HONGKONG
CITY HALL MUSEUM.
C. C.
56
1762
REOP
In the course of his remarks in the Legislative Council on the 10th of September 1880, His EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR said:-I have endeavoured to deal with what my honourable friend called the omissions in the Estimates before us, and I think he will admit I have given substantial reasons why the Central School, the Fire Tanks, and other works to which he refers do not appear on the Estimates. But there is one omission in the Estimates which I thought would have attracted the notice of my honourable friend, and probably would have received attention from him, but on which he has not said anything on this occasion. It is a small sum; it is only $1,200, but is an omission in the Estimates of this year, and my honourable friend has not said a word about it. Now, how does it come to pass that he has not said anything about it?
Honourable W. KESWICK said he did not know what the omission was to which His Excellency referred.
His EXCELLENCY-The Central School and Fire Tanks are omitted, and the usual vote of $1,200 to pay the Curator of the City Hall is omitted.
Honourable W. KESWICK-I thought it was in the Miscellaneous Services.
HIS EXCELLENCY-My honourable friend is an old member of Council and too shrewd a man of business not to know that in our Estimate for last year, and for several years, there appeared the item of "$1,200 for the Curator and Librarian of the City Hall." That has appeared in our Estimates for many years past, and of course my honourable friend saw that it was omitted on this occasion. Honourable W. KESWICK-I really did not observe the omission; I did not notice it.
HIS EXCELLENCY-Now I find the vote for Miscellaneous Services in 1880 was $4,000. In these Estimates for 1881, we have the same sum. One might have imagined that the question of the City Hall would have attracted the attention of my honourable friend. However, perhaps he thinks the subject is not one of importance; at all events, not of sufficient importance to bring to the notice of the Governor in the Legislative Council. But still, somehow or other, my attention has been called to it by my honourable friend, for he favoured me with the recent report of the Committee of which he was the Chairman, in which the vote is referred to. I read it with interest, and I find he introduced into it some reference to the proceedings of the Governor with respect to this sum of $1,200. In addition to reading this report, to which is appended a good many documents, I took a glance at the proceedings of the meeting itself, and there I saw what my honourable friend had remarked.
He said, "With regard to the Museum you will doubtless have perceived that a serious misunderstanding exists between the Committee and the Executive-the Governor. The origin of the difference is seen in the first letter which was addressed to the City Hall Committee. It is unique in the way in which it assumes that the Committee must obey the behests of the Governor in matters connected with the City Hall. It is the first time that the Committee has been so addressed. On all previous occasions when we have had communication with the Governors of this Colony we have received from them from the first until the last-and the last is the exception-every support and assistance in making this public institution as beneficial to the community as possible."
Now, I observe that this meeting was a meeting of what one may call business men, and such was the statement to which they listened. There were apparently laid before them the various documents which the City Hall Committee had in their possession on this subject. At least, these gentlemen went away from the meeting under that impression. But after all, what is the fact? I have no hesitation in saying that there never was a case in this Colony put either before politicians or men of business in which more serious omissions occurred than in the case as laid before the public in this report and appendix. To begin with, not one word is said as to the Trust Deed under which the City Hall is held, not one word is said as to the conditions upon which Her Majesty's Government gave the Crown land to the public of this Colony. Not one word is said as to the specific and clear conditions of Governor Sir RICHARD MACDONNELL in his various minutes on this subject, all of these minutes being in the hands of the Committee of the City Hall, and being all concealed from the public of the Colony. At that City Hall meeting there were twenty or thirty men of business, bank managers, leading merchants, sensible men, who thoroughly understand their own business arrangements. Suppose them to be told they were to consider something with respect to which the essential conditions were to be concealed from them, and they were to receive only a certain portion of documentary evidence, the earlier and more important part being kept in the dark. Well, on learning, as they now will do, the actual facts, I think my friends who attended that meeting will be surprised to see that this grant of land was given by the Crown on specific conditions; that the Governor who sanctioned the first vote from the ratepayers' money of $1,200 a year for the pay of the Curator, did so on specific conditions, which were violated by the Committee without the sanction or knowledge of the Executive.
Now, to begin with, here is the deed. I may mention that this very deed which I hold in my hand-it is not the first time that my honourable friend has seen it was before him as a member of the City
30.
