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HIS EXCELLENCY-I propose to say a few words on that in the third reading. I will put the hon. member's motion to the vote.
The motion on being put to the vote was lost by the casting vote of the Governor, all the unofficials voting for, and all the unofficials against it.
On Council resuming the ATTORNEY GENE AL reported that the bill had passed through com. mittee with slight amendments. He said In view of the importance of getting the estimates for the coming year framed and laid efore the Council at the earliest, and of the necessity of having tenders for the Opium Farm advertised. and in view of the fact that the bill has been fully discussed by this Council. I beg to move that it be read a third time.
The COLO-IAL SECRETARY- I beg to second the motion, and I may say that the advertise- ments calling for tenders for the Opium Farm are already one month later than on the last
occasion and the occasion before.
-
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
OR
Hon. v.r. EWETT Your Excellency, the unofficial members do not propose to defer the third reading, because we do not wish to appear to be unnecessarily obstructive in the passing of the measure, but it is true that Wo do propose to vote against the third read ing for reasons very fully explained at the last meeting and also while in committee on the bill this afternoon. We consider in the first place, that before His Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies peremptorily ordered the Colony to adopt a certain policy, he should at least have had the courtesy to offer the com- munity an opportunity of presenting reasoned į with opinion against the proposed resolution and allowing the matter to be discussed. That was not done, but certain orders were sent out here in a peremptory manner and the result is the passing of this bill. We further consider, as fully explained this afternoon and last Thurs- day, that before the bill is passed we should get definite assurance from the Home Government as to what they mean by a substantial contri- bution. For these reasons, Sir, the unofficial members propose to vote against the third reading.
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[June 26, 1909
for the passing of this bill. (Applause.)
After the unofficial members had consulted with regard to the Governor's speech.
Hon. Mr. HEWETT asked-May I speak again in reply to your remarks just now?
it.
18 EXCELLENCY-There is no rule against
Hon. Mr. HEWETT-When the unofficial members came here this afternoon they had arranged, in order to emphasise their protest again at what they considered unfair treatment on the part of the Home Government, to vote against the third reading. But in view of your Excellency's remarks the unofficial members are prepared to vote for the third reading, as we entirely endorse what Your Excellency said, to the effect that our protest was made against the action of the Imperial Government and has nothing to do with local Government, We trust that while
voting for this third reading of the bill, Your Excellency will put it on record that although we withdrew opposition to the third reading in response to Your Excellency's personal appeal, we do protest against the bill being passed in the manner it has been. Our object in protest- ing against the third reading was to emphasise the protest made at the second reading. Our protest still stands, we merely withdraw our opposition to the third reading in deference to Your Excellency.
The bill was then read a third time and passed.
H81 EXCELLENCY-Council stands adjourned until next Thursday.
FINANCE COMMITTEE.
A meeting of the Finance Committee was thou held, the COLONIAL SECRETAŁY présid- ing.
The following vote was passed :-
more precise wording of the promise made by the ecretary of state. That protest was made the second reading, and it was emphasised by the unanimous vote against the bill of the unofficial members. But they do not show themselves hostile to the provisions of the bill and I trust therefore that they will not vote against the third reading, since their protest, has been already recorded in the minutes of the Council. I would remind you that if the majority did throw out this bill we should be in a situation in which I think no unofficial member desires that we should be placed; that is to say, tenders would have to be hung up
and the estimates deferred. I am not aware myself that any difference in this general opium question does exist between the unofficial members and the Government. We are all agreed that it should be gradually suppressed and the unofficial mem- bers in their speeches particularly emphasised this point. Their objection, which was clearly' stated, is that they wish for a mere precise and de- finite wording of the Secretary of State's promise. On the one hand it was suggested that the Secretary of State had only promised to ask Parliament and possibly Parliament might refuse. Lord Crewe in a despatch which I read to this Council did not say that he as Secretary of State for the Colonies would ask the Treasury's sauction for a grant. That is a form of request which is quite familiar and which in my own experience I have more than once known to be unsuccessful. The words used, however, were to any one conversant the language of state departments very different indeed. He said that His ajesty's Government would ask Parliament, that is to say, that the speaker or writer spoke s a member of the Government and declared that Government would go to Parliament for a certain object. If Parliament refused the request of the Government it would mean the defeat of the Government, and we all know that the defeat of the Government is a serious matter. That is how I read the des. patch, and that is why I stated to Council that I considered the promise as definite as it could be. In the second place, it has been sug- gested that a definite proportion should be asked for, but I think that on second thoughts the hon. member who raised this suggestion will agree with me that such a request is not a feas able one. I think that no business man at this table would pledge himself to give a definite proportion of a loss when the basis of calculation is not yet settled. The hon. member at the end of the table pointed out that the opium trade had great ramifications and the loss would fall in various directions. I myself pointed out in a memorandum which I laid upon this table that the opium trade has wide ramifications and its extinction will involve loss in many different
