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April 4, 1904.]
HILL DISTRICT RESERVATION, The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the first reading of a Bill entitled An Ordinance for the Reservation of a Residential area in the Hill District.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
The objects and reasons of this Bill are as follows:-This measure has as its object the reservation of that portion of the Island of Hongkong commonly known as "the Peak" as a place of residence for persons other than Chinese. The reservation of this district is desirable in order that a healthy place of re- sidence may be preserved for all those who are accustomed to a temperate climate and to whom life in the tropics presents the disadvantage of an unnatural environment.
BANISHMENT.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the first reading of a Bill entitled An Ordinance to amend Ordinance No. 8 of 1882 entitled "The Banishment and Conditional Pardons Ordinance, 1882."
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded. and the motion was agreed to,
This Bill is to empower the Governor in Council, in the interests of order and good government, to remove from the Colony persons who after they have acquired by naturalization the status of British subjects become a source of danger to the peace, order and good govern- ment of the Colony. The Bill provides that in case of the banishment of any naturalized person his status as a British subject shall ipso facto be suspended or cancelled as the rase may be. Power is reserved to His Majesty to disallow any suspension or cancellation of naturalization. Somewhat similar legislation has been adopted in the Straits Settlements. The object of the Bill is the prevention of crime in the New Ter ritories. There are in that portion of the Colony many bad characters who go about in armed gangs robbing the peaceable inhabitants. There have of late been numerous cases in which in habitants of the New Territory have been con- victed of armed robberies on junks and boats and of robberies with violence in the night-time «n land and afloat with and without arms. It is desirable that power should be taken to banish. if necessary. such persons after they have under- gone imprisonment. There are also cases in which persons guilty of the serious crimes mentioned, though well known, escape punish- ment on account of the difficulty, for fear of reprisals, in getting witnesses to come forward against them in the Law Courts. As the law stands such persons, though a constant menace to peace and good order, cannot be banished if naturalized subjects by operation of the Lease of the New Territories er otherwise. present Bill gives power to deal by way of banishment with such bad characters, and it is believed that when they learn that they may be banished from the Territory the effect for good apon them will be considerable.
BILLS POSTPONED.
The
The only other items on the orders of the day were the second reading of the Bill entitled An Ordinance to amend the Prepared Opium Ordinance, 1891, and committee on the Bill entitled An Ordinance to enable effect to be given in this Colony to a Convention signed the fifth day of March nineteen hundred and two in relation to sugar.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL asked the permis- sion of the house to allow these items to be postponed till a latter siting of the Council.
This permission was granted. The Council adjourned sine die.
FINANCE COMMITTEE. A meeting of the Finance Committee was held after the Council, the Acting Colonial Secretary (Hon. A .M. Thomson) presiding.
LAND COURT.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The CHAIRMAN explained that when the estimates for the present year were made it was thought that six months would be sufficient in which to finish the work. Since then it had been ascertained that there was still a large amount of work to do, chiefly in the way of registering and revising. The deciding of the titles had mostly been finished. The work was now being pushed on as fast as possible, and it was hoped it would be got through in a short time.
The rote was passed.
PUBLIC WORKS.
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $1,895.84 in aid of the vote Public Works Recurrent, Miscellaneous Works, to clear off all liabilities in connection with the construc- tion of the Victoria Hospital.
The CHAIRMAN said this rote was necessary because the work had not been completed last year when the necessary provision was made for it.
The vote was passed.
There was no other business.
THE WAR.
[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS]
LONDON, 28th March. Admiral Makaroff has cabled to S. Peters- burg that the Japanese again attempted ou Sunday morning to block the entrance to Port Arthur harbour. Four steamers went convoyed by six Japanese torpedo-boats, but the Russian gunfire suak the steamers, and the entrance remains clear.
LONDON, 30th March. General Mishtcbenko reports that he attacked a body of Japanese infantry at Chengju, north of the Cheng-chen-gang River, Corea, on Monday last, and retired after ninety minutes' fighting having 15 killed and wounded. The Japanese loss is not stated.
London, 30th March.
"
RUNNING THE GAUNTLET.'
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arrived from Penarth on the 25th ult. with 6,400 The s.s. Rosley, Capt. D. M. Robertson, tons of coal for the Japanese Government, having had a very exciting passage through the Red Sea, Some 14 hours after leaving Buez, at two o'clock in the morning, she pa sed through a Russian squadron. A destroyer followed her up for s me distance, and had good look at her, but even ually turned tail. She arrive safely at Perim on the 9th inst
JAPANESH OFFICIAL NEWS,
The Japanese Consul on the 30th ult. sent us a copy of the following official telegram received by him in the morning of the same day:
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"Tokyo, 29th March, 3.35 p.m.
