down and destroyed, and Dr. Hartigan was of opinion that those which could not be rendered fit for human habitation should be destroyed. Now, I think it is perfectly manifest if this wholesale destruction of the area of Taipingshan is to be carried out, it must be carried out by the Government, by one body, and not by individual owners. If, on the other hand, a less drastic measure is to be adopted—I think it will be admitted that some reconstruction at any rate of this area must follow, but even if it is only partial, that again must be under the supervision of one guiding hand. It would never do to leave it to individual owners to reconstruct at their own account. Therefore, whatever may be the ultimate fate of this area, I think it must be obvious to anyone who has attempted to familiarise himself with this subject that the resumption of this area is necessary. I conceive that it is the duty of the Government, at almost any cost, to take such steps as they deem necessary, upon satisfactory evidence, or what is deemed necessary in the small knowledge that people have had up to the present of the terrible plague that has visited the colony.
But I think it is not only necessary on that account but also to prevent a recurrence of the plague—a recurrence, which if it occurs would mean a greater loss to the Colony in the lives of the people and in its finances. Now the Government have doubtless got the best evidence they could, and if the balance of the evidence now in the possession of the Government points—as I think it does very strongly—to the destruction of the whole area, then the whole area must be destroyed. I think what the Government have to do is not to take notice of, or to regard lightly, opinions or sentiments expressed by those who look at the matter through the spectacles of interest, because personal interest and individual interests may be influenced, directly or indirectly. The Government have to go upon the best evidence they can get, and if the balance of the evidence—and it was the best evidence they could get—shows that Taipingshan ought to be destroyed, it will have to be destroyed. I think the measure is urgent because whatever is done ought to be commenced as soon as possible so that when the period arrives when this disease is most likely to occur we can say conscientiously that we have, at any rate, commenced to do what we thought was necessary. There was also, I ought to add, before the Government very strong evidence of what was necessary to be done in this area from the Japanese experts and from M. Yersin, the French medical man.
This Bill is only the precursor of another measure, which is under preparation, which it will deal broadly with the sanitary condition of these houses and the great question of overcrowding. Might I say before resuming my seat that there is one point—it is only a small point—which I should like to mention. In Committee on a Bill an amendment is frequently proposed—often it is not formulated in writing, and at the moment an amendment to a particular section is accepted without suspecting that it has reference to another part of the Bill. It may often happen that such an amendment is accepted and it is afterwards found that it materially affects some other section of the Bill not thought of at the moment. There is no rule that I am aware of prescribing that any amendment should be made in writing, or notice given of it, but I should like to appeal to hon. members that if they have any amendments, material amendments, to make, while the Bill is in Committee after the second reading, will they, so far as they can, give one or two days' notice to the Government of what they intend to propose. I am sure it will facilitate the progress of this Bill and the business of the Council, and will probably prevent mistakes being made by accepting an amendment which it is afterwards found materially affects other portions of the Bill. With these remarks I beg to move the first reading.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY—I second that.
Hon. C. P. CHATER—Sir, I believe I am right in saying that this is probably the first time in the history of the colony that a Bill of this nature has been brought before this Council, authorising the Government to resume from the Crown lessees so large an area of land and entailing so heavy an expense. The reasons for this resumption are well known to everybody. They have been discussed both privately and in the press, and they are familiar to all those who take an interest in the matter. Therefore it is unnecessary for me to dilate on them. I may, however, mention that the consensus of opinion is in favour of the Bill as it is now presented to us. (Hear, hear). Nevertheless, I should like to take this opportunity of saying a few words with regard to the action of the unofficial members in this matter.
When the Bill was originally drafted your Excellency was pleased to send each of us a copy for our consideration and for any remarks we might like to offer on it. After leaving the Bill for some time in the hands of my colleagues in order to enable them to fully consider it, I called a meeting for the purpose of discussing its provisions. It was then found necessary to call a second meeting and the final outcome of our deliberations was certain suggestions which we were to submit to your Excellency for your approval. Before we had an opportunity of doing this we received a communication from the Hon. Acting Colonial Secretary informing us that your Excellency desired to meet us to discuss not only the suggestions we had to submit but also the main principle of the Bill, namely, the resumption of Taipingshan, and for this purpose copies of correspondence on the matter were enclosed for our guidance.
