1
CHOLERA IN MANILA.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
some days ago the following telegram from the | Secretary of State :-" His Majesty's Govern. mant hope to see the Colonies represented at the Coronation by local forces, as at the Jubilee, 1897. If you concur, His Majesty's Government MANILA, 22nd March, 10.41 a.m.
will be prepared to receive from Hongkong any Ten suspected cases and seven deaths from number not exceeding 75 of all arms. Selection cholera have been reported here within the left to yourself. Quarters for officers and past thirty-six hours. The Board of Health quarters and rations for non-commissioned offi. is carrying on a vigorous campaign, closing cers and men provided for about one month from up all the wells and cisterns, distributing to be defrayed by the 'olony. Officers must date of arrival. Passage and all other expenses distilled water free of charge, and tempor-be limited to proportion of three per 100 arily stopping communication between Manila and the provinces. The local sanitary con- ditions are the best since the occupation of the town by the United States, and the authorities are confident of being able to check the spread of the disease.
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Hongkong Legislative Council was held on the 25th inst. in the Council Chamber. Present:-
His EXCELLENCY THE OFFICER ADMINIS- TERING THE GOVERNMENT, Major-General Sir W. GASCOIGNE, K.C.M.G. (Commanding the Troops).
Hon. J. H. STEWart Lockhart, C.M.G. (Colonial Secretary).
Hon. W. M. GOODMAN, K.C. (Attorney General).
Hon. Commander R. M. RUMSEY, R.N. (Harbour Master).
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Hon. A. M. THOMSON (Colonial Treasurer). Hon. W. CHATHAM (Director of Public Works).
Hon. A. W. BREWIN (Registrar-General). Hon. T. H. WHİTEHEAD.
Hon. J. THURBURN.
Hon. J. J. BELL IRVING.
Hon. Dr. HO KAI.
Hon. WEI A YUK,
Mr. B. F. JOHNSTON (Acting Clerk of Conncils).
DR. HO. KAI'S REAPPOINTMENT.
HIS EXCELLENCY-Attorney-General, I wish to ask if you consider it necessary that Dr. Ho Kai who has been re-appointed a member of Council for other six years, should be re-sworn at this meeting?
The ATTORNEY GENERAL-I consider, Your Excellency, that such a proceeding is necessary under Section 8 of the Fromissory Oaths Ordi- nance of 1869 (No. 4 of 1869). In the course of the meeting Dr. Ho Kai should take the oath.
At a later stage, the oath was formally ad- ministered to Dr. Ho Kai,
PAPERS.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table the Report on the Police and on Crime for the year 191, and the Report of the Director of the Observatory for the year 1901.
FINANCIAL.
The COLONIAL SECETARY laid on the table Financial Minute (No. 9) and moved that it be referred to the Finance Committee.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table the Report of the Finance Committes (No. 2), and moved its adoption.
The COLONIAL TREA URER seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
PUBLIC WORK; COMMITTEE.
The DIRECTOR of PUBLIC WORKS submitted the Report of the Public Works Committee (No. 1), which was as follows:-The Chairman read several letters from Mr. I abington, Mr. Skelton, and others, requesting that nullahs in the neighbourhood of the houses which they occupied should be trained. He also submitted a small general plan of the City, showing the nullahs which remained to be trained near dwelling- houses, and an estimate of the cost of the work, amounting in all to $26,300. It was unanimous
to recommend that the work should undertaken as early as possible, commencing the streams in the neighbourhood of the ond Road and Macdonnell Road proper and that a vote should be obtained for lever rum could be expended by the Public Works Department during the year.
VOLUNTEERS AT THE CORONATION, HIS EXCELLENCY Gentlemen, I received
men. There must be no unattached or supernumerary officers. I shall be glad to learn probable number and other details at your earliest convenience." When I received this telegram, gentlemen, I formed the opinion in my own mind that if any contingent were sent from Hongkong, certainly the honour should devolve upon those, like the Volunteers, who give their time and services, and indeed in many cases their money, free gratis to the Colony; but in all such matters I felt that I must go on the advice of those who have far more experience than myself, and so I deter mined to consult the Executive Council on the subject, but before doing so I was obliged to find out first whether there would be a possi- bility of a sufficient number of Volunteers who would be ready and willing and able to get leave to go. Well, I received an answer from tho Officer Commanding the Hongkong Volunteers, saying there would be a sufficiency of men able then laid the matter before the Executive and willing to go, and desirous of going, and I
Council; and I am
say glad to
that
Volunteers, on the grounds I have formerly they unanimously agreed that the Hongkong stated, that they give their services to the Colony free, should have the priority of claim. As this involves a considerable expenditure of money, I now come to you to day, gentlemen, and ask if you also endorse the opinion already expressed. There being no indication of a contrary opinion,
BS
HIS EXCELLENCY continued-I conclude, gentlemen, that you are all agreeable to that, That being so, I would like to take this public opportunity of saying that I trust employers will see their way to afford all facilities to deserv- ing men in their employment who are also Volunteers, to enable them to go; and I think that if this statement can be considered sufficient by employers of labour I should be glad, because it would be a little difficult for me to sand out cironlars to all employers of labour on the subject. Of course we shall lay endeavours I am unable to do so at present-the before you-I regret to say that in spite of my
details of the expenditure present, but these I am endeavouring to get as soon possible. There is also another thing. There is a certain number of officers, non-commissioned officers and men-88 I say, a sufficiency of names here put down of men hoping to be able
tion to them there is to get away and willing to do so; but in addi- a number of officers rather a large number of officers) and men who will be in England, or are in England at this moment, who are anxious to take part with their own units in the Coronation ceremonies. They made the generous offer that they would take part in the ceremonies free, as it it were, giving no expense to the Colony, with the sole stipulation that they thought they should have their railway fares from their homes paid to and from London; and that in the case of the officers there should be a subsistence for the days they are detained in London. With regard to the matter, as you observe, the officers must be limited to a proportion of three per 100
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[March 29, 1903.
