HONGKONG
LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Hongkong Legislative Council was held on April 15th at the Council Chamber.
The following were present:-
B18 EXCELLENCY THE OFFICER ADMINIS TERING THE GOVERNMENT, Hon. Mr. CLAUD SEVERN.
Hon. Mr. C. CLEMENT: (Colonia) Secretary).
Hon. Mr. REES DAVIES, K.C. (Attorney- General).
Hon. Mr. A. M. THOMSON (Colonial Treasurer).
Hou, Mr. W. CHATHAM, C.M.G. (Direc- tor of Public Works).
Hon. Mr. E. R. ALLIFAN (Registrar- General).
Hon. Captain F. J. BADLEY (Captain- Superintendent of Police),
Hon. Mr. WEI YUS, C.M.C.
Hon. Mr. H. E. POLLOCK, K.C.
Hoo. Mr. E. A. HEWETT, C.M.G.
Hon. Mr. C. H. Ross.
Hon. Mr. E. OSBORNE.
Mr. R. H. CROFTON (Clerk of Councils).
MINUTES.
The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved.
FINANCIAL..
The COLONIAL SECRETARY, by command of His Excellency the Governor, laid on the table the report of the Finance Com- mittee (No. 2), and moved its adoption. The COLONIAL TREASURIe seconded.
EINANCIAL MINUTES.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY, by command of His Excelleney the Governor, laid ou the table Financial Minutes No. 14 to 18. and moved that they be referred to the Finance Committee.
The CULONIAL TREASURER seconded. Hon. Mr. HawETT--Your Exceliency, with regard to Financial Minute No. 16, as I have pointed out to your Excellency, I propose to oppose this role, and I would rather make such remarks as I have to make in the full Council than in Finance Committee. The vote before us is for £37 Os. 9d. under the head "Pension for Chief Justice." The unofficial members of the Legislative Council have not as yet heen officially informed of the details of this proposed vote, but I find from per- sonal inquiries made that most, it not all, of the unofficial members are fully acquainted with the details of the case. This, I understand, practically amounts to a permanent increase in the pension of the Chief Justice over and above the pension to which he is entitled under the terms of his service in the Government, The gum in itself does not seem to be a very large one. We are asked now to vote 297, 0s. d. to this additional vote for the year 1912. The Chief Justice retires at the end of this month, conse- quently the additional vote asked for is presumably for two-thirds of the year. Having once admitted the principle that this official is entitled by the special vote of the Legislature to draw a larger pension than he would do it be retired under ordinary conditions, and drawn the ordi- nary pension to which he is entitled by service and the pay drawn during the term of his service, if we once pass this vote we practically admit an increase to the pension of the Chief Justice. Having once passed this vote, we will be then called upon to pass a vote of £50 or £60 a year for the rest of the lifetime of the Chief Justice, which we trust will be many, many years. Your Excellency, the point I wish to make is this, that the vote is being suddenly put before the Legisla ture Council, and we are asked to increase the pension of the second highest paid official in the Colony, who has only served for seven years, by 124 per cent. that is to say, this official, if he retired from the service on his sixtieth birthday, as 1 understand he is doing, would be entitled to something like £450 from the Hongkong Colony, but he is retiring after only, eighteen years' service in the Government employ, with a pension considerably over $700 year--a pension something like double that of a Colonel, who often serves forty years and risks his life for his coun try, This official, I repeat, has only been
in the Colony seven years, and in the Government service 38 years, yet is re- tiring on a pension considerably over £700 a year,
We are now asked to inurease his pension by over twelve per cent. We all know perfectly well that any of us en- tilled to retire on a pension would be very glad indeed on retiring, instead of getting twelve monthly payments, to get thirteen and a half. This is what we are practical- ly asked to do. We are asked to increase his pension by close on £00 a year.
{ cannot conceive any sound reason why this vote should be passed. I certainly am, on principle, very strongly opposed to it. Whatever arguments for or against may be brought forward, I would ask your Excellency to be good enough to pass the discussion on this vote direct to the Sec- retary of State. We bave a very large Civil Service in Hongkong, and by far
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