CO129-250 - Acting Governor Barker - 1891 [6-8] — Page 528

Enclosure

523

Rec

c.o.

17028

Red 24 AUG 91,

he Right

fonorable

The Secretary of State

for the Colonies.

Respectfully Sheweth:-

The Petition and Memorial of the Undersigned.

1.-On the 30th day of April now last passed, there was introduced into the Legislative Council of Hongkong and read a first time a Bill intituled "An Ordinance "to restrict the Loading and Unloading of Cargo on Sunday in the waters of the * Colony."

2.--The said Bill was introduced without the knowledge or sanction of the Executive Council of this Colony, without prior publication in the Hongkong Government Gazelle or in any other paper, and without any previous notice or intimation to the public or to the Members of Council that any Legislation on the subject was about to be brought forward.

3-The first and only publication of the said Bill was in the Government Gazette of Saturday, the 2nd of May. The Government Gazette, although dated on the Saturday is never in fact published until the Sunday morning and is not in the hands of the public until Monday.

4.-A. Meeting of Council was held on Tuesday, the 5th May, at which Meeting the said Bill was read a second time, passed through Committee, read a third time and passed; the Standing Orders having been suspended to allow of this being done.

5.-This Meeting of Council was summoned with less than 24 hours' notice and no intimation was given to Honorable Members of any intention on the part of the Government to press the Bill to a third reading that day. Two of the Unofficial Members of Council, the Senior Unofficial Member (the Honorable Phineas Ryrie), and the Representative of the Chamber of Commerce (the Honorable Thomas H. Whitehead) were unable to attend at that Meeting of Council, because of the shortness of the notice and because it was mail day.