હું
+
A
t
closure
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Hong King
13
A meeting of the Legislative Council was held yesterday afternoon. There were present-
His Excellency the GOVERNOR.
Hon. Sir Joux SMALE, Chief-Justice.
Hon. C. C. SMITH, Acting Colonial-Secretary. Hou, C. MAY, Acting Colonial-Treasurer.
Hon. G. M. PRICE, Surveyor-General.
Hon. H. LowCOCK.
Hon. W. KESWICK.
1876.
mentres of the lunch - de “
t
PERSONAL EXPLANATIONS.
Since I have been in the Colony. I refer to a class of women who are living in the neighbourhood of a religious edifice, and who naturally attract attention. This is a scandal which ought to be suppressed The Registrar-General is there charged with carelessness and indifference in not suppressing the scandal to which I bove referred. I think the Council will learn this with some suprise-as I was struck with great surprise. This is a matter which has been under consideration-under personal considera- tion-between myself and the head of the Roman Catholic Church in this colony. The circumstances which brought the matter just now under consideration arise from a certain number of new buildings being put up opposite the Roman Catholic Cathedral, and several wo- men of questionable ebaracter have taken up
residences
Now I have had
Hon. H. Lowcoch. With reference to the their adortune to be on execedingly good
grant for educational purposes, with reference to grants in aid, may I ask for one explanation of A what they really are?
The GOVERNOR-My hon, friend is aware that Mr. Stewart drew up some years ago the grant-in- aid scheme and that scheme hesomewhat cluborated before my arrival. The improvements and al terations he then made were entirely approved by Sir Arthur Kennedy, and his schemo as amended made a slight alteration in the grants in aid, which necessitates a slight increase in those grants this year, With respect to the grants-in-aid themselves, the number of schools actually receiving the appears by Mr. Stewart's list as eleven. There by the Basle Mission Girls' School, three Baxter Mission Schools, St. Paul's College School, two St. Stephen's Church Schools, two London Mission Schools, and two Victoria Schools. These now get the grants-in-aid. Mr. Stewart tells as the total number of children who avail themselves! of the grants to these schools, and according to his report, which is thoroughly reliable, it appears to be on the increase.
Hon. H. LowсOOK-Your Excellency has mis- understood me. What I refer to is an entirely different matter. I refer to the charitable allow- anoes. I seo. I should be very loth under any circumstances to propose reducing either of those grants in any way whatever, but I think it my duty to bring to the notice of your Excelleney, with referenec to the vote of $600 to the West
formatory, a circumstance which occur
In a publication isaned from the natory, published on the 3rd of this month, ce a most unwarrautable attack on certain officers the Registrar-General and Surveyor- General-in referenoo to certain matters in Well- ington-street. I should not say this sum should not be granted to the Reformatory, but I think we should ask for a guarantee that such attacks are not made on Government officials in future. Of course I should not have alluded to this in any way had I not observed that the paper is pub. lished at the Reformatory by some one cou. nected with it.
The article referred to by the hon. member was from the Catholic Register, and is as follows:-
The Honourable Mr. Prico, as Surveyor-General, has done more useful work in the Colony than all his predecessors put together. Whatever he has taken in hand has not only been well done, but in a strle and with a degree of finish that has added mach to the beauty of our roads, streets, and bridges. There are very few portions of the Colony where his skill and taste aro not in evidence, but there are still a few spots that seem to have escaped him. What bas Wellington Street, done that it should become like the bed of a mountain torrent and be permitted to remain It certainly cannot claim to be a very reputable neighbourhond, thanks to the carelessness or in differ
80
of the Registrar Generate I Department. Many
ence of the
ini tus houses are the residentes
6 of prestitutes, but it is an important and ranch frequented thoroughfare, and it is time something was done for it, both by the Sur- veyor-General, for whom there are many excuses, and by the Registrar General for whom there are none. It that women of indifferent
is a disgrace to the omitted to reside and dianlay
character should be
thausolves on a street which forms a principal tho roughfare between the lower and upper parts of the town, where the wives and children of many of us have to pass daily, and where stands a sacred edifice frequented by three-fourths of the foreign population of the island. If such people had shown themselves anywhere in the vicinity of St. John's Cathedral thei Registrar.General and his Inspectors would long since have exercised their very summary powers to remedy. the nuisance. It is useless to reply that private in- dividuals have a remedy in their own hands if a nuis- anco existe. In this Colous vice is licensed and pays i a handsome aum to the revenue, and has a department and officers specially charged with its regnisson, Let the depart fett and its officers do thoir own work.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY-I am exceedingly obliged to my hon. friend for draw- ing attention to this matter, and as I am per- sonally interested in the allegations made, I may, perhaps, be allowed to offer an explanation. The article in the paper, after drawing attention to the very able work of my hou. friend at the end of the table [Mr. Price], complains most bitterly of the very scandalous state in which Wellington-street now is and has been ever.
