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proposes to do-what? Not to make them a handsome present, not to do anything pleasing to them, but to put his hand into his pocket and make himself a handsome present. The park is for our own amusement and gratification, and probably certainly not for the recreation of the whole community, but only a section of the community—the section which you expect to put their hands in their pockets and subscribe towards the rejoicings. The Government have voted the money, the land is the property of the Government, and only the Government can do the work. The only thing we can do is to urge the Government on and say that if they will be so good as to get the work done this year and pay out the moneys voted for it we will put our hands into our pockets and pay the balance it may stand in need of. I put it the thing is utterly inadequate, utterly unworthy of the community, and almost ridiculous. The park would be a useful thing, but not for the jubilee celebration of Her Majesty. If we do anything let us do something that will be a credit to ourselves. I simply moved the amendment to the second resolution with a view of eliciting the opinions of the meeting. I loyally accept the decision. We are to have a permanent institution, but let it be something worthy of the occasion. As Mr. Ryrie says, we are wealthy enough to put our hands in our pockets and establish a well-endowed charitable institution of some kind, and if we are to have a permanent institution I do urge upon you, gentlemen, that this meeting should do something worthy of the occasion and of Her Majesty. I have much pleasure in seconding the amendment moved by Dr. Ho Kai. With regard to leaving the exact nature of the institution to the decision of Her Majesty, of course something must be suggested. Nothing can be left to Her Majesty except that perhaps half a dozen schemes may be submitted to her with suggestions, and she may choose one of them as most acceptable to herself. But with the broad general principle of the amendment I do most sincerely hope you will concur—that the permanent memorial take the form of a charitable institution the nature of which shall be in accordance with the wishes of Her Majesty the Queen.
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Mr. R. FRASER-SMITH—Your Honour and gentlemen, although there may be some difference of opinion as to the form the permanent memorial should take, I think there cannot be two opinions as to the pliability of conscience displayed by the learned Queen's Counsel who has just taken his seat. About ten minutes ago we had him contending the proper mode of celebrating the occasion would be to subscribe to the institution in London, and now we hear him advocating a charitable institution. There is certainly a great inconsistency in this as the two things happen to be as opposite as the poles. With reference to the only sensible objection raised to the Park by Dr. Ho Kai, which was that it had already been named the Bowen Park, that does not happen to be the case. I happened to be present at the little amusing farce which took place in Happy Valley two years ago, and what took place was that the Surveyor-General said it was the unanimous opinion of the people of the colony that the park should be named the Bowen Park. But the Surveyor-General had never had the sanction of the community to make that statement; and all Sir George Bowen said was that he was very glad to hear it. It was perfectly well understood that when the park was completed it should be named the Bowen Park, but it has never been so named, and therefore the objection is the merest phantasy. With reference to what Mr. Francis says as to its not being a suitable memorial, not good enough, I think nothing more suitable could be devised. A thing that is to tend so much to the health and recreation of the community is better than a charitable institution, which can only cut one way. The objection of a few Chinese is that the Chinese will not benefit by it. Who will benefit by a charitable institution? The Europeans? Certainly not; the Chinese and the Chinese alone. (Hear, hear). But the Chinese will benefit by this park; they benefit by it now. Anyone who frequents the Race-course as much as I do will see hundreds of children playing on it now. How many more hundreds will go there when it is put in proper order! I am certainly in favour of Mr. Chater's proposal until something else of a definite nature is put before the meeting. Nothing else definite has been put before the meeting, and until something better has been put forward I will certainly support Mr. Chater's proposal. (Applause).