Ou promotion of Mr. Stuart J. channels, but the loss on this trade does not Fuller, who for the past three years has been depend on the policy adopted in this colony Vice-Consul in the Colony and has now tem- but upon the policy adopted in India. In
porary charge of the Consul General. Mr. any case these are more or less direct losses
Fuller has been nominated by President Taft and the Secretary of State has only as Consul at Gothenburg, pledged himself to make good a substantial
Sweden. The nomination has to be confirmed by the Senate, portion of the direct losses. Still I think but as a long list in which Mr. Fuller's appoint- it quite conceivable that difference of ment was included was submitted to the opinion
the may arise on
words direct Senate on May 26th, it is probable that by this and indirect," which
are open to discus- time the Senate has approved the appointments, sion. I may say that were I myself
though no news of this has yet reached the undertaking a pledge in the name of the tax- Colony. payers of this colony similar to the one which Lord Crewe has taken on behalf of the taxpayers of the United Kingdom, I should certainly not commit myself, and I can say with confidence that I do not think there is a business man at this table who would not take the same lines. The position as it now stands is,
HIS EXCELLENCY-Gentlemen, when this bill was read a second time the unofficial mem- bers unanimously voted against it, aud the repre- sentative of the Chamber of Commerce has just told us that the unofficials proposed again to-day to vote against the third reading. I hope that after the few words I have to say they may alter that intention. I explained before that it is necessary to pass the bill, in order to call for tenders which are already delayed, as my hon, friend on
the left has told us, about a month beyond the usual date. They have,
you know, to
be forwarded to Sing apore and elsewhere and we require to know the amounts tendered before we begin the
Estimates. preparation of the
I did not wish to frame the conditions of tender and to circulate them before this bill had been dis. cussed in Council, in order that members should have every opportunity of discussing the condi- tions on which the tenders would be based. Had the tenders been circulated earlier in anticipa- tion of this bill the terms of this bill would practically have been settled without reference to Council. Moreover, it is possible that some discrepancy might have been found later between the exact words of the ten- ders and the terms of the Ordinance which was passed subsequently, and this might have led to claims for compensation or for the repudiation of his contract by the Farmer. It is now an urgent matter to pass the bill as soon as possible, as my hon. and learned friend on the left suggested, and Council agreed to take the third reading this afternoon. It is clear from the speeches which have been made by different unofficial members that they have not opposed the bill because they fail to recognise the urgency of the necessity for calling for tenders for the Farm, or that they had any objections to the proposals embodied in the bill, for in none of the long speeches delivered by hon. members was a single exception taken to the provisious of the bill itself. During the passage through the second reading none of the principles of the bill were called in question. The votes recorded by unofficial members on the second reading were clearly stated to have been recorded
a protest against the action of the between us either AS Imperial Government, and in order to obtain a
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44
gather from the speeches which have been made. that this Council unanimously thinks that this bill should be passed, to call for tenders, and in order that we may know as soon as possible what deficit we shall have to face and to make good in our estimates. The unofficial members desire to record their protest upon the aspect of the question which touches the Imperial Govern- ment and I may say. does not touch the local Government. In these circumstances I hope that the, unofficial members will unanimously vote for the third reading of the bill in order to show that there is no divergence of opinion regards the general opium policy or as regards the necessity
CHARITABLE SERVICES.
The GOVERNOR recommended the Council to vote a sum of two hundred dollars ($200) in aid of the vote Charitable Services, Passages and Relief of Destitutes.
The CHIRMAN-This was to pay the passage of a destitute. When the question of a passage arose we found that the vote was exhausted Then we found 28 for the passage of a deportes to Singapore, with the additions of a certain sum to keep the Colony going in the transpor. tation of these destitutes until the end of the year.
PROMOTION FÜR MR. STUART
FULLER.
Following on the transfer of Dr. Amos P. Wilder, the popular Consul-General for the
transfer United States, comes news of the impending
Both as an official and in social life Mr. Fuller is very popular in the Colony. Dr. Wilder, in one or two of his farewell speeches, referred to Mr. Fuller's work as an official in terms of highest praise, and his
many friends in the Colony who know his worth will cordially congratulate him on his promotion in the Consular service of his country.
We need hardly add that Mr. Faller is not likely to be leaving Hongkong for some months yet.
Among other nominations in the list we note that Mr. Charles L. Hoover, of the Philippine Islands, is nominated to be Consul at Madrid; Mr. Carl F. Leichmann, now at Tamsui, is down
being taken by Mr. Raat, now at Mauritius. for transfer to Nagasaki, his place at Tamsui
19
The construction of a “hot-honse' is con. templated on the summit of Fuji for the benefit of any visitors who may be affected by the cold. There is another scheme to establish a hotel at the base of the mountain.
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