Directory_and_Chronicle_1850 — Page 717

1850.

Journal of Occurrences.

675

Jan. 1, 1850. The Government of Hongkong publish her Majesty's letters patent, dated May 1, 1849, ordaining the town of Victoria to be called the City of Victoria, and erecting the island of Hongkong and its dependencies into the Bishopric of Victoria.-See page 56.

8th. Mr. William F. Gray dies at Hongkong in consequence of a fall from

his horse.

8th. An Ordnance passed by the government of Hongkong, defining and extending the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court over British subjects in and out of the colony.

15th. An ordinance passed in Hongkong for the better administration of justice in criminal proceedings before the Supreme Court.

15th. The gov.-general is requested to order some of the Fuhkien traders who have lingered at Macao, instead of moving their establishments to Wham- poa, to leave that settlement. These traders were engrossing more of the traffic than their share, but the whole movement of Bü in ordering these merchants to remove has entailed considerable loss upon them

Posthumous honors are bestowed upon the celebrated statesman Yuen Yuen, who died Nov. 26th, aged 88.

234. The Empress-dowager departed this life, aged over 80 years. She was not the mother of Taukwang. See page 110.

Feb. 10th. The troop-ship Apollo with the headquarters of the 59th regi- ment arrived at Hongkong under the command of Lieut.-col. Trevor. Total landed, 560 persons.

13th. Eleventh annual meeting of the Morrison Education Society held at Hongkong.

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Members of the Morrison Education Society, held within the Library of the Club House, Hongkong, February 13, 1850.-Present, Lieut.-colonel Phillpotts, A. Campbell, T. W. L. Mackean, C. B. Hillier, T. D. Neave, D. Jardine, P. Dudgeon, A. Shortrede, W. David- son, D. Fletcher, A. H. Balfour, R. P. Dana, 8. J. Hallam, and S. W Williams. Mr Campbell, the senior Vice-president, took the chair, and after stating the business to be brought before the meeting, called upon the Corresponding Secre- tury to read the annual report. The report was then read. The Treasurer's report was next presented, from which it appeared that there was a balance of $2157.10 due the treasurer by the Society. A lengthened discussion having arisen among the menbers as to the present position of the fund, it was moved by Mr Dana, and seconded by Dr Balfour,-"That a Committee be appointed to con- fer with the chairman of the meeting of subscribers to the Morrison Testimoni- al Fund' held in Canton, July 18, 1849, in order to come to an amicable arrangement." Mr Jardine moved the following as a substitute to the proposition, which was seconded by Mr Hillier,—“ Resolved, with reference to the meeting of subscribers to the 'Morrison Testimonial Fund' held in Hongkong, January 10, 1846, investing the sum of $12,000 with Messrs Dent & Co. at interest as a permanent fund for the benefit of the Morrison Education Society, for the period of three years, that period having now elapsed, this meeting request and authorize Messrs Dent & Co. to continue the possession of that fund, and to continue to pay the interest to the Trustees, to be employed by them for the purpose of the Society as heretofore, until the next annual meeting.'

On the Resolution being read, the previous one was withdrawn, and the fol- lowing offered as an amendment by Mr Shortrede, seconded by Mr Neave,- "That it appears to this meeting highly expedient to ascertain if the fund, com- monly called the Morrison Testimonial Fund,' or any part thereof, whether principal or interest, can be applied to the payment of the debt due to the Treasurer of the Morrison Education Society, or what authority the Trustees have over it; and with this view request Messrs Dent & Co., in concert with the Trustees of the said Society, to enter into an amicable suit before the Chief- Justice, in order to settle the question of property in the fund,—the expense of conducting the said suit not to exceed two hundred dollars, without the sanction of another general meeting."