Hon. A. LISTER—May I be allowed for one moment to protest against the idea that the Government is in any way pledged to complete the Park at Wong Nei-cheong? A very singular delusion seems to run in the minds of Dr. Ho Kai and others that when a certain sum of money is written down on paper it represents so much cash. A sum of $25,000, I think, was, in a moment of enthusiasm, put down as a possible sum which might be spent on a public park; but that sum was very quickly withdrawn, and the idea of spending anything was given up. Then the modest sum of $5,000 was put down and was spent. And what did it do? It reclaimed that little corner as you go into the valley, and that was all the Colony got for $5,000. A proposal was made to spend another $5,000, but the Surveyor-General said he preferred to do the whole thing or nothing, and he declined to do any patchwork. (Applause). He declined to spend $5,000 this year and $5,000 next year. He said it would simply be making matters worse; creating mud heaps was, I think, his expression. The Government has spent $5,000 to put a little corner in order, and it may in future years, if there is any available surplus, devote a little more to the same purpose. I should say that may occur, if nothing unforeseen happens, in fifteen years, or may be twenty years. (Laughter).
Hon. A. P. MACEWEN—Sir, I would simply say I do not consider any scheme which has been included in the Government estimates as fit and proper for the present occasion. Mr. Fraser Smith has said that no other definite scheme has been put before us, but I may say that shortly before I came into the room this evening I received a communication from a mutual friend who asked me to propose the following. I am sorry he is not here himself. He suggests, and I to a very great extent agree with him, that subscriptions to the jubilee commemoration should be devoted to the enlargement and restoration of the City Hall, which should hereafter be called the Victoria City Hall, and that a Committee be appointed to obtain plans and estimates, the same to be submitted to the subscribers. I may perhaps state the cost would amount to something like $30,000, and there is no doubt that sum could be very easily subscribed in this colony. It would at the same time benefit the Chinese and be a great source of pleasure to many Europeans, and it is a scheme I should support.
This proposition was not seconded.
The CHAIRMAN, in putting the amendment proposed by Dr. Ho Kai, said—Considering that we have declined to consider the proposal put forward by the Prince of Wales to subscribe to the Institute for Great Britain, India, and Colonies, perhaps the next most graceful thing we could do would be to leave the disposal of such funds as we may subscribe to the decision of Her Majesty herself, and that the Committee which may be appointed should be empowered to make out a list and forward it to Her Majesty, or it might be submitted hereafter to another public meeting. However, the resolution and amendment have been proposed and seconded, and it is a question for your consideration.
The amendment was then put and lost, and Mr. Chater's resolution for the formation of the Victoria Park was carried by a large majority.
Mr. FRANCIS proposed the appointment of the following gentlemen as a general Committee: Major-General Cameron, Vice-Admiral Hamilton, Sir Geo. Phillippo, Commodore Morant, Colonel Storer, R.E., Colonel Ryan, R.A., the Right Rev. Bishop Burdon, Dr. Chalmers, Rev. A. Gase; the Consuls for France, Japan, United States, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Peru, Siam, and Spain; Messrs. Ackroyd, Ayres, Bell-Irving, Bottomley, Chater, Coughtrie, Crawford, Darby, Deane, Francis, Grote, Hoppius, Huntington, Inchbald, Lister, Humphreys, Li Shing, MacEwen, Mackintosh, Marty, Mehta, Mody, Poesnecker, Rano, Ross, Russell, Ryrie, Rutter, F. Stowell, Shellim, Stiebel, Thomsett, Thorburn, Walter, Whitehead, Wodehouse, Wong Shing, Von Bose; Colonel Anderson, Captain Bunbury, Major Chaytor, Messrs. Danby, Ford and Gillies, Dr. Ho Kai, Messrs. H. MacCallum, voQubae, Mitchell Innes, Orange, Price, Turner, Wai Yuk, Travers, Lockhart, Chan Kwan-i, Yeung Pun-nam, Ka In-tong, Lai Ling, Choi Chee Bee, Chan Ping, Wong She-tai, Ho Kwan Shan, Leung On, Lo Hok-pang, Kaw Hong-take, Lau Yam-tsun, Tseng Sz-kai, U Lin-nn, Lau Wai-chan, and Fung Wa-chun.
Hon. A. LISTER seconded, and the resolution was carried.
On the motion of the Hon. P. RYRIE a vote of thanks to the Chairman was carried by acclamation.
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