motion as to Ordinance No. 40 of 1819:- Whereas by section 5 of The Summoning of Chinese Ordinance 1899' (No. 40 of 1899) it was enacted that the said Ordinance should only continue in operation for the period of two years from the coming into operation of the said Ordinance and for such further period or periods as might, from time to time, be deter- mind by Resolution of the Legislative Council, and whereas such operation has been continued of March, 1902 (inclusive): It is hereby resolved by Resolution of this Council till the 30th day by this Council that The Summoning of
Chinese Ordinance, 1899,' shall be further con- tinued in operation for the further period of two years from the 31st day of March, 1902, (inclusive). He said-I may say that on 28th December last this Council extended the operation of this Ordinance for three months from 30th December, in order to enable the Registrar-General's report to be considered and that time might be afforded for full con- sideration as to whether the Ordinance should be extended or not. The report of the Registrar-General was sent to the Secretary of State, and he has sent a despatch saying that be approves of the proposal that it should be extended for a further period of two years from 30th March inclusive. In these circumstances, I move that that the Ordinance be extended for the period mentioned. I may say that there have been no complaints in regard to the working of it, that the working has been very carefully conducted and will be very carefully conducted
in the future.
The REGISTRAR-GENERAL seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
NATURALISAȚion ORDINANCE.
The ATTORNEY - GENERAL moved the second reading of the Bill entitled An Ordinance for the Naturalisation of Uhu Ship Chun, alias Chu Le, alias Chu Man Tio, alías Chu K'au Mei.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
The Council then went into Committee on the Bill, and considered it clause by clause.
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 sine die.
FINANCE COMMITTEE.
A meeting of the Finance Committee was held immediately after the Council, the Colonial Secretary (Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart, C.M.G.) presiding.
WATERING OF STREETS.
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of
$7,500 in aid of the vote of $2,400, "Watering Streets", Sanitary Department,
The CHAIRMAN-With regard to this recom- mendation, no doubt the Committee would like to have some explanation of this increase in the vote, and I do not think I can give a more lucid explanation than that contained in a letter from the Secretary of the Sanitary Board, which I shall read. The letter says:—" The vote Watering Streets' is exhausted and a supplementary vote for $7,500 is required to meet the expenditure under this head during the remaining portion of the current year. In explanation of the carly expenditure of the original vufe of $2,400 I beg to add that the amount of this vote has been insufficient for several years past, but no addition was made to it when the estimates were under consideration, as the use of water-carts was then being dis cussed, and it was uncertain what effect the use of the water-carls would have on the expendi- supernumerary officers. Well, these officers are
ture. The water-carts were first used in August, neither unattached nor supernumerary, but I 1901, and increased the expenditure to such an know from former experience in Canada that extent that a supplementary vote of $1,800 the number of officers turning up with a smalt was taken in October, 1901, in aid of the body of men created a good deal of confusion; Watering Street' vote, but owing to the fact and therefore before I could allow these officers that the coolies engaged in watering the and men who are in England to take part in it streets worked eight hours a day and were I shall have to get the approval of the Secre-paid thirty cents instead of twenty cents a day tary of State; but I feel quite confident, gentle from October 1st, 191, the expenditure under men, that you would wish that the contingent this heading could not be met, and a Decembr sent from Hongkong should be rent in such a
bill of $306 was paid in Jaunary and consequently way so to reflect credit on this great Colony, out of the vote of $2,400 for the current year. (Applause.)
I attach a statement giving full details of the expenditure during 1901 and 1902 up to date, and it will be noticed that owing to the fact
men and there must be no unattached or
SUMMONING OF CHINESE OBDINANCE. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL made the following