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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
47
46
sions, charges on account of the public and 2 of the Trading with the Enemy and debt, and so on, and until recently large Export of Prohibited Goods Act, 1916, sums were being received from the sale of subsidiary circulation for the purpose of demonetisa-penalties for the making of false state- tion. The Colony's Accounts are kept in dollars, and each transaction is recorded
withdrawn in dollars in the Colony at the average export of goods which require a licence. rate of exchange for the month in which
from of the United Kingdom.
which has been passed by the Parliament the transaction takes place, the balancelation or destruction of documents which being struck at the end of each half-year
iments, or furnishing false guarantees or certificates in connection with the It provides It also provides penalties for the muti-
ed, and this was agreed to.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY second-
consider the Bill clause by clause.
Council then went into Committee to
4, was added:
The following clause, numbered Clause this and
soned more than once for the same offence. 4.The penalties provided in Ordinance shall be in addition to not in substitution for those provided in any other enactment: person shall thereby be fined or impri- On Council resuming,
Provided that no
At the end of June, 1916, the Colony had offences against the law relating to trad- spent in London £234,150, and had beening with the enemy. credited with £382,150, leaving a credit balance of £128,000. The sums received as entered, and expended, at varying rates of exchange during the course of the
might be useful as giving evidence of half-year, amounted to $3,741,888, on the one hand, and $2,376,032 on the other, the credit balance being $1,365,036. We had therefore on June 30th a credit of £18.000 with the Crown Agents, and a credit in the books of the Colony of $1,365,056. Birt when the books were closed on June 30th. with exchange risen to 2s. 1d.. £128.000 was worth only $1,193,019 instead of $1.365,056, a difference which amount is debited against the next half-year as loss in exchange. Similarly in the second half-year, a loss of some $70,000 was incurred, making a total loss
of $172,046, for the year in exchange of $248,416. Supposing the account had been the other way and the Ciovernment had had a ster- ding debit instead of a credit, then there would have been a profit instead of a loss to exchange. It must be remembered, in The other hand, that these losses on co/xchange are more than counter-balanced by savings due to high exchange. A sum of $287.000 was saved on the sum voted for salaries, a considerable part of it is due to the high exchange, and $52,728 were saved upon pensions. There has also been considerable reduction in the dollar prices of supplies, in the public debt, in the sterling mail subsidy, and in transit charges. I now beg to move the second reading.
I a
THE COLONIAL TREASURER second- ed, and the Bill was then read a second time and referred to the Finance Com- mittee.
Enemy Trading
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the second reading of the Bill intituled, Ordinance to amend the law relating to trading with the enemy and the ex- port of prohibited goods. he said: The object of this Bill is to in- troduce here the provisions of sections I
"An In doing so
moved
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL at the Bill be read a third time. "HE COLONIAL SECRETARY second- and the Bill was then read a third time and passed.
the
North Borneo Extradition
33
second reading of the Bill intituled, THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the ders Act, local North Borneo Extradition Ordin-
An Ordinance to repeal the North ance becomes unnecessary, and this Bill
Borneo In doing so he said: Recent Imperial therefore proposes to repeal that Ordin-
Extradition Ordinance, 1896. Legislation brings North Borneo within
scope
of the and,
Fugitive that being 50,
Offen-
our
an
Council resuming,
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY second- ed and the Bill was read a second time. Council then went into Committee to consider the Bill clause by clause. There
THE
were no amendments, and on.
that it be read a third time.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved
ed. and the Bill was then read a third THE COLONIAL SECRETARY second- time and passed.
Tiene
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
5339
New Committee Members
seen from the draft appropriation account His EXCELLENCY-It.
that there was in fact a saving under necessary to make appointments to the Public Works shown in this Bill, and under military every head except under the three heads Committee in the places of the Hon. Mr.expenditure, which latter head is governed Shellim and the Hon. Mr. Holyoak, who by a special Ordinance. The excess under are absent from the Colony. I therefore the three heads in this Bill, with the excess nominate the Hon. Mr. Shewan and the of some $72,000 under Military Expendi Hon. Mr. Dodwell to serve in their places.
ture added, amounts to $363,650; but the saving under other heads totals $1,140,296: Police Reserve Discipline
with the result that there is a saving of nearly $800,000 as the amount originally THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the voted by the Council for the service of first reading of a Bill intituled, "An the year 1916. The sums shown in the Ordinance to amend the Special Police Bill in respect of the Harbour Depart- Reserve Ordinance, 1914, and to removement and Public Works Recurrent hardly doubts as to the effect of proclamations call for comment, as the money, and made under section 10 of the said Ordi- considerably more than the money, now
nance.
serve.
The Objects and Reasons state:-The objects of this Bill are as follows:-
(a.)-To alter the technical title of the Special Police Reserve force to the title which is in general use, e, the Hongkong Police Re- (b) To provide for the punishment of minor breaches of discipline by members of the Hongkong Pol' Reserve in a way which will, involve the publicity of proc ings before a magistrate and which will be more in accordance with the procedure in the case of other police and military organ- isations. (c)-To give the Captain Superin- tendent of Police powers with the approval of the Governor in Council to make regulations for the government and discipline of the force. (d.) To remove doubts as to the effect of proclamations under section 10 of the Special Police Reserve Ordinance, 1914.
asked for has already been provisionally voted by this Council. The sum of some $250,000 shown in the Bill under Mis- what different category, as the excesses cellaneous Services falls under a some- under this head have not yet been referred to this Council. The principal exc.sses are those shown under War Expenditure, other items of Expenditure and under other Miscellaneous Services. The War Expenditure comprises the following sumis:-fitting out vessels for conveyance of prison, $18,500: passages for pri- soners of War. $175,000: Volunteer Salaries. $39,000; Colonial Allowances, 300.000. These Colonial allowances are active service in order to make up to then the allowances paid to Civil Servants on the difference between their pay receive from the Navy or Army and their pay a Civil Servants This Council has alread voted the full pay for these officers in the various departments, and so they are now asked merely to sanétion the transfer of the money from the departmental votes ing the expenditure properly falls. to War Expenditure, under which head- should be explained that this considerabl PXCP88 is due almost entirely to the expenditure on the prisoners of war; and THE COLONIAL SECRETARY moved brought the matter before the Council at the reason why the Government have not the second reading of the Bill intituled, an earlier date lies in the fact that they "An Ordinance to authorize the Appro-were waiting for and proposed to add the priation of a Supplementary sum of account for two hundred and ninety-one thousand two prisoners in Australian, which account the maintenance of the hundred and seventy-three dollars and ninety-seven (ents to defray the charges of the year 1916." In doing so he said: In asking Council to charge upon the revenue of the Colony the sum shown in this Bill it should be explained that the money is required rather for the purpose of adjusting the expenditure for the year 1916 than of supplementing it. It will be
Supplementary Vote
It
Was not, however, the end of the year. The excess of some forthcoming by $250,000 in respect of Other Miscellaneous Services is due almost entirely to loss on exchange. The Government conducts, through the Crown Agents, considerable sterling transactions in the United King dom, as, for instance the purchase of supplies, payment of salaries and pen-