At an informal meeting held in this Chamber our suggestions were submitted and, for the most part, adopted—including the very important recommendation for the deletion of the latter part of clause 7 which bound the Government to resume and destroy lands and buildings and take up sewers, destroy streets, and carry away the soil and subsoil which had become infected on the area that was to be resumed. In regard to the main question, the resumption of Taipingshan, we have had no time to hold a meeting among ourselves and therefore each one can give his independent opinion. Mine was as it has always been, that at any expense a recurrence of the plague should be prevented, but I was by no means sure that the measures proposed to be adopted would ensure that result. From all the evidence advanced it was very clear that there were other localities outside that which was proposed to be destroyed as badly affected, and I pointed out to your Excellency that unless the Government was prepared to resume those other districts and improve their sanitary condition by giving them more light and better ventilation it would be useless to do what was proposed in the Bill, namely, the wholesale resumption and destruction of ten acres of land and the buildings thereon, and that what was required might be effected by resuming and destroying only such portions as could not possibly be made sanitary or habitable, and by improving and disinfecting the remainder.
I believe my hon. friend representing the Chamber of Commerce was of my opinion, while the hon. member next to me (Hon. Ho Kai) was of a contrary opinion. And not unnaturally so, for he is, as you are aware, a member of the Sanitary Board and of the Housing Committee, and both these bodies had strongly recommended not only the resumption but the total destruction of these buildings. I believe my hon. friend opposite (Hon. E. R. Belilios) was with my hon. friend on the right (Hon. Ho Kai). It was, however, decided that we should in the company of some of the hon. members present go and inspect the infected area, which I did, and the conclusion I arrived at after our inspection was that though there were certain portions which were in such a hopeless condition that there would be no choice but to destroy them, yet this was by no means the case over the whole area. There are certain blocks which might be materially improved without adopting such a stringent measure and which might be made perfectly fit for habitation by introducing into them sufficient light and air for due sanitation, without any necessity for destroying streets and sewers and drains.
But I also came to the conclusion that to do all this it was essentially necessary that the Government should in the first instance resume the whole of the area, and that, of course, is what is now proposed to be done by the Bill before us. Therefore, Sir, we have no opposition to offer to the Bill as it now stands, but I beg to give your Excellency notice that as soon as the Bill has passed and the question of resumption is fully settled, I will move that a commission be appointed to go into the question of the destruction and that it be composed of men well qualified to deal with such questions, namely, sanitary engineers.
down and destroyed, and Dr. Hartigan was of opinion that those which could not be rendered ft for human habitation should be destroyed. Now, I think it is perfectly manifest if this wholesale destruction of the area of Taipingahan is to be carried ont, it must be carried out by the Government, by one body, and not by indi vidual owners. If, on the other hand, a legg drastic measure is to be adopted-I think it will be admitted that some reconstruction at any rate of this area must follow, but even if it is only partial, that again mast be under the supervision of one guiding hand. It would nevor do to leave it to individual owners to reconstruct ад their own account. There- fore, whatever may be the ultimate fate of this aroa I think it must be obvious to sugone who has attempted to familiarise himself with this subject that the resumption of this area is aecessary. I conceive that it is the duty of the Government, at almost any cost, to take such steps as they had to be necessary, upon satisfactory evidence, or what is deemed ne- cossary in the small knowledge that people have had up to the present of the terribla plague that has visited the colony.
But I think it is not only necessary oa that account but also to prevent a recurrence of the plague -a recurranoe, which if it occurs would mean a greater loss to the Colony in the lives of the people and in its finances. Now the Govern- ment have doubtless got the best evidence they could, and if the balance of the evidence now in the possession of the Government points-as I think it does very strongly-to the destruction of while area, then the whole area mast be destroyed. I think what the Government have to do is not to take notice of, or to regard light- ly, opinions or sentiments expressed by those who look at the matter through the spectacles of interest, because personal interest and in- dividual interests may be influenced, directly or indirectly, The Government have to go upon the best evidence they can get, and if the balance of the evidence-and it was the best evidence they could got-shows that Taipingshau ought to be destroyed. it will have to be detroyed." I think the measure is urgent because whatever is done ought to be commenced as spon as possible so that when the period arrives when this disease is most likely to occur wo can say conscientiously that we have, at any rate, com. menced to do what we thought was necessary. There was also, I ought toadd, before the Govern. ment very strong evidence of what was necessary Ito be dous in this area from the Japanese experts and from M. Yersin, the French medical man. This Bill is only the precursor of another measure, which is under preparation, which it will desl broadly with the sanitary condition of these houses and the great question of overcrowding. Might I say before rosuming my seat that there is one point-it is only a small point--which I should like to mention. In Committee on a Bill an amendment is frequsrtly proposed-often it is not formulated in writing, and at the moment an amendment to a particular section is accepted without suspecting that it has reference to another part of the Bill. It may often happen that such an amendment is accepted and it is afterwards found that it materially affects some other section of the Bill. not thought of at the momont. There is no rule that I am aware of | prescribing that any amendment should be made in writing, or notice given of it, but I should like to appeal to hon. meinbers that if they have any amendments, material amendments, to make, i while the Bill is in Committee after the second reading, will they, so far as they can, give one or two days' notice to the Government of what they intend to propose. I am sure it will facilitate the progress of this Bill and the business of the Council, and will probably prevent mistakes being made by accepting an amendment which it is afterwards found materially affects other portions of the Bill. With these remarks I beg to move the first reading.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY-I} second that.
