:
July 16, 1904.]
4
·
of the future and are ready at any moment to cry for peace.
Everybody professes to hope for some sort of victory which might enable Russia to put an end to the war without loss of honour, but the utmost they expect is a stroke of good luck, not a decisive triumph."
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. Carrington. The books are already in the Colony for distribution.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
QUESTIONS BY THE HON. GERSHOM
STEWART.
43
The COLONial Secretary seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
This sum is made up as follows Pensions,
Governor and Legislature. Treasury,
Hon. GERSHOM 8 TEWART asked the follow- Post Office.
*
AMONG the documents found on the steamer Yedo-muru, one of the vessels sunk at the mouthing questions :- of Port Arthur harbour, the following defiant note was discovered fastened on the rail of the bridge: "Remember, my dear Russian sailors, my name is Lieutenant-Commander Keriso. This is my second visit; my first was on the Kossuko. I will come again." This threat was not carried out, however, as the officer was found among the dead.
THE following report was received at the Imperial Headquarters at Tokyo, on 30th June, from General Oku :-The number of the Russian dead buried by our troops on the battlefield of Tehlisz has reached 1.854. Besides these, some more bodies were buried in outlying spots. but the exact number is not known. Other trophies than the rice already reported are as follows: 16 quickfiring guns: 46 ammuni. tion carts; 958 rifles; 27.233 cartridges; 1,121 shells; 282 tools; 1.400 cases of cement; and several other things.
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Hongkong Legislative Council was held on the 12th instant in the Council Chamber. Present
HIS EXCELLENCY THE OFFICER AD- MINISTERING THE GOVERNMENT. F. H. MAY, C.M.G.
HIS EXCELLENCY MAJOR-GENERAL VIL LIERS HATTON, C.B. (Commanding the Troops). Hon. A. M. THOMSON (Colonial Secretary). Hon. Sir H. S. BERKELEY (Attorney. General.
Hon. L. A. M. JOHNSTON (Colonial Treasurer).
Hon. A. W. BREWIN (Registrar-General). Hon. Captain L. A. W. BARNES-LAWRENCE. R.N. (Harbour Master).
Hon. P. N. H. JONES (Director of Public Works).
Hon. Sir C. P. CHATER, C.M.G.
Hon. Dr. Ho KAI. C.M.G.
Hon. WEI A YUK.
Hon. R. SHEWAN,
Hon. GERSHOM STEWART.
Mr. S. B. C. Ross (Clerk of Councils).
FINANCIAL.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table Financial Minutes (Nos. 30 to 40) and moved that they 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 Committee (No. 7) and moved its adoption.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded and the motion was agreed to.
PAPERS.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table the Reports of the Medical Officer of Health, the Sanitary Surveyor and the C. Ionial Veterinary Surgeon for 1903, the Report on the Blue Book for 1903, the Report of the Registrar-General for 1903, the Report of the Registrar of the Supreme Court for 1903, the Report of the Principal Civil Medical Officer for 1903, the Report on the Botanical and Afforestation Department for 1903. the Report on the Hongkong Volunteer Corps for 1903- 04; a paper on Police Probationers in Hong kong, Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States; the Supplementary Colonial Estimates, 1903, and a paper on the Des Voeux
Road murder, 1903.
THE NEW EDITION OF THE ORDINANCES.
•
1. The open space in front of the Hongkong Club being no longer used for tlu storage of cement blocks, and the small railway to the Praya for the crane having been picked up. will the Government be able soon to allow the Botanical Department to open up the space for public use as a garden, as promised by Sir Henry Blake on 20th July, 1903 ?
2. Will it he possible this year, by dredging or otherwise, to increase the space available for small craft in the typhoon shelter at Causeway Bay, as it is much silted up at low water? Have the Government decided on
any plan for a new typhoon shelter ?
3. In view of the recent fire at the Ferr Wharf, will the Government take into conside ration the advisability of making improved approaches and shelters at Blake Pier and Queen's Statue Wharf?
The COLONIAL SECRETARY follows:-
answered as
1. The only recommendation that has been made in this matter is that sites on the East of the Statue of H. M. the Queen corresponding to the areas reserved by the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank on the West side of the Statue should be set apart for Statues of H. M. the King and H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught. No recommendation was made to the Secretary of State by Sir Henry Blake for the reservation of the space between the site for the Statue of H. M. the King and the Hongkong Club.
2. No. It is impossible to increase the area of accommodation by dredging owing to the hard bottom of the Southern portion of the refuge. Several schemes for a new refuge have been pre pared and are being considered.
The Queen's Statue Pier is a temporary erection and is therefore properly served by a temporary shed. It is intended to put up a permanent shelter at Blake Pier when funds be come available. Fires are not so frequent or disastrous as to cause anxiety in this connection.
