1841-1886
REPORTS EXHIBITING THE PAST AND PRESENT
8 assignments affecting 11 lots; 2 judgments of Supreme Court; in the whole 73 memo-rals referring to 93 lots, being ten more than were registered last year.
223
The fees for the above registries as received amounted to 108l. 15s., and fees for the issue of leases to 49l. 7s. 0d
In the month of June the burial ground was again placed under my charge, with Mr. Buchan as secretary, at the usual salary.
A new scale of fees was also established on the 2d December 1854, as published in the Gazette, and for the whole year the total amount due for 122 interments and the erection of four monuments amounted to the sum of 1194 16s. 8d.
The Chinese overseer and four coolies (one being a messenger or office coolie) attached to the department performed their usual avocations to my entire satisfaction; the labour of three of them, when not in direct attendance upon me, is fully set forth in my Report upon Public Works. I find their services of much value, and indeed absolutely neces-sary to enable me to execute the duties of my office unassisted as I am by any competent European. The overseer is now well instructed in all operations in surveying and in such like operations; and his duty is to report such services as are required to the roads or public works, and bring to my notice such encroachments or other irregularities as may be perceived by him, as well as to give a daily report of number of men employed on all public works, whether under contract or otherwise, including that of the convicts both within and without the gaol walls.
The supervision of the convicts labour has, as usual, been performed by me, and as the amount of their work has been reported on, I have but to remark that I consider it would be more advantageous to the public service if the sentences of the magistrates to hard labour within the gaol were considerably reduced, as that class do not perform such effective service as those employed on the roads. I require a large amount of broken stone certainly, but if this service was performed by task-work I am convinced that one-half of those working inside the gaol last year would have broken as much stone as the whole number, and thus placed at my disposal the labour of at least 5,000 men; since the commencement of the year this has been rectified as far as possible.
The serjeant of the guard, Antonio Mathews, over the convicts on the roads acts as their overseer, has given much satisfaction, and exerts himself to make them perform as much work as possible, and he is improving in the knowledge necessary for the repair or formation of the roads or works he is directed to execute.
I have to report that in consequence of the stringent measures instituted against Mr. Duddell, he proceeded to comply with the terms upon which the market had been granted to him, which consisted in the reclamation of ground from the sea, the construc-tion of a sea-wall, and the erection of a police station, &c., and suitable buildings for the market, none of which services had been carried into effect, to the great inconvenience of the public, but as he is now proceeding with much vigour it is probable he may finish the work in the time set forth in his bond.
I regret to have to allude to the still prevailing practice of burning the brushwood on the hills; it causes incalculable mischief to the whole island, stops the growth of all indigenous trees, and I need hardly say detracts in no inconsiderable degree from the natural beauty and picturesqueness of the districts.
The preservation of the trees, whether planted by Government for the general good, or the natural growth of the island, I conceive should be specially the duty of the police or the people of the localities in which these fires annually occur; it perhaps would be impossible to catch the men in the act, but as it is well known who are the parties who do the damage, if they were properly warned as to the consequences, and two or three severe punishments inflicted for removing the charred or burnt brushwood, the evil would be corrected in one season; the healthiness of the island consequent upon the steady increase of vegetation would be materially improved and the temperature considerably reduced.
In the early part of the summer my health suffered very materially from a most pecu-liar eruptive fever, which confined me to the house for upwards of a month. I attribute this, the only severe sickness I have had during my residence in Hong Kong, to careless-ness in exposing myself to the sun, notwithstanding my experience of its danger. I regret to say, however, that each succeeding summer produces its ill effects upon my constitution, for during any service of nearly twelve years in this climate, I have never obtained leave of absence to England, and but once for a period of six weeks to Shanghae; and thus it is perhaps surprising that I should have had such equable health or have been so seldom unable to do my work, considering my duties so frequently call me to perform services out of doors, and with frequent exposures to the sun which no other officer of Government ever has to undertake.
I have, &c. (Signed)
S. G. CLEVERLEY,
Surveyor General
(True Copy.)
W. MENCER,
Colonial Secretary.
