CO129-212 - Governor Sir Bowen - 1883 [10-11] — Page 180

or

178

る

Conneils of Hong Kong, which

No862 of

proposed by of 1983.

८

were

me in my despatén

On the and instant

I laid these despatches before the

existing Legislative Conneil, with

し

the subjoined short address.

HỌNGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

A meeting of the Legislative Council was held yesterday afternoon. There were present-

His EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR, Sir GEORGE BOWEN, G.C.M.G.

Hon. Sir GEORGE PHILLIPPO, Chief Justice. Hon. W. H. MARSH, C.M.G., Colonial Seare-

tary.

Hon. E. L. O'MALLEY, Attorney-General.

Hon. A. LISTER, Colonial Treasurer.

Hon. P. RYRIE.

Hon. J. M. PRICE, (Surveyor General).

Hon, F. B. JOHNSON,

Hon. F. STEWART, LL.D.. (Registrar-Gen- oral).

MINUTES.

The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed.

THE RE-CONSTITUTION OF THE COUNCIL. HIS EXCELLENCY-Hon, gentlemen of the Legislative Council, as you are already aware, I have strongly recommended that the unofficial members of your body should be increased in number, so that the community at large may be more adequately represented in the Colonial Legislature. The official correspondence which I now lay before you will show how far the Se- oretary of State for the Colonies has adopted my recommendations. You will perceive that, in the future, there will be five instead of only two unofficial members; and that two of those five will, as a general rule, be appointed on the nomina. tions of the Chamber of Commerce, and of the Bench of Justices of the Peace. I aball make the 1*W appointments, and I shall summon the re-constructed Council to meet for the despatch of business BO soon 88 I shall receive Her Majesty's Order in Council, giving me formal authority for thi-action-that is, I hope, in the coarse of five or six weeks from the present date. A considerable number of le- gislative measures and of public works will be

I

proposed during the ensuing session. Full in- formation respecting these proposals, and res- peating the financial condition of the Clony, will be contained in the address with which Iiù- tend to open the session. And now, hon. gentle- men, in taking leave of the Council as at preseof. constituted, I desire to express my deep seuse of the loyal support which I have always recaivad from you, and of the benefits which you have conferred on the Colony by your constant aud enlightened attention to your publio duties.

Hou. P. RYRIE-I rise to express to your Excellency the gratitude of the present unofficial members of this Council and the community generally for the efforts, which have been so suc- cessfully concluded, for reforming this Council on the basis which you have just stated. I think it will be a benefit to the colony in many ways. It will enable your Excellency to ascertain per. haps more fully than was the case in former days the views of the various sections of the community; and it will also be of assistance to your Excellency in matters of finance. I have sometimes thought at meetings of the Finance Committee that the addition of a few members of the community who are outside the official circle would be of considerable advantage. There are also many other ways in which I think the change you propose to make, and have the approval of the Secretary of State to make, will be a boon to the Colony.

---

Work

3.

The sheesh of the senior

Unofficial Member, Mr Kyrie,

i

shows the strong feeling of satisfaction

with which the increase in the

number of Un-Official Members

from two to five mmunity

this comm

4.

is regarded in

C

I learn, however, that

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