!
QUESTIONS BY THE HON. H. E. POLLOCK. In the absence of Hon. Mr. Pollock, Hon. Mr. SHEWAN put the following questions:
-
|
In connection with the burning of the Star Ferry matshed, will the Government kindly state how many minutes (approximately) after the commencement of the fire was the water from the mains turned on to and playing on the fire?
|
Registrar General's Department, Harbour Master's Departments. Judicial and Legal Departments, Land Court, New Territory, Magistracy. Transport,
$26.303.08
1,158.95
1,244.79
26,362.27
1,921.21
3.108.51
2.116.47
1,041.51
706.30
11.848.84
32,022.63
92.777.98
$201,512.54
130,111.87
Miscellaneous Services, Public Works Recurrent.
Ordinary Expenditure. Public Works Extraordinary.
Total Supplementary Votes,
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the first reading of a Bill entitled an Ordinance to amend the Criminal Procedure Ordinance, 1899.
$331,624.41
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
i
The Council adjourned till next Tuesday, when the Supplementary Votes will be considered.
FINANCE COMMITTEE.
held after the Council, the Colonial Secretary A meeting of the Finance Committee was (Hon. A. M. Thomson) presiding.
TRAINING NULLAH8.
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $3.400 in aid of the vote, Public Works, Extra- ordinary, for Drainage Works, Training Nullahs.
Approved.
VOLUNTEERS.
The officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $16.432.80 in aid of the vote, Military Ex- penditure--B. Expenses of Volunteers, for the following items:-
Other Charges.
£1,171.180.0
Rifles
Equipment Chargers
123.11.0 3.19.0
£1,369. 8.0 @ 1/8-$16,432.80 The CHAIRMAN stated that this vote has been recommended by the military authorities.
Approved.
KOWLOON DISINFECTING STATION.
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $5,000 in aid of the vote Public Works Extraor dinary, to meet cost of erecting an Office at the New Disinfecting Station at Kowloon, for the Assistant Medical Officer of Health and the Inspectors working under him.
The CHAIRMAN said it had been discovered that it would be very useful to have an office there for the M. O. H. and the inspectors work-
Will the Government state what is the estimated cost of establishing a system of electric fire-alarms in the City of Victoria ? Does the Government propose to establish such a system? Is it the fact that at the present time the alarm has to be given by a Police Officer who has to leave his beat for that purpose? If so, does the Government considering under him. such a system of giving the alarm satisfactory? If the Government does not consider such a system of giving the alarm satisfactory, what steps does the Government propose to take in connection with the matter?
The COLONIAL SECRETARY answered as fol- lows:
1. About 15 minutes.
The cost would be large but an estimate can- not be given till the system to be adopted be decided on. The question is now under con- sideration. Experiments have already been made with telephonic fire alarms. The results have been very discouraging, the native popula: tion never having been known to use them. It is not the fact as implied in the question that an alarm can only be given by a Police Officer who has to leave his beat for the purpose. Look-outs are kept for the purpose of giving alarm and the Police on duty on the street make free use of Government and private telephones for the purpose,
SUPPLEMENTARY VOTES.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the follow- ing resolution :-Resolved that in-accordance with the requirements of Section 10 (2.) of the Statute Laws (Revised Edition) Ordinance, 1900. the New Edition of the Hongkong Ordinances The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the first prepared by Sir John Carrington and now laid reading of a Bill entitled an Ordinance to before the Council, is approved." He said-authorise the Appropriation of a Supplemen. This resolution is necessary in order to obtain tary Sum of Three Hundred and thirty-one the sanction of the Council to the circulation of thousand six hundred and twenty-four Dollars the revised edition of the laws of Hongkong and forty-one cents to defray the charges of the ! compiled by the late Chief Justice Sir John year 1903.
Approved.
SECRET SERVICE.
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $1,000 in aid of the vote, Police, for Secret Service" under Other Charges.
The CHAIRMAN stated that there had been several charges on this vote owing to a series of crimes, and this sum was required to carry them through the year.
Approved.
NEW TERRITORY,
recommended the Council to vote a further sum The Officer Administering the Government of $4.524 in aid of the vote Land Court, New, Territory, for the following staff required from with the Land Settlement in New Kowloon 1st June to 31st December, 1904, in connection and the New Territory:-
PERSONAL EMOLUMENTS. 4 Clerks (@ $420 for annum=...$ 980
(a $300
א
+
1
1+
(@) $240 4 Coolies (a) $ 96
++
700 .1,120 224
...
3,024
OTHER CHARGES. Incidental expenses
1,500
Total ..
524
1