I beg to apprise you that the Executive Council whose resolution is quoted consists of His Excellency The Governor and the Honorables: The Lieutenant Governor and the Colonial Secretary, the latter being the organ of this correspondence, three members - The Governor having declined to admit to this Council the present senior officer of the troops at this station.
Ith all request my former Despatch and letters referring thereto to be forwarded as an appendix to this and I shall forward a duplicate copy this by the next mail to make further interception inoperative.
I invite your censure to this mode of action to prevent my representations from reaching the offices of the Imperial Government.
Governor's despatch 9214
I have the honor to be,
Sir, Your most obedient servant,
Codex 552
Miname Swoper, Captain Commanding, Royal Engineers,
Acting Surveyor General,
1009:50
J
Duplicate.
250
Costain Cowper C.R. 2. Acting Surveyor General to the Right Honorable the Secretary of State, stating out that it is not through his laches or culpable neglect that the ordinances for the abatement of nuisances have proved inoperative.
Surveyor General's Office, Victoria, Hong Kong, 29 July 1856
Sir,
Having been appointed to act as Surveyor General of this Colony on the departure of Mr. Cleverly, the Surveyor General, on the 15 Feb 1856 (I being then, as I am now, the Commanding Royal Engineer), I made many representations regarding a more extended field of action and utility for the Department, particularly as to the control of private buildings, which should not be of a dangerous or inflammable description, the power of abating nuisances and enforcing other sanitary measures - for which purposes the ordinances then existing, carried out by the then magistrates, proved inadequate.
The representations of the Hon'ble the Attorney General (F. C. Anstey) on the latter point were even earlier than mine and to precisely the same effect. The necessity for such measures was acknowledged by the Governor and Council in causing to be prepared and in passing Ordinances 8 and 12 of 1856, which I enclose, together with my letters to the Hon'ble Colonial Secretary, bearing date the 16 May (No. 39), 24 May (No. 437), 4 June (No. 14), 7 June (No. 49), 30 June (No. 50), 7 July (No. 52), 11 July (No. 55), 22nd July (No. 57), and 26 July (No. 58), and the Colonial Secretary's answers.