3
Hon, P. RTRIE-My memory may be wrong but I am informed it is only $10 it receives, and it is a most deserving institution.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY-Wo only recognise three institutions, the Sisters of Charity, French and Italian, and the Reforma- Qry.
flon. P. PERIE-Then if that is the oase + beg to propose that 825 a month be added for this very deserving institution. In view, mores i especially of its usefulness, and also of the loss it sustained in that rain storm and the fact of its funds being reduced-taking all the circum stances of the case into consideration, I would propose that we increase this vote or add a special
vote.
The ACTING COLONIAL TREASURER-I have much pleasure in seconding the motion. I think the benefit derived by the poor and wretched from that establishment will commend the vote to the judgment and benevolence of all the mera bers of this Conncil.
Hor. W. KESWICK inquired the nature of the institution.
Hon. T. C. HAYLLAR-It is a Magdalon esta- blishment for the reclamation of fallen women.
Hon. H. Lowcock-The matter was dis eussed before the Finance Committee pre-i viously with the view of compensating them for the loss they sustained in the rain storm. but the Finance Committee were of opinion that any assistance that was given should not be given in that form as it would raise questions as to claims by other persons. It was thought that if any assistance was given it should be given in some other form than as compensation for damages by the storm. If it can be given in any other form it is desirable, but I think it should be understood, however much they! I have suffered, this grant is not given on that account, leat questions arise as to compensation to other people.
Hon. P. Kyr-I am prepared to advocate the grant on purely charitable grounds.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAI-We may take the circumstances into consideration.
Hon. W. HE WICK-Of course, dealing with the matter in this form, the vote would be for the fature, and not merely for the present. don't know any object to which money which the colony has to spare could be better devoted than the one now discussed.
Hon. H. owcоCK-1 erely said what did to prevent any misapprehension.
His EXCELLENCY-I agree with what has fallen from my hon. friends. Thero is this to be said the subject. I said there was an item of revenue that would never again appear on our estimates, a sum of about 6,000 360,00 a year derived under Ordinance 10 of
$6.00.
1867. The intention of Her Majesty's Govern ment and this legislative body in passing that Or dinance was that a separate fund should be created for the general purposes of that Ordinance, that is, for the inspectors of brothels, maintain- ing the Lock Hospital, and also for the support of such an institution as this. In England the rule is invariably adopted, where they have a faud of this sor, that a portion of it is devoted to institutions such as this. Accordingly the question would arise, ought we to put this on the estimates of expenditure when we would not have the rovenue. Therefore, entirely agreeing with what has been said, I would suggest we might wait for the report of the commission on the Contagious Diseases Ordinance. I understand the commis sioners, two of whom are present, have arrived at the conclusion that a considerable sum, not far! short of $100,000, profit as it were, has been made by the colony under the oporation of the brothel ordinance, so if we go to that fund we at once get a sum we can vote to this institution and therefore I can promise that will be done and we will do it in that form.
lon. T. 1O. HAYLLAR-There is only one question arising as to that, will it come before the Finance Committee or Legislative Council ? His EXCELLENCY-The mode of dealing with these funds is an anomalous arrangement. For instance, Mr. Smith used to get £250 a year and another goutleman gots £200 or £250 ont of the interest of the special fund which does not come before the Legislative Conncil at all. I confess I would rather have the Legislative Council or the Finance Committee pronounce on the expen. diture of every penny, so I will undertake to say that whatever arrangement is made it will conie before the Council.
On the vote for "transport."
His EXCELLENCY said-I may take the op- portunity of mentioning that this item includes passage allowances to cortain officers who are entitled to passages and those on sick leave, but! there is a possibility that under this head of¦ transport we may yet be able to incur au expen. |
diture which I am sure every one in the Colony will approve of You will remember I urged upon Her Majesty's Government the desirability of enabling us to transport to Labnan some of our worst criminals and I expressed my regret some time ago at learning there were difficulties in accomplishing that. But I have learned that Hor Majesty's Government are coing to deal with one branch of the subject in another way, for Sir Michael Hicks Bench as sent me the draft of a bill which the Govermat are think ing of submitting to the Imperiat Parliament to enable colonial governments to transport back to the United Kingdom any lampean prisoners who may be sentenced to long terms of imprison- ment in any colony-either European prisoners, or in the case of Indian prisoners, to send them to India, or in the case of other prisoners to send them to their own colonies. It may not have a very large operation here, but, neverthe- less, if Her Majesty's Government think well to lav it before Parliamout and succeed in carry- ing it, to some extent it will be satisfactory to the colony.
On the vote for works and buildings.
His EXCELLENCY, referring to an item of $9,000 for siuting fund for Praya works load, said-The works are carried out from the speciál fund and we have to repay it. We contribute $9,000 per annum and at the end of a certain number of years the whole will be paid off. I may take the opportnuity of mentioning that some of my hon. friends present and others some time ago put before me a memorial on the Praya works requesting that the Praya might be widoned twenty feet. I referred that memorial to my hon. friend the Surveyor-General, who had before him the despatches from the Socretary of State, and he had also before him the returns of the work as accomplished, because already a considerable portion of the work has been done, and having these facts in his possession my hon. friend made a brief report on the momorial. The Colonial Secretary, in accordance with my wish, conveyed the substance of that report to my hon, friends who sent the memorial. Briefly, Her Majes- ty's Government, after a long consideration, I may suy years of consideration, and after consulting Sir John Coode, a most eminent engineer, lad resolved to carry out the works that are now in progress. A great many dispatches were writs ton both from home and this colony on the subject. Ous of the test acts I did u ar- riving, on seeing the state of the Praya and anticipating great damage to property in case of another typhoon, was to telegraph to the Secretary of State asking for permission to proceed with the works. In the nionth of Magi 1877, I got a reply to say Sir John Coode was still considering the plans and estimates. Therea then came a dispatch in which approval to the plans was refused. These were sent back and and finally there came a telegram authorising us to go on. My hon. friend immediately eom- menced the works and ins carried them on with grout vigour and success. Now, can anything be done to carry out the works on a different scale? Well, there was one alternative, the matter might be referred home again. To increase the Praya ten feet may cost, we will say, $10,000, but to increase it anothor ten feot, with the configuration of the barbour at certain parts of the Praya may cost $500,000, It does not at all follow it would only cost two, or three, or even ten times as much as the first ten feat. And that was the fallacy which was in the minds of some gentlemen who, no doubt, imagined that by a sort of rule of three, if my friend was going to add so much to the width then by adding a little more you increase the cost only in the same pro- portion. The moment you get out into deep. water the expense is enormous, The fact is, after this memorial was presented, and while my friend was considering it, there waited upon we one of the leading Chiuamen in the colony. and he came to tell too that the Chinese holders of property on the Praya wore also anxious to have an ex ension, and I explained brielly to
him what occurrai tu
as 食べる the
difficulty just as I have mentioned it to you. His answer was, "I am authorised to say the question of expense, as far as the Government is concerned, may be overruled, inasmuch as we, the Chinese, will put our hands into our pockets and pay for it on condition we get some benefit From the recivimed land. However, that is a pro- posal which I do not fool justified at present in considering, on account of the objections taken by my hon. friend to reopening the whole ques- tion. Even with the temptation offered by our Chinese friends I could not enter upou it. No doubt the time will come when, if the Chinese will put before is the figures and estimates of their proposal in a business-like way it may be
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