830
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL
A meeting of the Legislative Council was held on the 25th inst., the members present being :-
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, 18 MATTHEW NA HAN, KC M.G.
HON. MAJOR-General VilLIERS HATTON C.B. (Commanding the Troops).
Hon. Mr. F. H. MAY, C.M.G. (Colonial Becretary).
Hon. Sir H. S. BERKELEY Kt., (Attorney. General).
Hon. Mr. L. A. M. JHNSTON (Colonial Treasurer).
Hon, Mr. A. W. BREWIN (Registrar-General). Hon. Captain L. A. W. BARNES-LAWRENCE, R.N. (Harbour Master).
Hon. Mr. W. CHATHAM (Director of Publio Works).
+
Hon. Sir C. P. CHATER, C.M.G.
Hon. Dr. Ho KAI, C.M.G.
Hon. Mr. W. A YUX.
Hon. Mr. R. SHEWAN.
Hon. Mr. Gershom SteWART. Hoa. Mr. C. W. DICKSON,
Mr. A. G. M.FLETCHER (Clerk of Councils).
GOVERNOR's Addre88.
HIS EXCELLENCY said:-Gentlemen. It has become necessary to open a short session of the Connoil to deal with certain financial business and to add to the tatute Book four Ordinances
The most important financial matter is a vote for the equivalent in dollars of £18,933, dne to the Imperial Post Office as arrears of mail subsidy to the P. and O. 8. N. Co. for the seven years ending the 31st January, 1:05. These arrears have been the subject of corres. pondence, that has gone on for the last 8 years. Of this correspondence all the important docu- ments are printed as Appendices to Financial Minute No. 13, which I have drawn up to summarise it. You will see that this Govern- ment consented to the questi ns in dispute being put before an independent arbitrator and that its case, together with the eases of the other Eastern Colonies, were carefully presented to him by the Colonial Office after consultation with the Colonies. In these circumstances the Colony should accept tle award, which results, are brought up to the 31st of January last, in an additional pay- ment at the rate of £2,240 per annum for the last seven years.
wben certain accounts
thus raised
The subsidy to the P. and O. 8. N. Co. has been raised by £10,000 for the 3 years of the extended contract which terminates on the 31st, January, 1908. The Contribution of Hongkong to the sabsidy will be £12,529 per annum against £12.170, the amount that will bave been paid after the settlement and against £6,500 paid pending the settlement for the preceding seven years. I would point out to you that from the apparent additions of £5,670 for the last seven years and £6,029 for the next three years have
to be deducted amounts of between £3000 and £4,000 that have hitherto been paid for sea postage, in addition to the provisional subsidy. Financial Minute No. 5 provides for the in- cresse for 1st February to the end of the year.
You will observe from Financial Minute No. 11 that provision is made for lighting the Peak as promised to the Council at their last meeting. It is proposed to meet the expenditure incurred in maintaining the lights by an addition to the rates.
The necessity for the expenditure represented in the remaining finance minutes will be ex- plained to you in Finance Committee.
Of the four bills which appear in the Order of the Day for first reading, the first is the most important. It has been drafted with a view to enabling land owners in the New Territories to be registered and lands to be conveyed, mortgaged and released from mortgage by simpler processes than are possible under the existing law of the Colony. It also enables the Land Officer to decide questions relating to land in a summary way.
The necessity for these provisions will be realised when it is remembered that, in the small cultivated area in the New Territories, hardly more than 40,000 avens in extent, there are over 350,000 separate lots held under the Crown Lease which I have ecently issued to confer appropriate titles on
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
individual owners and managers of clans, families or tongs. I am satisfied that the small peasant proprietors will appreciate machinery which will enable disputes about their fields to be promptly settled on the spot. At the same time it is possible that lands may pass into the hands of persons who would prefer that they should be dealt with and the ordinary law of the Colony, and provision is made in the Bill for their being so dealt with.
The Bill to amend the Sugar Convention Ordinance 1904 bas been drafted mainly to meet a suggestion which was brought forward but not pressed when the principle Ordinance was before the Council to allow the importa. tion of bounty fed sugar in transit.
You are aware, gentlemen, that the question of destitute Europeans has of late been the discussion in this subject of considerable Colony. The nuisance of vagrants is one that we can hardly hope to do away with altogether, that certain but the Government believe
can
improvements in the methods of dealing with them
be effected: first by making other arrangements than sending those to the House of Detention for Destitute Seamen who are believed to be
[May 29, 1905. The COLONIAL TREASURER secended the motion, which was carried.
FINANCIAL.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY - Sir, I beg to bring up the report of the finance committee No. 1, and more fis adoption.
The COLONIAL TREASURER second.
The motion was carried.
I beg to
B" of
ADDITION TO OPIUM BYE-LAWS. The COLONIAL SECRETARY moved that the addition to bye-law I. of the by-laws governing opium divans contained in schedule Ordinance No. I. of 1903, made by the Sanitary Board under section 16 of the said Ordinance, be The COLONIAL spproved by this council. TREASURER seconded the motion, which was carried.
