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hounded down, the reactionaries triumph once more, for a time; but for years to come there can be no more Far Eastern adventures from St. Petersburg. Coren is safe, and the only danger China has to fear is from entanglements made by her own officials' proneness to stupid intrizues. Any more coquetting with Russia can only incur the stern displeasure of Japan, nud in that event it will be a hard thing to help her. Certainly Bussiu can do nothing for her. As things are at present, Bussin stands t▸ lose hold even of Eastern Siberia, unless the present population can be outnumbered by the military colonists whom it is suggest. ed should be sent from the West. The Eastern Siberians of to-day have evolved from two clases, neither of whom can be counted as favourably inclined to the old style Russia. One class is descended from men who never were serfs: the other from political exiles or from men brought into close touch with the ideals of those exiles. Already there have been incidents east of Baikal which show how tightly stretched is the thread that has hitherto bound them to Tsardom.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
Yet spite of all this, the dream of fighting Japan again another day persists. The knowledge of the secret intentions of their own hearts prompts some to declare that Japan is already amassing money and means to attick Russia. The Russians have already detected flaws in the Ports- mouth Treaty which they consider will make the picking of a quarrel an easy mat ter. As to that, of course, Great Britain will have something to say, by virtue of the unprovoked attack" clause of the revised Anglo-Japanese Alliance. The bureaucracy ut St. Petersburg is alredy very uneasy at China's activity in Mongolia and in Northern Manchuria; and we would not be greatly surprised to learn that the fatuous advisers of the TSAR had some notion of bettering (from their point of view) domestic conditions with a succes-ful war-which is what they night call a raid on China. For many reasons the idea is a stupid one, and ouly possible in the brains of such men as are still struggling to put back the hands of the clock in Russin.
MR. R. E. BELILIOS, BARRISTER.
A large number of barristers and solicitors were present in the Supreme Court on May 16 to witness the enrolment of Mr. R. E. Belilios as a member of the Hongkon; bar.
The Attorney General, Sir H. S. Berkeley, asid he had great plesars in asking his Lordship (the Chief Justic) to admit to the bar of the Colony Mr_Raphael Belilios, who was a member of the Inner Temple. Mr. Belilios was called in 19-3, snd was a member of Northumberland Centre. It gave the speaker additional pleasure in moving the gentleman's
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admission to the bar from the fact that he was the son of an old and high y-esteemed Colonist, the late Hou, Mr. E. R B-lillos. C M.G., who for many years livet here, and whose works of charity and other public good to the Colony stand as a monament to his memory for all
time.
His Honour the Chief Justice (to Mr. Belilios) The Court is very pleased to approve, admit and enrol you for practice as a barrister in the Supreme Court of this Colony. It also, for the reasons stated by the Attorney General, welcomes you, and it hopes that those powers of speech which rumour says you are gifted with, may be exercised for your owh benefit.
COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Hongkong Legislative Council was held on the 17th instant in the Council Chamber at 2.30 p.m.
Mr. Belilios-I must thank your Lordship sincerely for your kind words to me, also Sir Henry Brakeley. My only regret is tunt I will not be able to remain here so permanently and continuously as 1 could wish, and I am going sway next week.
PRESENT:-
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HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNUR, MAJOR BIR MATTHEW NATHAN, K.C.M.G.
HIS EXCELLENCY MAJOR-GENERAL VIL LIERS HATTON, .B. (Commanding the Troops); Hon. Mr. T. SERCOMBE SMITH (Colonial Becretary).
Hon. Sie H. 8. Berkeley, K.C. (Attorney. General).
Hon. Mr. A. M. THOMSON (Colonial Treasurer).
Hon. Mr. A. W. BREWIN (Registrar General).
Hou. Captain L. A. W. BARNES-LAWRENCE, R.N. (Harbour Master).
Hon. Mr. W. CHATHAM (Director of Public Works).
Hon. Mr. E. A. HewetT.
Hon. Mr. H. E. PULLOCK, K.C. Hon. Dr. Ho Kai, M.B., C.M., C.M.G. Hon. MR. WEI YUK.
Hon, Mr. E. OSBORNE. Hon. Mr. C. W. DICKSON.
Mr. A. G. M. FLETCHER (Clerk of Council).
MINUTES,
The minutes of the previous meating were read and confirmed.
NEW MEMBERS,
The Hon. Mr. E. Osborne and the Hon. Mr. E A. Hewett subscribed the asnal oaths and
took their seats as members.
APPOINTMENT TO COMM TTEES.
His Ex ELLENCY-I appoint the Hon
Mr. Pollock to the Law Committee vice Mr. Shewan. and the Hon. Mr. Osborne aud the Hon Mr. Hewett to the Public Works Com- mitte vice Sir Paul Chater and Mr. Gershom Stewart.
PAPERS.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table the following pipors:-Jurors list for 1906; report of Queen's College for 1905; City of Victoria and Hill District. Waterworks; report of the Euperintendent of Victoria Gaol for 1905; report of the Director of the Hongkong Observatory for 1905; raport of the Blue Book for 1905; report of the Harbour Master for 905; report of the Registrar General for 1905; report of the health and sanitary condi- tion of the Colony for 19 15: a research into the etiology of beri-beri, together with a report of
au outbreak.