1841-1886
REPORTS EXHIBITING THE PAST AND PRESENT
8 assignments affecting 11 lots; 2 judgments of Supreme Court; in the whole 73 memo- rials referring to 93 lots, being ten more than were registered last year.
223
The fees for the above registries as received amounted to 108%. 15s., and fees for the issue of lenses to 491. 7s. Ode
In the month of June the burial, ground was again placed under my charge, with Mr. Buchan as secretary, at the usual salary.
A new scale of fees was also established on the 2d December 1854, às published in the Gazette, and for the whole year the total amount due for 122 interments and the erection of four monuments mnounted to the sum of 1194 16s. 8d.
The Chinese overseer and four coolies (one being a messenger or ollien coolie) attached to the departinent performed their usual avocations to my entire satisfaction; the labour of three of them, when not in direct attendance upon me, is fully set forth in my Report upon Public Works. I find their services of much value, and indeed absolutely neces- sary to enable me to execute the duties of my office unassisted as I am by any competent European. The overseer is now well instructed in all operations in surveying and in such like operatious; and his duty is to report such services as are required to the roads or public works, and bring to my notice such encroachments or other irregularities as may be perceived by him, as well as to give a daily report of number of men employed on all public works, whether under contract or otherwise, including that of the convicts both within and without the gaol walls,
The supervision of the convicts labour has, as usual, beeu performed by me, and as the amount of their work has been reported on, I have but to remark that I consider it would be more advantageous to the public service if the sentences of the magistrates to hard labour within the gnol were considerably reduced, as that class do not perform such effective service as those employed on the roads. I require a large amount of broken stone certainly, but if this service was performed by task-work I am convinced that one- half of those working inside the gaol last year would have broken as much stone as the whole number, and thus placed at my disposal the labour of at least 5,000 men; since the commencement of the year this has been rectified as far as possible.
The serjeant of the guard, Antonio Mathews, over the convicts on the roads acts as their overseer, has given much satisfaction, and exerts himself to make them perform as much work as possible, and he is improving in the knowledge necessary for the repair or formation of the roads or works he is directed to execute.
I have to report that in consequence of the stringent measures instituted against Mr. Duddell, he proceeded to comply with the terms upon which the market had been granted to him, which consisted in the reclamation of ground from the sea, the construc- tion of a sea-wall, and the erection of a police station, &c, and suitable buildings for the market, none of which services had been carried into effect, to the great inconvenience of the public, but as he is now proceeding with much vigour it is probable he may finish the work in the time set forth in his bond.
1 regret to have to allude to the still prevailing practice of burning the brushwood on the hills; it causes incalculable mischief to the whole island, stops the growth of all indigenous trees, and I need hardly say detracts in no inconsiderable degree from the natural beauty and picturesqueness of the districts.
The preservation of the trees, whether planted by Government for the general good, or the natural growth of the island, I conceive should be specially the duty of the police or the tepos of the localities in which these fires annually occur; it perhaps would be impossible to catch the men in the act, but as it is well known who are "the parties who do the damage, if they were properly warned as to the consequences, and two or three-severe punishments inflicted for removing the charred or burnt brushwood, the evil would be corrected in one season; the healthiness of the island consequent upon the steady increase of vegetation would be materially improved and the temperature considerably reduced.
In the early part of the summer my health suffered very materially from a most pecu- liar eruptive lever, which confined me to the house for upwards of a month. I attributo this, the only severe sickness I have had during my residence in Hong Kong, to careless- ness in exposing myself to the sun, notwithstanding my experience of its danger. I regret to say, however, that each succeeding summer produces its ill effects upon my constitution, for during any service of nearly twelve years in this climate, I have never obtained leave of absence to England, and but once for a period of six weeks to Shanghae; and thus it is perhaps surprising that I should have had such equable health or have been so seldom unable to do my work, considering my duties so frequently call me to perform services out of doors, and with frequent exposures to the sun which no other ollicer of Government ever has to undertake.
I have, &c. (Signed)
S. G. CLEVERLEY,
Surveyor General
(True Copy.)
W. MENCER,
Colonial Secretary.
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