+
128
REPORT ON THE ASSESSMENT.
Mr. Arthur Chapman, Assessor, reports as follows on the assessment for 1903-04:
His Excellency the Governor in Council under section 8 (2) of the Eating Ordinance, No. 8 of 1901, ordered the existing valuation for 1902-03 to be adopted as the valuation for 1903-04. During the past year no general assessment has been made, the increase in rate- able value being due entirely to the normal growth of the colony.
The City of Victoria. The rateable value ha increased from $6,944,395 to $7,427,100, au addition of $482,705 or 65 per cent.
The Hill District-The rateable vale hus
increased from $:93 999 to $189,910, an addi-
tion of $5 920 or 3.05 per cent.
Hongkong Villag-s-The rateable value has increased from $220,453 to $20,738, an ad- dition of $285 or 0·12 per cent.
Kowloon Point.-The rateable value has in- creased from $289,945 to $308,175. au addition of $18,230 or 6-28 per cent.
Yeumati. The rateable value has increased from $187,920 to $232,245, an addition of $44,815 or 23:58 per cent
Mongkoktani.-The rateable value has in- creased from $55,410 to $66,567, an addition of $11,155 or 213 per cent.
Hanghom.-The rateable value has increased from $150,425 to 81-4550, an addition of $14,965 or 9 34 per cent.
Kowloon Villages.--The rateable value has inorassed from $124,005 to $130,360, an ad- dition of $6,355 or 5-12 per out.
The Whole Colony.-The rateabl value has increased from 88,166.613 to $3,749,643, an ad- dition of $583.030 or 7·13 per cent.
Interini Valuations. From 1st July, 1902, to 1st June, 1973, interim faluatio s have been made as follows :-
IN THE CITY OF VICTORIA,
507 new and/or rebuilt tenements,
rateable value,
36 tenements, r teable value, $95,395 Replacing Assessments,jam unt
ing 10,
79,835
144 Assessments cancelled, tenemen's palled down, or being in other respects not riteable,
Increas in City of Victoria,
IN THE REST OF THE COLONY,
...
$592,230
15,420
597,650 |
94, 155
$593,195
401 new and/or rebuilt tenements, rate.
able value,
...$ 154,325 24 Lenements, rateable valne, $26 37 Replacing assessment amount-
ing to,
14,340
66 assessments caucelled tenements pulled down, or being in o her respects not rateable.
12,030
168,355
27,295
Increase in the rest of the Colony, $133,060 The total number of tenements affecte.l by interim valuations being 1,178.
Vacant Tenements. The number of reported vacant tenements in the City of Victoria inspected under section 35 of the Rating Orfinance averaged about 165 monthly, against 176 last year.
|
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
PUBLIC GARDENS
REGULATIONS.
The following regulatious for the maintenance of good order and the preservation of p operty in the Public Gardens are published in the Gazette:--
1. No person shall pick or handle flowers or plants or do any injury to any plaut or tree.
2. No person carrying a load shall enter the Gardens or use the Gardens as a thoroughfare.
3 No person incompletely clothed shall be allowed in the Gardens.
4. No dogs shall be allowed in the Gardens except on leash.
5. No public or private vehicles shall be allowed in the Gardeus excapt sedan chairs for the use of invalids, permits for which stall have beeu first obtained from the Superintendent of the Gardens, and perambulators.
6. Except where otherwise specially ordered. the Gardens will be open from 6 a.m. to 7.30 from April 1st to September 30th, and p.m.; from 6 am to 6.30 p.m fron October 1st to March 31st..
7. No person shill put his feet on the s ats, nor lie apoi uyat, nor in any building in any part of the Garden no upon the grass.
8. No person shall cat or injurɔ any statue, green-bons, hat cage, bindstani, fence or other property of the Government in the Gardens.
9. No kites shall be flown in or from the Gardens.
10. All pers ns using the Gardens shall conduct themselves in a qu'et and orderly
manner,
the
11. The Sprin'enlout my close Garlens or any portion thereof and grant admission thereto by ticket or otherwise on such occasions as may be approved h the Governor.
COMMISSION ON THE SUPREME
COURT REGISTRY.