FINANCIAL MINUTES.
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The HoN. COL ›NIAL SECRET BY —Sir, I hare the honour to lay ou the table Financial miuntes Nos. 7 to 27, excepting No. 15, which is withdrawn, aud move that they be referred to the Finance Committee.
[May 18, 1908
for the construction of our railway the rate of 34 per cent, into the The next financisi minnta- of-import financial minute No. 15, which is for a | $42.00 in aid of the vote, public works
ordinary, No. 19, for forming and kerblag streets. This is a very considerable axosou the original vote of $10,000. It is mainly due to works that have been taken in hand either fulfilment of obligations of private owners to whom the Government has sold land, or to take advantage of work carried out by private owners in fulfilment of their obligations to Government connected with similar leasII. For instance, the reclamation at Taimchatsoi has involved the construction of two roads by the lessees. The construction of those two roads partly paid for by lessoas, has had to be completed by Government. $12,000 will be saved on item 17, that is, the extension of Robinson Road in Kowloon, as a private reclamation has enabled the Government to get the work done under more advantageous conditions than we aatioip t-d. Financial minu's No. 13 provides a sum of $16 000 in aid of the vote, refunds of revenue. This is due to a larger refund of rates under 89otion 35 of Ordinance No. 6 of 1901, a larger rafund having to be inede than was anticipated when the estimates were pre-
The HON. COLONIAL I REASURE ¿—I beg to seo nd the motion.
The motion was carried.
the current year.
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the Financial minutes which it is proposed to His XCELLENCY-The most important of refer to the Finance Committee is No. 23 which is to provide a fund of $350,000 in aid of the Kowloon Canton Railway. This is the amount which the Chief Resident Engiuer antici- pates being able to spend by the end of I will explain to you briefly how it is proposed that this money should be provided. In connection with the loan which was authorised by this Council on the 6th A ril »ud 6th October of each year there is due from the Viceroy of the Hu Kwang Province interest at the rate of 44 per cent on the loan of $11,000,000 made to him by this Government, or ou so much of it as is still ontstanding. There is also due under agreement with Viceroy Chau Chib-tung a sum of 8110,00) | on the 6th October of each year as an instalment towards a refund of that loan These suma, paid in interest or in repayment, will by credited to a special fund. On that special fund the interest at 3 per cent, on the stock we have rised will be the first charge; and then from the fund the expenses of our section of the Canton-Kowloon railway will be paid. The balance, after repayments of the Viceroy's instalments have been made, will be devoted to paying off our debt. We shall pay on the advances made from that special fund
pared. Financial minute No. 9 is to provide a sum of 815,200 in aid of the vote, public works extraordinary, communication, metallic circuits including new route to North Point. Of this sum of $15,200, $12,200 is due to metallic circuits rendered necessary through the Govern- ment telephone system being injuriously affected by the working of the Electric Tramways. Financial minutes Nos. 7 and 16 together provide $6,0:) in aid of the vote for lighthouses. This sum is due to the prevalence of fog in the first four months of the year, necessitating an extensive 18+ of fog signals. At the sugges- tion of the Harbour-Master the Brethren of Trinity House are being communicated with to see if sound signalling cannot be adopted in the Colony. Financial minute No, 20 for 84,455 is in aid of the vote already passed in this Council in connection with the recap- tion of H.R.H. Prince Arthur of Connaught. In view of the genero is manner in which private buildings were decorated. I consider this is a fair charge on the public. Financial minute No. 12 is to provide $1,740 in aid of the vute to the hospital hulk Hygeia, duo of course to the regrettable prevalenc◄ of smallpox in the early part of the year. The remainder of the votes do not require special exp anation by me.
FINANCIAL
The COLONIAL SECRETARY—I beg to lay on No I. and move that it be adopted. this table the report of the Finance Committee
The COLONIALTREASURER —I beg to second. The motion was carried.
AMENDMENT T, THE SCAVENGING AND
CONSERVANCY BYE-LAWB, The COLONIAL Secretary—I bag to niové, with the approval of bou. members, that bye-law No. 4 of the Scavenging an ! Conservancy Bye- laws be hereby amended by deleting the full stop at the end thereof and substitat- ing a colon and adding the following worlds In the case of bike honsus, dairios, laundries, opium divans and premises used for offensive trades, such dustbins shall be constructed uf mi- terials to the satisfaction of the Sanitary Board. The ATTORNEY-G NERAL BOConded, and the motion was carried.
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REGISTRATION OF PAR.NERS, Hon. Mr. Pollock' -Your Excellency I beg to move that it is desirable that legislation for the registration of partners, with limited liability, shou'd be introducet into this Colony" This motion, sir, is brought forward in con• nection with a question which is a comparatively old one in this Colony-I think it was. Arst agitated over 30 years ago—namely, the question of the registration of members of Chinese firms in this Colony. Various at empts, as your Excellency is aware, have been made from time to time in this Colony and also in the sister colony of the Straits Settlements for the purpose of putting, if possible, the tion of registration of partners in Chinese upon a satisfactory footing. From time to time in the Straits Settlements Ordinances introduced with that object, and I belie