:
85
20t of too. 1903
Extreat from Lily Bess of the 20t
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL,
A meeting of the Legislative Council was held yesterday afternoon. Present; ----
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, Sir HENRY A. BLAKE, G.C.M.G.
Colonel L. F. BROWN, Commanding the Troops.
Hou. F. H. MAY, C.M.G. (Colonial Secretary), Hon. Sir H. S. BERKELEY (Attorney- General),
Hon. I. A. M. JOHNSTON (Acting Colonial Treasurer).
Hon. W. CHATHAM (Director of Public Works).
Hon. A. W. BREWIN (Registrar-General). Hon. BASIL BR. H. TAYLOR (Acting Harbour Master).
Hon. Sir C. P. CHATER, C.M.G.
Hon. Dr. Ho Kal, C.M. G.
Hon. WEI A YOK.
Hon. C. W. DICKSON.
Hon. GERSHOM STEWART
Mr. R. F. JOHNSTON (Acting Clerk of Councils).
SWEARING IN A MEMBER.
Hon. A. W. Brewiu, Registrar-General, was sworn in as a member of the Council on his return to the Colony.
STANDING COMMITTEES,
The following standing Committees were appointed :---
Finance Committee: All members except the President (Chairman, the Colonial Secre- tary).
Public Works Committee: The Director of Public Works (Chairman), the Colonial Treasurer, Sir C. P Chater, Mr. C. W. Dick- sou, Mr. Gershom Stewart (temporarily and in place of Mr. Shewan).
Standing Law Committee: The Attorney- General (Chairman), the Harbour Master, Dr. Ho Kai, Mr. Wei Yuk, Mr. Pollock, K.C. (temporarily and in place of Mr. Sharp),
FINANCIAL.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table Financial minutes (Nos. 54 to 57) and moved that they be referred to the Finance Committee.
The AOTING COLONIAL TREASURER Seconded and the motion was agreed to.
TAPERS.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table a report on Queen's College and correspondence arising out of the report of the Education Committee (1992),
THE CONVICT PRISON ON STONECUTTERS' ISLAND.
The DIRECTOR of PUBLIC WORKS laid the following report of the Public Works Committee on the table: -
The Chairman laid before the Committee an estimate which had been prepared by the Su- perintendent of the Gaol showing that the cost of the staff for supervising the proposed prison and the cost of transport would sucant in all to $23,153 por anuum, the sum included for trausport being $2,500. The only saving to be offected in the present annnal expenditure would be $5,836, which is now expended in connection with using the Belilios Reformatory as a gaul. The net extra expense of the proposed prison would therefore amount to $27,316 per annum. The only saving which would be effected by constructing a prison on the outskirts of the city instead of "on Stoncentters' would be the sum of $2.600 per annum for transport. The annual working expenses of the existing gaol amounted to $110,178.80.
The Chairman also read the Colonial Secre- tary's minute of the 24th September, 1993, in which he stated that, in the event of the Colonial Government abandoning the Stonecutters, site for a gaol, the War Department might contri- bute as much as half the cost of the new Gau- powder Depot on Green Island, which is estim- ated to cost $107,00,
The Committee desire that definite informa- tion should be obtained as to the amount which the Military Authorities would be prepared to contribute in the event of the Gunpowder Depot being removed from Stonecutters Island as proposed, and
(a.) the proposal to erect a convict prison there being carried out;
(b) the proposal to erect a convict prison there being abandoned.
PUMPING APPARATUS AT TYTAMTUK
512
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS-Before resuming my seat, sir, I would like to mention for the information of hon, members that a temporary pumping plant has been etablished at Tytamtuk which is capable of raising about ... 04
half a million gallons daily (bear, hear, to the tuunel which conveys the water to the city. The pump commenced work on the 1st of this month, and has been at work since with slight intermission. (Applause.)
SLAUGHTER OF ANIMALS,
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table the following additional bye-law made under Sub-section 25 of Section 16 of the Pablio Health and Buildings Ordinance, 1908, for regulating the slaughter of animals, and moved its approval.
All aniraals killed for food in a Goverum-ut slaughter-house shall be killed in the following manner:-(1) All cattle (except buffaloes) shall be killed with a pole-axe of a pattern to be approved of by the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon. (2.) All buffaloes shall be killed with ʼn rifle of a size and pattern to be approved by the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon. All rifles used for this purpose shall be kept by the inspector in charge of each slaughter-house and used by him alone. (3.) All sheep, goats and swine shall be killed with a knife in the usual manner, except in the case of pigs which, in the opinion of the inspector in charge of the slaughter-house, are too large to be killed in this way. Such pigs shall be killed in the same menner us cattle. Provideri always that nothing in this bye-law shall affect Jews, Mahomedans, or other peoples holding religious beliefs which compel them to kill animals for food in a particular
manner.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL Seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
NEW TERRITORIES TITLES ORDINANCE. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the first reading of a Bill entitled an Ordinance to re- peal the New Territories Titles Ordinance 1902.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
The objects and reasons attached to the Bill, are as follows:-The object is to repeal the Now Territories Titles Ordinance because it bas become apparent that the system of title hy registration thereby esta lished is unworkable and because it is found that the system if it could be brought into operation would clash with the Land Court Ordinance, 1900, in s manner contemplated neither by its framar nor by the Legislature when it passed the Ordinance, The conflict with the Land Court Ordinance arises from the interpretation given in the New Territorios Titles Ordinance to the expressions "customary land" and "customary landholder." The effect of that interpretation may be to override section 14 of the Land Court Ordinance and to confer "title" iD 蘊 manner never intended and impossible to permit. It was never intended aud cannot be permitted that title to land in the New Territories should be acquired otherwise than by grant from the Crown as in the case of land in the other parts of the Colony, but it is open to question whethes the effect of the interpretation olause of the New Territories Titles Ordinance is not to vest in the Land Court the power to confor title independently of grant from the Crown. It was nover intended that the Land Court should have power to do more than investigate claims to land and report thereon to the Governor. It was always intended and that intention still prevails that the ultimate right to graat or to refuse a title should rest with the Governor-an intention which clearly appears in section 14 of the Land Court Ordinance. 1900. No inconvenience will thereby be caused to anyone, because no land has yet been brought under the operation of the Ordinance.
NEW TERRITORIES LAND COURT
ORDINANCE,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the first reading of a Bill entitled an Ordinance to further amend the New Territories Land Court Ordinance, No. 18 of 1900.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
The objects and reasons of the Bill are to empower the Governor to facilitate and accele- rate the work of the New Territories Land Court by adding members thereto when necessary,
PUBLIC HEALTH AND BUILDINGS ORDINANCE,
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