The following Commission appears in the Government Gazette :-
Whereas it is expedient that a Commission be appointed to enquire into and report on the eneral Work of the Registry of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Hongkong, and to recommend what changes, if any, are necessary to secure the performance of the work thereof with efficiency and economy,
Now, therefore I, Sir Henry Arthur Blake Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguishel Order of aint Michael and Saint George, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the aforesaid Colony and its Dependencies and Vice Admiral of the sime, do hereby under the powers rested in me by Ordinance 27 of 1880, entitled the Commissioners Powers | Ordinance, 1886, :ppoint you the Honourable Francis Henry May. C.M.G, the Honourable Alexander Macdonald Thomson, Ernest Hamil ton Sharp, Esq., K U., aud Victor Hobart Deacon, Esq.. to be a Commission for the purpose of instituting, making, and conducting such enquiry: and I do hereby appoint the sail Franc's Henry May to be Chairman and Stewart Buckle Carne Ross, Esq., to be Secret ary to the Commission;
And I do farther hereby order and direct that the said ommission shall, for the purpos of making the said enquiry, have all such powers as are vested in the Supreme Court of the Colony or in any Judge thereof on the occasion of any sa't or action in respect of the
New Kowloon.-A valuation has been made of Kowloon City and is suburbs and Sham-following matters, viz.:- shaipo. The rateabl alus of Kowloon City is $2,250 and Shamshning $18,170,
Staff. -Mr. David Wood acted for me from 14th May to 30th September, 1902, during my absence from the Colony
Tas military guard of the Uai ed State- Lients legation at Peking is to be reinforced. enant Charles L. Woodhouse and twenty-three men wera to s sil by the Rohill i Maru on Saturday last en route to Peking, and at Hong.ong trau ship to the Nanshan For Taku. From Tongku they will proceed by rail to Pakius, where they will become members of B company, Niuth Infantry, which has ben stationed there ever since the Legations were relieved from their last great peril.
(a.) The enforcing the attenda: ce of witnesses and examining them on oath, affirmation or otherwise, as the Comm'ssiouers or any of them may think fit.
(b.) The compelling the production of docu-
m-nts.
[August 15, 1903.
↑ a full and tena disclosure as aforesaid, as pro- |vided by Section 4 of the before-mentioned Ordinance; and I do farther require you to report to me the evidence at your opinion thereon; and I hereby charge all persons in the Public Service to assist you herein.
!
CANTON.
[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPOND `NT.]
Canton, 11th August,
THE FATE OF A MAGISTRATE.
There is no news of importance from Kwangsi. but it is r ported that the notorious magistrate Chun has not been beheaded. The, Viceroy released him, but or lered him to take command of a small body of troops and attack th rebels in their stronghold. This means that almost certain death awaits him A story is told of him which is not without a grim humour. A certain farmer had a sou whose conduct had been outrageous, and who had git beyond his father's control. Tae latter thou; ht A magisterial lecture might do his so goed, and sent him to Chan with the request that he should be painted cu: the error of his ways. His dismay may bɔ imagined when he beard that his son had been promp ́ly b headel. On Lis remonstrating the same fale was me ed out to him. This tale must be tak cum grano salis, but it show the general impressi n which exists as to the conduct of the worthy magistrate of Kwai Yun, who by the bye, has beed s:ribed to me by a friend who stayed with him as a most meek-and-mild little man
RICE.
The rice crop in Kwangsi is very good, anl the farmers are rejoicing, but there is a great scarcity of money, and the sufferers will find difficulty in buying food, however abundant the crop may be, so that the charity societies will have to continue their distributions for some | little time.
THE BEGGARS' CHÁYC?.
To-day is the festival of the Goddess of Mercy in Canton, and thousands of women are flocking to the hill near the North Gate to pray at her temple. It is a gala day for the beggars who infest the placo in great numbers. The uwly.organised police are in evidence in that quarter, and a more rascally looking set it would be hard to find. It is said that when they doff their uniforms they come out in their true
character as thieres.
POLICE AND ROBR CRS.
A onse illustrating the collusion between robbers and police has just come to light. In a certain street in the Western suburbs a burglary was committed a few weeks ago, and
the bead watchman of the ward was arrested na the accusation of the gentlem in at whose committed. After a house the robbery was short spall of prison life the watchman sent a number of pawn-tickets to the gentleman, with the request that he would redeem the goals and then obtain his release. As ordingly the magistrate was asked to releas the prisoner, but the gentry of the district patitioned against this, pointing out that the r turn of the tickets was a confession of guilt, and that they did not desire a criminal as their witchman. The man is still in prison; but thongh justice seems to have been done i; this enge, there must be many other cases in which thieves and watchmen : do a good business by combiding. It is to be hoped that H.E. Sham on his return will enquire into this scandalous state of affairs.
[FROM ANOTHER CORRESPONDENT.]
Canton, 8th August.
LOCAL RUMOURS.
It is said that the army of the rebels in Kwangsi is well trained and well drilled after foreign fashion, and that their ammunition is
(e) The punishing persons guilty of contempt.of modera make. The officers are reformers
And I do hereby further direct that every exam nation of witnesses shall be held in private; | and I do further direct that auy person ex- amined as a witness in the enquiry aforesaid who in the opinion of the Comm ssioners, makes a ful and trae disolosure toaching all the mitters in respect of which he is examined, shall receive a gartifisate under the hand of the Chairman or presiding Member of the Commis- sion countersigned by the Secretary, stating that the witness has upon his examination made
blouging the Puo Hwang wui (a society for the protection of the Imperial Government against vicious maudarius) and have had their education in America. This Pao Hwang Hwui has brauches in America, Australia, Singapore, Hongkong, and Macao, and Kang Yu-wei is its head. It supplies the rebels with money and men to carry on the war. The rebels are never know i to have done any mischief to foreigners, and it is said that once, when they had me at missionary, instead of doing him any harm,
TIT