more
as too much sanitation for the people. The Bill as it stood was grandmotherly enough and some of the amendments introduced into it have the undoubted effect of decreas. ing the value of property to a very consider- able extent, and although I am not a large landowner in any sense of the word-I am not blessed I am sorry to say with many houses in the colony-still I fal it is fair to those who have acquired by industry, by sucooss in basiness, or otherwise. large sums of money which they have invested in this colony, that they should heive due consideration sud not be treated with utler disregard to their interests. Now, the hou. and learned Attorney-General sms to think that the colony exists for a certain class of people. Those who have made the colony what it is. those who have assisted-namely, the Chinese community-the English of formor days in raising the position of the colony and promoting the prosperity of the colony and in making Hongkong what it is now, the third port in the world. surely they deserve some
consideration. (Hear, hear). Now, if I were in the place of that Chinaman the hon. and learned Attorney- General spoke of I would have answered dif- ferently; I would have answered, "This colouy has been made to prosper with my aid and that of my fellow-countrymen It is through our help that it has gained such a position among the ports of the world, and even if I have some dirty babits I expect the Govaramont to romədy them for me in a considerate way, and I am quite prepared to change with the times, but still I should protest against any sweeping measure which may touch my family and touch my pro- party. If the colony is to gain by the sacrifice of my property in any particular way. I ex- peat the colony as a whole will baar with ma the bardan imposed upon me. Also, I am not the man whom you can dispense with; there are many other man who have no fixed interests in the colony, who are like birds of passage, who may be bara two or three years and are then goue elsewhere. I am not such a man, bat my interests are in the colony and are of such a nature that it is for me to say I don't want you and not for you to say you don't want me." Now, sic, there are in this Bill many sections which I think might be done away with and more moderate measures secured. I think that the Chiuose if you understand them can be led very easily, and if you were to do a certain thing according to their notion of the fitness of things they would abay and be led by you like so many lambs; but if you are to pass laws to interfava too mach with their domestic pesos, to allow their enjoyment of their properties to be inter- fered with, in fact to handle them ranghly and with a high band, they will resent it, not in any very quarrelsome way, not by strikes as people do in England and other Encopean countrios, but they would quietly leave the colony, and will leave us, in fact, like Robinson Crusos ou the desert island, lords of all we survey. I am
sare none of us here would like to gros the Chinese to act in that way. But at the same time I fally endorse the words of the Attorney-General that wo must of ovarao da Borgathing to prevent a recurrence of the plague, and with that in view, and also what I have urged upon you-and also as I hope we will be able to pass the Bill to-day with some degree of unani- mity-I hope we may be able to arrive at a measure which will sonure the health of the colony without interfering ton much with the holders of property and with their interests. With these few remarks I to a certain extent support the second reading of the Bill.
The Bill was then read a second time and the Council went into Ommittee upon it.
Section L-Short title.
Section passed.
Section 2 Definition clause.
Han. C. P. CHATER-I would draw attention to the definition of "street." which cans :-" Any square, court, or alley, highway, house, roal, or passare, whether a thoroughfare or
not."
There are a great many streefs ravning from the Queen's Road to the Praya which aro composed of private houses, but in defining the word "street" these are all brought in.
The ATTORNEY-OSNEBÅL —I think if the hon, member waits till we get to the aluuse where the word "street" is used he will find there is nothing very oppressive in it. The height of a bailding is regulated according to the width of
the street.
Hon C. P. CHATER-Yes, that is just the point.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL The object of that provision is to prevent the absence of light aud air and to permit ventilation, and whether
in private laues or thoroughfares houses with- out sufficient light and ventilation should not be all wed.
The section was passed subject to the word "street" being redefined if necessary.
Soation 3-Prohibition of inhabitation of sch duled houses uutil impermeable floors pro- vided.
Passed without discussion.
Section 4-Prohibitation after 1st July, 1895, of inhabitation of domestic buildings until bg- permeable floors provided.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-The difference ba tween sections 3 and 4 is this. Section 3 applies to property the owners of which have refused to do anything. They say, "The Sanitary Board is holding our property and we will not do any thing." They ars made by Ordinance to put it into a state fit for habitation before people osą gcoupy it. Those are in the first schedule. The second schedule covers those who have had their property handed back to them on condition that they put it into a proper state, aud they are given to the 1st July, heause it takes some time to ex cate the work; provided always that where the property has already been pared to the satisfaction of the Sanitary Board the owner shall not be required to do it over again.
Section adopted.
Section 5-Where impermeable material over grouad surface has been rosen, laudlord or owner to make good the same to the satisfaction of the Sanitary Board.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL explained that this clause had been altered from the fora in which it stood when the Bill was introduoad.
He was jadebted for the substitation to the hn. the senior aoficial member in conjunction with Mr. Cooper. He thought that though the other looked very well on paper there would have bey difficulties in carrying it out.
Section passed.
Section 6.-Basements any side of which abuts on or against the earth or soil not to be occupied without permission of the Sanitary Board,
Section passed.
Section 7.-Mezzanine floors.
Section passed.
Section 8-Requipos windows in rooms and limitation of cubicles,
Seation passed,
Section 9.Requires for each occupant of a house 30 square feet of floor space and 400 cubic fest of air space.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I am quite aware that in moving these figures I am entering on very debatable ground. At the present time every prisonor la Victoria Gaol, by direction of the Secretary of State, has to have 1,500 cubie feet of air space, and the effect is seen in the excellent health that prevails there; while with rogard to the military. I think I am right in Buying that in England the requirement is 600 foot sad here 800 feet of air space for each goldier. Now I trust my hon. friend opposite (Hon. Ho Kai) will not think I am making any attack on the Chinese in what I say or suggesting that the better class of Chinese would desire to have these dirty places about them, but the Chinese are no doubt differently constituted from ourselves, and we are all more or less the creatures of habit, and there is no doubt a coolie can thrive under conditions in which a European would sickes and dio. You havo only to go to Canton to see the terri ble condition of overcrowding which prevails thero. There is no desire ou the part of this Counpil to deal noduly harshly with the Chi- nuse, but as overcrowding has resulted in plague that is a matter that must be dealt with. They may say, "Let us have our own way and there will be no sickness." well and good; but they have had their own way, and we have had plague, and 2,500 deaths from it, and it is therefors essential we should insist on some greater air spoe being provided. Now, with reference to these figures, I would be only too glad to meet the views of all if I could. I have redrafted the Bill several times and have put in difforont figures, and now the Sanitary Board has put these figues down as the minimum. There were murbers who desired to have larger figures pat in, but theso.are the gurea thay insorted the other day, and I should be very sorry personally to tako upon myself the responsibility, having found the smaller #gures in Cho proseat Health Ordinance did not keep the plague away, of not accepting the figures they have put in, when their position is backed up by the fact that the air space required in barracks is 800 cubia feet and in the gaol 1,500 cubic feet. I move that the section stand part of the Bill.
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS seconded.
for:
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