March 15, 1902.]
HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. reading of the Bill entitled An Ordinance to far- British Minister at Tokyo as was sent to the ther amend The Supreme Court Summary Juris Indian Government, requesting that we may diction Ordinance, 1873. He said-The Code. be granted the services of eight qualified medi- of Civil Procedure, 1873, was repealed by Or-cal. men, three of them specially trained in dinance No, 6 of 1901, and the new Code of bacteriology. It will be as well to add that it Civil Procedure (Ordinance No. 5 of 1901) has would be preferable for us to obtain the servic ́s Laken its place. As, however, in the inter-of those who can speak English on account of pretation clause of Ordinance No. 14 of 1873, possible difficulties in interpretation.
Lieut. Colonel HUGHES seconded, and the dealing with Summary Jurisdiction, the ex- pression "Code of Civil Procedure" was defined motion was unanimously agreed to.
This was all the business. to mean "the Code of Civil Procedure in- troduced by Ordinance No. 13 of 1873," some difficulty has arisen, and it has been thought desirable to leave no doubt that the provisions of the old Code of Civil Procedure no longer apply to the Supreme Court in its Summary Jurisdiction and to make the provisions of the new Code *pplicable. Under the new Code of Civil Procedure, no register of suits is establish- ed: its place is taken by a Canse Book. (See section 690 of the new code.) The twelve hours' notice of special defence has been Section 35 found in practice to be too short. of Ordinanc, No. 14 of 1873 appears to be superfluous, now that the new Code is sub. stituted for that of 1873. The alteration in section 50 is necessary to make the forms in use at any time in the Supreme Court applicable to the Summary Jurisdiction of that Court.
The COLONINAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
The Council then went into Committee on the Bill.
On the Council resuming, the Bill was read a third time and passed, on the motion of the ATTORNEY-GENERAL, seconded by the COLONIAL SECRETARY.
The Council adjourned till Monday next.
FINANCE COMMITTEE.
A meeting of the Finance Committee was beld immediately afterwards, the Colonial Secretary, Hou. J. H. Stewart Loc bart, C.M.G., presiding.
The CHAIRMAN There are only two minutes for the consideration of the Com:
mittee to-day, and in the first of these the Officer Administering the Government recommends the Council to vote a sum of £333, 6s. 8d. as a contribution towards a laboratory to be established at the country branch of the Jenner Institute in England for the prepara- tion of Yersin's Curative Strum for Bubonic Plague.
I think, gentlemen, the simplest manner of explaining why this labaratory is required would be to read the despatch from the Secretary of State on the subject.
The despatch was a lengthy one, and gave in detail the reasons for the granting of the vote, which was agreed to.
GRANT TO ROYAL NAVAL SFAMEN'S CLUB.
The CHAIRMAN-In the next minute the Officer Administering the Government recom. mends the Council to vote a sum of $300, being the amount of the contribution of the Govern- ment for 1901 towards the Royal Naval Sea- men's Club, which was voted last year, but lapsed in consequence of no application having been made by the Naval Authorities for payment. This sum, as you will see, was rofed last year, but through an oversight no payment was made.
The vote was agreed to. This was all the business.
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
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he was aware of He thought that they had better wait results of enquiries that were being made.
The Committee acquiesced, the opinion being that the phrase referred to the method of work- ing and not the perpetuation of the competition which it was known had been carried on for years by the Hoppo to the detriment of the Imperial Maritime Customs.
THE TARIFF and thaDE NEGOTIATIONS. A letter in reply to Sir James Mackay's letter of the 7th January, was despatched on the 17th idem, with a supplementary addition on the
23rd idem.
Read letters from the Special Commissioner in reply to these, dated 4th and 11th February, At the monthly meeting of the General Com- the latter giving the result of an interview, mittee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Sir James had with Mr. Tyler, Deputy Commerce, held at 3.30 p.m. on Tuesday, the Coast Inspector of Shanghai, from which Sir 25th February, present: Sir Thomas Jackson James has formed the conclusion that the im. (Chairman), Mr. C. S. Sharp (Vice-Chairman)provements needed in lighting the Coast are Messrs. A. Hanpt, E. A. Hewett, Hon. J. J. fully recognised by the Imperial Maritime Bell Irving, W. Poate, R. L. Richardson, H. Customs, who propose to carry them into effect E. Tomkins, Hon. T. H. Whitehead (ex-officio), in the order of their importance and subject to necessary limitations as regards time and and R. C. Wilcox (Sécretary),
MINUTES.
The minutes of the last monthly meeting (held 14th January) were read and confirmed.
NEW MEMBE 8.
The SECRETARY reported that the following had been admitted to. membership since the previous meeting:
The Guaranty Trust Company of New York. The Tai Shing Paper Manufacturing Co., Limited.
THE PROPOSED ASHES MONOPOLY.
A letter from the Government, dated 18th January, in continnation of previous correspon- dence, and stating that they had decided to sign a contract giving the monopoly to collect ashes in the barbour to an individual under striot guarantees, having been received,
A reply was despatched, on the 27th January, to the Colonial Secretary strongly protesting a. ainst the creation of this monopoly and beg- ging the Government to reconsider its decision.
