 for damages alleged to have been caused t› his junk Chun Kam Lee The fifth ordinary annual meeting of share-by the defendants' mail steamer Indus on 22nd holders in this Company was held at the office September near the island of Pedro Blanco. of the general managers, Messrs. Shewan, The evidence went to show that the junk was
Mr. R. Tomes & Co.. the 15th inst. On
run down in the dark by a large white steamer Shewan presided, and there were present with two black 'funnels, and this steamer the Messrs. H. J. White, G. S. Van Buren, plaintiff held was the Indur. Chun ' ung Shang, Chow Hing Kee (directors), A Babington, T. H. Reid, C. Ewens, Torry, McCubbin, Fang Wa Chun, and G. Someville (secretary).
This notice convening the meeting having been read, the CHAIRMAN said-Gentlemen, with your permission we will take the report and accounts for 1901 as read, as they have been printed and in your hands for some days past. We are glad to be able to pay the same dividen as before, vz., 8 per cent., and put $10,000 to reserve, which brings the total amount at credit of that fund up to $45,000 now. Money was not in such strong demand during the first part of last year, and while wo were able to employ almost the same amount of money in loaus as in the previous year, we did not earn quite so much in interest. The accounts are so simple that there is nothing to comment on in them, but I may say that all the mortgages have been gone over carefully and found quite safe. As a number of share. holders have representel to us the desira- bility of ridding our shares of the remaining liability of $10 per share, we have decided to me t what we believe are the wishes of the majority, and do away with this liability by making the shares $10 fully paid up. The other $lo was really intended security to the debenture bond-holders, but there are so few of them that it is not worth In due while keeping the liability running, course extraordinary meetings will be held to pass the resolutions required for this purpose. We shall still have 27.800 shares of the original 100,000 to issue, but, as we anticipate being able to dispose of these very quickly after the change has been made, we propose, to save further special extraordinary, meetings and loss of time later on, to take power to issue up to This will make the another 100,000 shares. nominal capital, $2,000,0 0, but we shall not of course issue any of the extra $1,00),000 from capital without first assing your consent. It will simply mean that the Company will have power to increase its capital to $2,000,000 with out having to pass further special resolutions, As you are aware, notices calling the first extraordinary meeting for the 22nd inst, were issued yesterday. Before moving the adoption of the report and accounts, I shall be pleased to answer any questions you may wish to put to
me.
as a
There were no questions, and the CHAIRMAN proposed the adoption of the report and ac- counts, as presented.
Mr. REID seconded, and congratulated the management on the ratisfactory state of the company's affairs which enabled them to pay another 8 per cent. dividend and to carry $10,000 to the Reserve Fund
The motion was
carried unanimously.
Captain James T. Douglas, marine surveyor, stated that the French mil steamers were the only vessels in this part of the world which had white hulls and two black funnels, He knew the vicinity where the collision occurred intimately. The Indus arrived in Hongkong at 8 o'clock on the morning of the 22nd Sep- tember, and by means of charts he calculated- the distances and marked out points at which the steamer and the junk would be. having regard to the course being sailed and the number of knots made. If the Indus were going at hor ordinary rate of 13 knots with a two-knot current against her she would at the time at which the collision was said to have occurred be about five miles and a half north of Pedro Blanco. There were always many fishing junks round the island.
Kwok Kam Chun, the plaintiff, was recalled, to questions by his and stated in answer Lordship that on the sy after the col- lision he sailed round the Indus in a sampan as she lay in the Harbour and saw that paint had beon scratched off her bows on the starboard side; there was none scratched off the port bow. This concluded the evidence for the plaintiff.
Monday, 13th January.
IN SUMMARY JURISDICTION.
BEFORE HIS HONOUR T. SERCOMBE SMITH (ACTING PUIsne Judge).
0
KWOK KAM CHUN v. COMPAGNIE DES
MESSAGERIES MARITIMES,
The evidence for the plaintiff having been concluded on Saturday,
Mr. Hastings opened the case for the defence. The defence, he said, was that the steamer Indus never collided with the plaintiff's junk at all. The Indus left Shanghai on the 19th Septem- ber at midnight and came down the coast at her usual spor, and at 8:0 on the evening of the 21st she is off Breaker Point. The evid- ence of Captain Douglas had been to the effect that the French mails did not go 15 knots. He thought his Lordship would be satisfied that the Indus could easily go 15 knots and that she was going at that speed for a portion of the night of the 21st, but it was not main- tained because they were getting near Hong. kong. They passed in the usual course inside Pedro Ilanco, and he thought his Lordship would be satisfied that at the time this collision · · was said to have occurred they had passed Pedro Blanco a considerable distance-some 15 or 20 miles. With regard to the question of current, Captain Douglas had stated that there might have been a current of 2 knots and that there was usually a current to the eastward.