Hon. C. P. CHATER-Sir, I believe I am right in saying that this is probably the first time in the history of the colony that a Bill of this na- ture has been brought before this Council, au- thorising the Government to resume from the Crown lessees so large an area of land and entailing so heavy an expanse. The reasons for this resumption are well known to every body. They have been discussed both private- ly and in the press, and they are familiar to all
those
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those who take an interest in the matter. There- fore it is unnecessary for me to dilate on them. I may, however, mention that the concousus of opinion is in favour of the Bill as it is now pre- sented to us. (Hear, hear). Nevertheless, I should like to take this opportunity of saying a few words with regard to the action of the unofficiat members in this matter. When the Bill was originally drafted your Excellency was pleased to send each of us a copy for our consideration and for any remarks we might like to offer on it. After leaving the Bill for some time in the hauds of my colleagues in order to enable them to fully consider it, I called a meeting for the purpose of discussing its provisions. It was then found necessary to call a second meeting and the final outcome of our deliberations was certain sug- gestious which we were to submit to your Excol- leney for your approval. Before we had an opportunity of doing this we received a com- munication from the Hon. Acting Colonial Secretary informing us that your Exo llency desired to meat us to discuss not only the sug gestions we had to submit but also the main prinople of the Bill, namely, the resumption of Taiping-ban, and for this propose copies of ene respondence on the matter were enclosed for our guidance. At an informal meeting held in this Chamber our suggestions were submitted and, for the most part, adopted-including the very important recommendation for the deletion of the latter part of clause 7 which bound the Government to resume and destroy lands and buildings and take up sowers, destroy streets, and carry away the soil and subsoil which had become infected on the area that was to be resumed. In regard to the main question, the resumption of Taipingsban, we have : had no time to hold a meeting among ourselves and therefore each one can give his independent; opinion. Mine was as it has always been, that at any expense a recurrence of the plague should be prevented, but I was by no means sure that the measures proposed to be adopted would ensure that result. From all the evidence! advanced it was very clear that there were other } localities outside that which was prop sed to be destroyed as badly affected. sud I pointed out to your Excellency that unless the Government was prepared to resume those other districts and improve their sanitary condition by giving them more light and befter ventilation it would, be useless to do what was proposed in the Bill, namely, the wholesale resumption and de- straction of ten acres of land and the buildings thereon, and that what was required might be effected by resuming and destroying only such portions as could not possibly be made sanitary or habitable, and by improving and disinfecting the remainder. I believe my hon. frisad re- presenting the Chamber of Commerce was of my opinion, while the hou, member next to me (Hou. Ilo Kai) was of a contrary opinion. And not unnaturally so, for he is as you are aware, a mem ber of the Sauitary Board and of the Housing Committee, and both these bodies had strongly | recommended not only the resumption t the total destruction of these buildings. I believe my hon. friend opposito (Hon. E. R. Balilios) was with my hon. friend on the right (Hon. Ho Kai), It was, however, decided that we should in the company of some of the hon. mem- bars present go and inspect the infected area, which I did, and the conclusion I arrived at after our inspection was that though thera were certain portions which were in such a hope- less condition that there would be no choice but to destroy them, yet this was by no means the 0884 over the whole area. There are certain blocks which might be materially improved without adopting such a stringent measure and which might be made perfectly fit for habitation by introducing into them sufficient light and air for due sanitation, without any necessity for destroy- ing streets and sewers and drains. But I also oame to the conclusion that to do all this it was essentially necessary that the Government should in the first instance resume the whole of the ares, and that, of coarse, is what is now pro- posed to be done by the Bill before us. Therefore, air, we have no opposition to offer to the Bill as it now stands, but I beg to give your Excellency notion that as soon as the Bill has passed and the question of resumption is fully settled, I will move that a commission be ap- pointed to go into the question of the destruction aad that it be composed of men well qualified to deal with such questions, namely, sanitary
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