ta
بار دیکھ
Ra
A
terms with the right reverend prelate to whom I refer, and almost every clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church in this colony. When these houses were first erected, my right reverend friend drew my attention to a foar in his mind that they would be occupied by immoral wo- man. I promised to look into the matter. Most unfortunately for him the houses were occupied by women of low character. This is a matter which comes under the cognisance of the Regis. trar-General, who superintends the working of the Contagious Diseases Ordinauce. I imme. diately set the officers of the Department to find out who these women ward, and whether they came within the provisions of the Ordinanes. I found they did not, but were women living under the protection of certain gentlemen of this Colony. It is therefore beyond my power and authority to interfere with them in any way, how- everanxious I was remove this scaudal from such a locality. I went beyond my powers to soud for the people, and I also sent for some of the gentle- men to whom I refer. I pointed out to them the scandal to which I refer, told them it could not be allowed, and that every possible means would be taken to remove such a state of affairs. This I informed the Right. Rev. Prelate in writ- ing and verbally, and for a certain length of time the nuisance was removed, but it cropped up again. I asked my locum tenems to look to it, though it was not within our powers, but the scandal continued and continues to the present hour. With that explanation I think they will agree with me that the attack made upon the Registrar- General was unwarranted--whether made upon me or my locum tenems. I presume it is on myself, I wish to free him from the attack. Such an article ought not to have appeared in a paper at an institution drawing Government allowance, published by a Roman Catholic priest, and under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Church in this Colony. It says the Registrar- General would be acluated in a different way if the scandal were in the neighbourhood of St. John's Cathedral. I am sure that is not a point in which I need offer any defence before the Council or the community of Hongkong.
The GOVERNOR-This is the first time I have seen this, and I had no ides my hon. friend Mr. Lowoock or my hon. friend on the left, the Acting Colonial-Secretary, were about to ad- dress any remarks on the subject to-day. As this is the first time I have seen it, I will read a few passages from the article commented upon, be cause before taking any action we must be care- ful how we deal with the expression of public sontiment though any newspaper in this Colony, no matter what institution it my he co- nocted with. The article says "It is a disgrace to the Colony that women of indifferent claracter should be permitted to reside and dis. play themselves on a street which forms a prin- eiple thoroughfare between the lower and upper parts of the town, whore the wives and children of many of us have to pass daily, and where stands a sarred edifice frequented by three-fourths of the foreign population of the island. Now, the question is whether any news- paper published in this Colony is justibed in making sneb statements. If the statements are libellous there is a remedy for them. but I think I will point out to my hon. friends that this is not the place in which to deal with them. I hope the Council will do me the justice to believe that to me it is a matter of indifference in what newspaper sneh statements may have appeared. Let us see whether there is any ground-work for then. My hon. friend the Acting Colonial Secretary has admitted that opposite to one of the Churches in this Colony.. and opposite to a school where a number of children are being daily educated, women, as he says utterly characterless, whose characters must be known to everyone, are in the win- dows and doorways of these houses, and 1 may tell him that it has come to my knewledge, and
438
or rather
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.