Admiral Togo reports that the second at- tempt to block the entrance of Port Arthur was made at 3.30 a.m, on the 27th inst., when four vessels, escorted by a flotilla of torpedo- destroyers and boats, succeeded in approaching to within two miles of the entrance of the harbour before being discovered by the ouemy. At the time searchlights were sweeping the water, and as soon as our presence became known a heavy fire was directed upon as by the forts ou both banks and by the guardships. In spite of this the vessels suc- ceeded in getting into the inner roadstead, where the Chiyo-maru dropped anchor about half a cable's length from the beach on the west of Golden Hil, and was sucessfully sunk by her crew. The Fukui-maru was steered to the left of this vessel, and when about to drop anchor was struck by a fish-torpedo from the enemy and suuk. The Tahiko-maru anchored on the left of the Fukui maru, and was sunk by her crew, while the Yoneyama, which had crept up between the Chiyo-maru and Fukui aru, after coming into collision with the stern of a Russian destroyer, came to anchor in the middle of the roadstead, where she was struck by a fish torpedo from the enemy, which caused her to heel over and drift on to the left bank,
"Admiral Togo regrets that this desperate attempt to block the entrance of Port Arthur was not entirely successful, inasmuch as 2 navigable channel exists between the hulks of the Tuhiko-maru and the Yoneyama-maru. He further reports the following casualties on the four ressels :-Killed :-Lieutenant-Com-
two of the crew. Wounded (seriously) :- Sub-lieutenant Shimada; (slightly), Lieute-
The British and United States Governmander Takio Hirose, one midshipman, and ments are taking no action with regard to Russian procedure at Newchwang. The British Government has requested- Russia to protect British subjects.
Shanghai, 31st March. The Russian gunboat "Mandjour" has been completely dismantled, and the Japanese cruiser waiting for her has now
sailed.
JAPANESE OFFICIAL DESPATCHES.
The Japanese Consul informed us on the 25th ult. that he had received the following official telegram:
"
Tokyo, 25th March, 12.10 a.m. "Admiral Togo reports that his fleet, consist- ing of the combined squadrons, operating as previously arranged, together with both sections of our destroyer flotilla, made a demonstration against Port Arthur on the night of the 21st and morning of 22nd. The destroyers recou- noitred the approaches to the harbour, both sectious coming under the enemy's fire without sustaining any damage.
At 8 a. m. On the 22nd our main fleet, with part of the cruiser squadron, approached Port Arthur, while a squadron was despatched to Pigeon Bay. Our battle- ships, the Fuji and Yashima, opened an indirect bombardment on the inner harbour. During the engagement the enemy's fleet gradually came out of the harbour and, when we ceased our fire on the town, it consisted of five battleships, four cruisers, and ten torpedo- $10,881 | destroyers..
2,920
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $13,801 în accordance with the revised Estimate for the Land Court, New Territory :-- Personal Emoluments, Other Charges,
Total,
$13,801
A return was laid on the table containing the revised estimate for 1904, showing the excess over the original estimate to be $7,46.80.
"The enemy's ships cruised about under protection of the guns of the forts, and seemed as if they were inviting us to approach. The enemy's forts and fleet fired on us at long range, most of their shells falling round the Fuji. Our ships, however, sustained no hurt. Our fleet withdrew at 3 p.m."
nant Masaki, Chief Engineer Kurita, and six of the crew. The crews of the vessels were taken on board of the destroyers and torpedo-boats.
"Two torpedo-boats, the Aotakaand Tsubame, when within a mile of the entrance of the port met a Russian destroyer. A heavy fire was kept up on both sides, the enemy's vessel sustaining serious damage to her engines, clouds of steam being seen to rise up from her as she steered
away.
"It is reported that while our torpedo-boats were returning from their mission, what ap- peared to be a Russian warship was observed lying close under Golden Hill, having apparent ly sustained serious damage in one of the fleet engagements.
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A heavy fire was directed upon our destroyers and torpedo-boats until daylight, but no damage was caused."
A LAND FIGHT.
Mr. Noma has also communicated to us the following translation of a despatch received from the Minister of Foreign Affairs -
- Tokyo, 30th March, 10.30 a.m, It is officially reported that on the 28th inst. a detachment of Japanese cavalry and infantry encountered the enemy outside the south gute of Chongfu. An engagement took place, the Russians being driven from the city. The enemy, numbering about 600, retired to Wiju.
"Casualties:-Japanese: Lieut. Kano and four men killed, Capt. Kurokawa and eleven men wounded; no losses were sustained by the infantry. Two of the enemy were found dead on the field, and subsequently seven or eight of their slain were discovered in the forti- fications. Their dead were carefully removed on horses and ambulances during the progress of the fight, and in spite of the Japanese fire they
observed carrying
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