Read reply to above, dated 29th January, stating that the Government was of opinion that it would be well to give the new system a fair trial, but that its working would be closely watched and any complaints received would be promptly investigated.
Some discussion took place, and the general the Government had opinion was that as determined to sign the contract nothing could
be doue but to watch results. It was decided to
reply to the above letter, thanking the Gover ment for its pledges to promptly investigate complaints, but to adhere unmistakably to the principle laid down with regard to the funda- mental objection entertained to all Chinese monopolies.
PREFERENTIAL DUTIES.
Read letter from British Minister at Peking, dated 28th December, in reply to the Chamber's letter of the 11th idem, to the effect that the subject of the preferential duties accorded by the Hoppo of Canton to junk-borne cargoes would have His Excellency's serious attention.
The CHAIRMAN said that this letter was very satisfactory and had been promptly translated into action. The transfer of the collection of the Native Customs to the Imperial Maritime Customs had taken place, he understood, but there were reports prevalent that the pre- ferential rates were still maintained. He had no advices on the subject himself, but the state- ment seemed to lack official confirmation Perhaps some member of the ('ommittee could throw some light upon it or possessed some information.
Mr. POATE said he would read a letter, dated the 14th February, which had been received from Canton announcing that the following notification concerning the Native Customs had been circulated that day by the Imperial Maritime Customs :—
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A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on the 10th inst. in the Board Room for the purpose of considering what steps should be taken in view of the fact that it is not possible at present to secure Indian assistant plague surgeons. Dr. J. M. Atkinson, Principal Civil Medical Officer (President) occupied the chair, and there were also present Hon. A. W. Brewin, Registrar-General (Vice-President); Lient-Col. Hughes, R.A.M.C.; Mr. F'. J. Badeley, Acting Captain Superintendent of Police; Mr. Lau Chupak; and Mr. G. A. Woodcock (Secretary). The PRESIDENT-Gentlemen, a telegram has been received from India stating that the Indian Government are not able to obtain for ns any assistant surgeons, as we requested, owing to their being required locally. The Board have been requested to consider what recom That notification was signed by the Commis- mendation should be made in view of this reply,sioner of Customs. Nothing further had been I move that a similar telegram be sent to the received and nothing had since transpired that
"In conformity with instructions from Peking, arrangements have been completed for the transfer of the control of the Native Customs (Chang Kuan) to this office on and including the 19th inst. (the 10th day of the ist moon). The work will be be carried on as heretofore, and no material changes are at present in contemplation."
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expense.
The CHAIRMAN said he thought this assurance was very satisfactory, as indeed were all the communications received from Sir James Mackay.
Mr. HEWETT was disinclined to accept the assurances of the Customs. He thought nothing would be done after the pledges had been received. They had no money.
THE BURMA-SHAN-CHINA RAILWAY.
The SECRETARY stated that a reply to the letter from the Liverpool Chamber of Com- merce bespeaking the support of this Chamber for the above scheme was despatched on the 18th January to the effect decided upon at the last meeting, viz., that the Chamber is not pre pared to support their Memorial owing to the heavy outlay the project woull entail.
THE PROPOSED EXHIBITION
'AT 8. LOUIS, U.S.A. The SECRETARY reported that replies were sent to letters of the U.S. Consul General and the Colonial Secretary on this subject in the terms agreed upon at the last meeting, a copy of the letter addressed to the former being also enclosed in that to the Colonial Secretary.
TELEGRAPH RATES TO EUROPE. The SECRETARY announced that a letter was
of the Joint Telegraph Companies asking if he addressed, on the 17th January, to the Manager could afford the Chamber any information as to the date when the promised reduction in the
come into effect. telegraph rates to Europe would be likely to
Read letter from the Manager of the Joint Telegraph Co.'s in reply to above, stating that no advice had reached the office here of any reduction in the telegraph rates to a letter of enquiry to the Directors in London Europe, but that the writer was forwarding by the mail then leaving Mr. Von der Pfordten also sent a copy of the Electrician of the 13th December containing an account of a compli mentary dinner recently given to Sir John Denison-Pender for the perusal of the Com. mittee.
The CHAIRMAN said they must await the ply from London, he supposed. He noticed in the Indian papers an announcement that the rate to India had been reduced to 2/6 per word.
this were correct, and he had no reason to doubt it, there was good ground to expect that the reduction would be extended to the Far East.
CLAYTON'S APPARATUJ FÖR FUMIGATING SHIPS,
Read letter from the Colonial Secretary, dated 29th Jan., enclosing communication from the Clayton Fire Extinguishing and Ventilating Co., Ld., to the Crown Agents, and other enclosures, with regard to an apparatus devised for pumping 802 gas into the holds of ships for the destruction of rats, and requesting that the Committee would give the apparatus thei consideration.
The Committeễ were not in favour apparatus, so far as its application to passing through the ports was concerne of which carried cargo for other ports beyan and they did not see how it was practicable to employ it here.
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Decided to answer to this effect.
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