4
MR. BERTRAND.
Proposed by Mr. MACKENZIE, Seconded by Mr. MURRAY,
were unanimously elected.
The following resolutions were then put and unanimously carried.
Proposed by Mr. SMITH.
Seconded by Mr. BRAND.
That the Report for the Six Months ending the 31st October now read, be adopted and printed.
Proposed by Mr. MURRAY.
Seconded by Mr. HALTON.
That the Accounts for the Half-year ending October 31st, 1863, now submitted to the Meeting, be approved and passed and printed with the Report.
Report of the Committee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce presented to the Members at the Half-yearly Meeting held on the 16th November, 1863,
HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,
VICTORIA, 16th November, 1863.
In obedience to the 13th Rule of the Chamber, the Committee have now to submit to the general body of its Members their Report of the various subjects that have engaged their attention, and of their proceedings in furtherance of the objects of the institution, during the Six Months ending on the 31st ultimo. On some subjects they have had to give their consideration to questions bequeathed to them by their predecessors in office; while on the other hand, the necessities of an ever increasing, and restlessly active commerce, have suggested several matters of detail, productive if adopted of much convenience to the Commercial Community.
In the Report for the year ending last May, notice was taken of the great want of a Bankrupt Law in this Colony, and of the steps, that, up to that time, had been taken to remedy the evil. A draft ordinance prepared in England under the sanction of the Colonial Office, is about to remove this long felt defect in the Insolvent law of the Colony, as it has already been read a first time before the Legislative Council, and is published for general information in the Government Gazette of October 31st.
The correspondence between the Secretary of State for the Colonies and the Governor of Hongkong upon the subject of the Currency of the Colony has been printed and circulated; and a new subsidiary coinage will soon be introduced into the Colony. The Committee doubt not that the change when effected will prove a great boon to the population of the island, where alone its character as a legal tender can be maintained. The larger question of an Imperial local mint has, the Committee are happy to announce, been approved of by the Home Government, and a draft ordinance for submission to the Legislative Council has been received by the Colonial Government, and will appear in due season as a preliminary step to its establishment.
The Proclamation of February 28th of this year, prohibitory of the export coastwise of Munitions of War, had led to some correspondence between this Chamber and the Colonial Government during the tenure of office of the late Committee. Subsequently several Indian firms, feeling that its stringent terms pressed severely on them, as regarded shipments of Saltpetre made in Bengal in ignorance of its existence, had an interview with His Excellency the Acting Governor, to pray for some delay in carrying out the provisions of that Proclamation, so far as these shipments were concerned.
Out of that interview a correspondence, (which is annexed as Appendix 4,) arose, from which it appeared that the local Government had no power to make the concession.
The scheme proposed by the Baron de Meritens, Commissioner of Customs at Foochow, for extending trade in Formosa by adding two new ports-Keelung and Takao-
5
4
MR. BERTRAND.
Proposed by Mr. MACKENZIE, Seconded by Mr. MURRAY,
were unanimously elected.
The following resolutions were then put and unanimously carried.
Proposed by Mr. SMITH.
Seconded by Mr. BRAND.
That the Report for the Six Months ending the 31st October now read, be adopted and printed.
Proposed by Mr. MURRAY.
Seconded by Mr. HALTON.
That the Accounts for the IIalf-year ending October 31st, 1863, now submitted to the Meeting, be approved and passed and printed with the Report.
Report of the Committee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Com- merce presented to the Members at the Half-yearly Meeting held on the 16th November, 1863,
HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,
VICTORIA, 16th November, 1863.
In obedience to the 13th Rule of the Chamber, the Committee have now to submit to the general body of its Members their Report of the various subjects that have en- gaged their attention, and of their proceedings in furtherance of the objects of the in- stitution, during the Six Months ending on the 31st ultimo. On some subjects they have had to give their consideration to questions bequeathed to them by their decessors in office; while on the other hand, the necessities of an ever increasing, and pre- restlessly active commerce, have suggested several matters of detail, productive if adopted of much convenience to the Commercial Community.
In the Report for the year ending last May, notice was taken of the great want of a Bankrupt Lay in this Colony, and of the steps, that, up to that time, had been taken to remedy the evil. A draft ordinance prepared in England under the sanction of the Colonial Office, is about to remove this long felt defect in the Insolvent law of the Colony, as it has already been read a first time before the Legislative Council, and is published for general information in the Government Gazette of October 31st.
The correspondence between the Secretary of State for the Colonies and the Gov- ernor of Hongkong upon the subject of the Currency of the Colony has been printed and circulated; and a new subsidiary coinage will he soon introduced into the Colony. The Committee doubt not that the change when effected will prove a great boon to the population of the island, where alone its character as a Tegal tender can be maintained. The larger question of an Imperial local mint has, the Committee are happy to an- nounce, been approved of by the Home Government, and a draft ordinance for sub. mission to the Legislative Council has been received by the Colonial Government, and will appear in due season as a preliminary step to its establishment.
The Proclamation of February 28th of this year, prohibitory of the export coast- wise of Munitions of War, had led to some correspondence between this Chamber and the Colonial Government during the tenure of office of the late Committee. Subse- quently several Indian firms, feeling that its stringent terms pressed severely on them, as regarded shipments of Saltpetre made in Bengal in ignorance of its existence, had an interview with His Excellency the Acting Governor, to pray for some delay in car- rying out the provisions of that Proclamation, so far as these shipments were concern- Out of that interview a correspondence, (which is annexed as Appendix 4,) arose, from which it appeared that the local Government had no power to make the concession.
ed.
The scheme proposed by the Baron de Meritens, Commissioner of Customs at Foo- chow, for extending trade in Formosa by adding two new ports-Keelung and Takao-
5
}
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