COOLIE SHELTERS,
The Hon. Mr. GERSHOM STEWART put the following queston :--
As the public continually find great difficulty in getting chairs whenever it comes on to rain, will the Government provide shelter for the coolies at various important points and pass some regulations to prevent them from deserting their chairs with impunity and leaving them lying in the public road without bearers?
thus destitute through no fault of their own;
The COLONIAL SECRETARY replied-The secondly, by making more rigorous the treat- ment of vagrants in the House of Detention; answer to the first part is -Yes. The answer thirdly, by discouraging the landing of men into the second part is that the Police can and will deal with such cases for causing obstruction. the Colony likely to become destitute within a
FIRST READINGS. very short time of their arrival there. Arrange- ments have been made with a Benevolent Society in the Colony and with the authorities of the Sailors' Home with regard to the first of these matters. The second and third are dealt with in the Bill before you.
I do not propose to proceed to-day with the fourth Bill that appears on the Order the Day Gentlemen, since we last met, negotiations have been opened at Peking with the Chinese Government for an Agreement for the joint working of a Railway Line of 4ft. 8 in. gauge from Canton with one from Kowloon to the frontier of the New Territories. It is proposed that this agreement should be on the lines of one concluded by the Colonial Office on behalf of this Government with the British and China Corporation. Before any agreement with the Chinese Government is made binding on that of Hongkong it will be submitted to you. You will doubtless be glad to learn in the meantime that a party of surveyors engaged to locate the line within British territory left England on the 12th of May. (Applause).
Among other matters that are of necessity occupying the attention of the Government at the present time are questions of neutrality arising from the state of war which unfort unately still exists between their Majesties the Emperors of Russia and Japan. This Govern- ment adheres and will continue to adhere rigidly to the proclamation of neutrality issued by Mr. May on the 12th February, 1904.
In conclusion it is with some satisfaction that I call your attention to the fact that. so far, the visitation of plague this year has been a mild one. I am not prepared to say that this compara. tive immunity, which we pray God may con. tinue, is entirely or even mainly due to the sanitary measures taken by the Government and by the Chinese community in concert with the Government. But it is noteworthy that there has been during the last six years & diminution year by year in the general death rate of the Colony which in 1904 was the lowest recorded (Applause).
PAPERS.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table the following papers:-Report of the Medical Officer of Health, the Sanitary Surveyor and the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon for the year 1904, report of the Superintendent of the Fire Brigade, report of the Captain Superintendent of Police, report of the superintendent of Victoria gaol, report of the Registrar General, New Territories Land Court report on work from 1900 to 1903, report of the Botanical and Afforestation Department and financial return for the same year, Financial minute No. 13, report of the Director of Public Works, report of the principal Civil Medical Officer, report of the Tung Wa Hospital, report of the Po Leung Kuk, report of the Registrar of the Supreme Court, report of the Post Office, and Financial Minutes Nos. 4 to 14, which he moved be referred to the Finance Committee.
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On the motion of the ATTORNEY GENERAL, seconded by the COLON AL SECRETARY, the following bills were read a first time:--A Bill, entitled, An Ordinance to facilitate the transfer of land in the New Territories and for settling disputes in respect thereof and for other par- poses; a Bill, entitled An Ordinance to amend the Sugar Convention Ordinance, 1904; a Bill, entitled, An Ordinance to amend the Vagrancy Ordinance, 1897.
With reference to the first Bill the Hon. Mr. SHEWAN said -1 do not wish to raise any dis- cassion now, but Sub-section 4, Clause 1. vitiates the whole of this Bill.
The ATTORNEY GENERAL-Questions can be asked at the second reading.
H18 EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR-Council stands adjourned until Thursday, 1st instant.
FINANCE COMMITTEE.
A meeting of the Finance Committee was held after the council--the Colonial Secretary, the Hon. Mr. F. H. May, C.M.G., presiding.
The following votes were passed:
STAMPS AND STATIONERY CHARGES. The Governor recommended the Council to vote a sum of $890 in aid of the vote, Stamp Office, other charges, cost of adhesive Stamps, &o., for the year 1904.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-This is a small
item remaining over from last year.
EASTERN MAIL SERVICE, The Governor recommended the Council to vote a sum of £5,526 11s. 8d. being the differ- ence between the Contribution of Hongkong towards the Eastern Mail Service for 11 months from 1st February, 1905, at the rate of £12,529 per annum in accordance with the award of Lord Balfour of Burleigh and a Contribution for the same period at the rate of £6,500 per annum as voted in the Estimates for the current year.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-This item you will find fully explained in a memorandum on financial minute No. 13.
The Hon. Mr. SHEWAN-Did we agree to submit it to arbitration ?
That
The COLONIAL SECRETARY—Yes.
includes our share of the additional £10,000, which is the addition made to the contract now running.
SHIPPING VOTE.
The Governor recommended the Council to vote a sum of Two thousand Dollars ($2,000) in aid of the vote, Harbour Master's Department- Lighthouse, Gap Rock and Wagland Island, Other Charges for Gunpowder Charges and Tubes for Fog Signalling Guns.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-The excess is due to the extremely foggy weather we had during the first three months of this year.
RIFLE RANGES.
The Government recommended
漓 vote
of $3,600 at 1/8-£300 in aid of the vote, Public Works Extraordinary, for improving New Rifle Ranges at Kowloon City,