HONGKONG
CITY HALL MUSEUM.
C. C.
56
1762
REOP
In the course of his remarks in the Legislative Council on the 10th of September 1880, His EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR said:-I have endeavoured to deal with what my honourable-friend called the omissions in the Estimates before us, and I think he will admit I have given substantial reasons why the Central School, the Fire Tanks, and other works to which he refers do not appear on the Estimates. But there is one omission in the Estimates which I thought would have attracted the notice of my honourable friend, and probably would have received attention from him, but on which he has not said anything on this occasion. It is a small sum; it is only $1,200, but is an omission in the Estimates of this year, and my honourable friend has not said a word about it. Now, how does it come to pass that he has not said anything about it?
Honourable W. KESWICK said he did not know what the omission was to which His Excellency
referred.
to
pay
His EXCELLENCY-The Central School and Fire Tanks are omitted, and the usual vote of $1,200
the Curator of the City Hall is omitted.
Honourable W. KESWICK-I thought it was in the Miscellaneous Services,
HIS EXCELLENCY-My honourable friend is an old member of Council and too shrewd a man of business not to know that in our Estimate for last year, and for several years, there appeared the item of "$1,200 for the Curator and Librarian of the City Hall." That has appeared in our Estimates for many years past, and of course my honourable friend saw that it was omitted on this occasion. Honourable W. KESWICK-I really did not observe the omission; I did not notice it.
HIS EXCELLENCY-Now I find the vote for Miscellaneous Services in 1880 was $4,000. In these Estimates for 1881, we have the same sum. One might have imagined that the question of the City Hall would have attracted the attention of my honourable friend. However, perhaps he thinks the subject is not one of importance; at all events, not of sufficient importance to bring to the notice of the Governor in the Legislative Council. But still, somehow or other, my attention has been called to it by my honourable friend, for he favoured me with the recent report of the Committee of I read it with interest, and I find which he was the Chairman, in which the vote is referred to. introduced into it some reference to the proceedings of the Governor with respect to this sum of $1,200. In addition to reading this report, to which is appended a good many documents, I took a glance at the proceedings of the meeting itself, and there I saw what my honourable friend had remarked. said,
He
"With regard to the Museum you will doubtless have perceived that a serious misunderstanding "exists between the Committee and the Executive-the Governor. The origin of the difference is seen in the first letter which was addressed to the City Hall Committee. It is unique in the way in "which it assumes that the Committee must obey the behests of the Governor in matters connected On all previous 'with the City Hall. It is the first time that the Committee has been so addressed. "occasions when we have had communication with the Governors of this Colony we have received "from them from the first until the last-and the last is the exception-every support and assistance "in making this public institution as beneficial to the community as possible."
Now, I observe that this meeting was a meeting of what one may call business men, and such was the statement to which they listened. There were apparently laid before them the various documents which the City Hall Committee had in their possession on this subject. At least, these gentlemen went away from the meeting under that impression. But after all, what is the fact? I have no hesi- tation in saying that there never was a case in this Colony put either before politicians or men of business in which more serious omissions occurred than in the case as laid before the public in this report and appendix. To begin with, not one word is said as to the Trust Deed under which the City Hall is held, not one word is said as to the conditions upon which Her Majesty's Government gave the Crown land to the public of this Colony. Not one word is said as to the specific and clear conditions of Governor Sir RICHARD MACDONNELL in his various minutes on this subject, all of these minutes being in the hands of the Committee of the City Hall, and being all concealed from the public of the Colony. At that City Hall meeting there were twenty or thirty men of business, bank inana- gers, leading merchants, sensible men, who thoroughly understand their own business arrangements. Suppose them to be told they were to consider something with respect to which the essential condi- tions were to be concealed from them, and they were to receive only a certain portion of documentary evidence, the earlier and more important part being kept in the dark. Well, on learning, as they now will do, the actuals facts, I think my friends who attended that meeting will be surprised to see that this
grant of land was given by the Crown on specific conditions; that the Governor who sanctioned the first vote from the ratepayers' money of $1,200 a year for the pay of the Curator, did so on specific conditions, which were violated by the Committee without the sanction or knowledge of the Executive. Now, to begin with, here is the deed. I may mention that this very deed which I hold in my hand- it is not the first time that my honourable friend has seen it was before him as a member of the City
30.
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