The Daily Press
HONGKONG, SEPTEMBER 18th, 1880.
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
A Meeting of the Legislative Council was held yesterday afternoon. There were present:
His EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR. The Chief Justice, Hon. Sir JOHN SMALE. The Acting Colonial Secretary, Hon. F. STEWART.
The Attorney-General, Hon. E. L. O'MALLEY. The Acting Colonial Treasurer, Hon. M. S. TONNOCHY.
Hon. P. RYRIE. Hon. W. KESWICK. Hon. J. M. PRICE. Hon. NG CHOY.
MINUTES.
The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed.
SUPPLEMENTARY APPROPRIATION BILL FOR 1879.
His EXCELLENCY moved the second reading of a Bill to authorize the appropriation of a supplementary sum of $51,777.90 to defray the charges of the year 1879. He said he believed the amount was the smallest introduced as a supplementary Bill for many years, the fact being that he had done all he could to reduce the supplementary charges, and he would like to see them as small as possible.
The Bill passed the second reading and was committed and passed.
THE EMIGRATION ORDINANCE BILL.
AMENDMENT
His EXCELLENCY moved the second reading of the Emigration Ordinance Amendment Ordinance, 1880. He said the Bill was explained by his hon. and learned friend the Attorney-General at the last meeting and he believed it would meet with the approval of every member of Council. It was a Bill which enabled the Governor to sign licences without its being necessary to send round to every member of Council.
The Bill passed the second reading, was committed, and passed.
Hon. W. KESWICK asked whether the Bills should not be numbered as they were passed and said he believed that had been the practice.
His EXCELLENCY said it might have been the usual course, but it would not be the proper course. He appeared there as President of the Council, but he also filled another position, that of Governor, and though he might assent to a bill's passing, it would not become an Ordinance until it had received his approval as Governor. He thought the Attorney-General would very soon set them right as to the question of law.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the procedure in Legislative Councils was that the Governor as President, or whoever acted in his place, signed the bill on its third reading, but it did not become an Ordinance till the Governor in quite a different capacity had given his assent, so that if it was numbered in Council it was very apt to be wrong.
The CHIEF JUSTICE said he happened to know that in the Colony of Queensland an Ordinance was passed and the Governor was asked to put his name to it, which was the concluding act, and was advised by the Attorney-General to do so.
The Governor thought it was illegal and consulted by telegram with Sir Hercules Robinson. He (the Chief Justice) happened to be there at the time and he believed he was the cause of its not passing, and it went home unpassed because the Governor would not put his name to it.
Hon. W. KESWICK said it was merely as a matter of order he had mentioned it. He thought it had always been done here. That bills did not become law till they were sent home he was quite aware.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said if the bill was numbered now the Ordinance was numbered now, and it would carry that number through all time, but it might be expedient or necessary that an Ordinance passed to-day, for instance, should not receive the Governor's assent until after an Ordinance that was passed to-morrow, and then the Ordinance would be wrongly numbered.
His EXCELLENCY said he thought it very clear the numbering ought to take place only after the Governor's signature for this reason, that though they had passed the bill to-day, it was not actually an Ordinance. The moment he had put his name to it as the representative of the Queen it became an Ordinance. It was the same in the Imperial Parliament. The House of Lords and House of Commons passed a bill, but it remained a bill until the Royal assent was given to it, and then the clerk announced the chapter.
THE MERCHANT SHIPPING AMENDMENT BILL.
His EXCELLENCY moved the second reading of the Merchant Shipping Consolidation Amendment Ordinance, 1880. He said it was a Bill of a somewhat formal character to make certain verbal alterations suggested by the Board of Trade.
The Bill passed the second reading, was committed, and passed.
THE NATURALISATION OF DR. EITEL.
His EXCELLENCY moved the second reading of “An Ordinance enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice of the Legislative Council thereof, for the naturalisation of Ernest John Eitel, Master of Arts, Doctor of Philosophy, Inspector of Schools, &c., &c." He thought, gentlemen, he might take the opportunity of mentioning the fact, as this was the first time, at all events during his administration of the Government, in which they had naturalised any gentleman, that he had very great pleasure in moving the second reading of this Ordinance.
Dr. Eitel had been known to them all for a good many years, and on his arrival in the Colony he found Sir Arthur Kennedy, who was a good judge of character and knew men very well, had appointed Dr. Eitel to be director of Chinese studies. In reporting that to the Secretary of State he found the high attainments of Dr. Eitel as one of the best scholars in the East, his capacity for official work, and his high character were all called to the attention of the Secretary of State.
He himself soon found Dr. Eitel in performing his duties discharged them very ably. He saw at once he was a man of great industry and capacity and fitted for a higher post in the service, but the one he now occupied, that of Inspector of Schools, was actually conferred on him on the suggestion of the Secretary of State.
The Secretary of State in a dispatch said— "But that Dr. Eitel holds another office, I would ask you to invite him to become Inspector of Schools." The other appointment was that of head of the Interpretation Department. Therefore he wrote to him to say it was impossible for him to arrive at any conclusion as to that department without consulting the Chief Justice and other heads of departments, and in the meantime he had acted on the spirit of his instructions and appointed Dr. Eitel Inspector of Schools.
Now, it was not often that any officers in Her Majesty's colonies were mentioned in the great arena at home, the high Court of Parliament, but he found within the last few weeks they had received the newspapers from England in which they saw a discussion in the House of Lords, in which a noble lord, Lord Stanley of Alderley, who more perhaps than any other man not in...
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