CO129-256 - Governor Sir Robinson - 1892 [8-12] — Page 612

Conclosure.

608

contains nothing to prevent

to-

Her Majesty's gracious confirmation and assent being given

Bill for the Appropriation Bill

1893.

I have the honour to be My Lord Marquess, Your Lordship's Most Obedient

Humble Servant,

Rohingy

In Ncombassa Railway case,

alegons fug

We, the undersigned Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council of Hongkong, both nominated and elected, desire to place on record our unanimous protest against the Appro- priation Ordinance for 1893, cutitled-

An Ordinance enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, to apply a sum not excreting Two millions Two hundred and Fifty-six thousand. Three hundred and Seventy-five Dollars to the Public Service of the Year 1893,

numbered 2 of 1892 and published in the Hongkong Government Gazette of the 3rd instant as having been passed by this Honourable Conncil on the 30th day of November, 1892, and as having been assented to by His Excellency the Governor, in the name and on behalf of the Queen, on the 3rd day of December instant.

We protest against the inclusiou in that Ordinance, contrary to the unanimous votes and opinions of all the Unofficial Members of the Council in the Finance Committee and in the Committee of the Council, of large sums for the salaries of the Civil Servants of the Colony in excess of the amounts voted and approved by all the Unofficial Members in the Finance Committee and reported to the Council, and far in excess of what, in our opinion, are necessary or the Colony can reasonably afford to pay.

We protest against the Colonial Secretary and the Official Members of Council voting in Couaittee of Council, and in Council on the third reading of the Bill. in support of votes for their own salaries in excess of the amounts approved by us in the Finance Committee as reported.

Menthers of Council are legally incapable of voting on questions in which they are principle and by the law of Parliament formally declared in a recent case in England, and we protest and declare that

directly pecuniarily interested. They are disqualified on

the votes of the Official Members of Council on the Appropriation Bill, so far as the question

of official salaries was concerned, were null and void and of no effect.

We claim that the amendments proposed in Committee of Council for the reduction of official salaries to the scale in force in 1890 were duly carried by a majority of legal votes ; that the votes recorded against the amendments were null and void and ought not to have been counted and that the Appropriation Bill ought to bare been reported and passed with these amendments.

For the reasons above given we forinally and unanimously protest against the so-called Appropriation Ordinance for 1893 as published, and declare it not to have been duly passed by this Honourable Council and not to be law.

Dated Hongkong, this 18th day of December, 1892.

CI Chester Gotta

At Bitition