643690-1895-Legislative-Council-Minutes-No-13 — Page 2

1252 THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 14TH DECEMBER, 1895.

NOTICE OF QUESTIONS.-Mr. BELILIOS gave notice that at the next Meeting of Council he would ask the following questions:

Will the Government be good enough to say why (experiments having shown the practicability of such a course) steps are not taken to pump up sea water to the higher levels with which to wash out the drains?

Will the Government kindly inform the Council of the reasons for the suspension, for many months, of all work upon, and apparent indefinite postponement of completion of, the base and pedestal for the Jubilee statue of Her Majesty the Queen? Is there any insuperable obstacle in the way of the erection of this statue, which has now for nearly a year been interned in a godown, instead of being placed in the position for which it was designed? QUESTIONS.-Mr. WHITEHEAD, pursuant to notice, asked the following questions

(1)

Will the Government lay upon the table a copy of the correspondence which has passed between the Government, including the elaborate memorandum of the honourable the Colonial Secretary which accompanied it, and the home officials, and between the latter and the Colonial Govern- ment concerning the petition from the ratepayers of Hongkong to the Commons of England praying for reform in the constitution of the local Government, and for the rights and privileges common to the British people in the smallest parish in England or Scotland of settling their local municipal affairs in their own way and to their own mind; as well as copies of all communications on the subject of the appointment of two Unofficial Members to the Executive Council, and two additional Unofficial Members to the Legislative Council?

(2)

With reference to the numerously signed petition to your Excellency, from Peak residents, house owners, and other ratepayers, praying for the construction, with all reasonable speed, of a new road in lieu of the present steep and unsuitable one-really the original mountain path, widened and improved to meet the requirements of a traffic ever on the increase, and which has outgrown the road's capacities-leading from Victoria Gap, passing on the south of "Treverbyn" and "Stolzenfels," on a comparatively easy gradient, and terminating near the Peak Club or Mount Kellet—will the Government inform the Council whether it is proposed to proceed with this very necessary public work, good road communication being very necessary and earnestly desired by the large resident community; state the probable cost of the road, and if the work is not to be undertaken at present, what are the reasons which delay its being carried out?

(3)

With reference to the Colonial Secretary's letter No. 1187 of 27th June, 1892, to the Registrar General, forwarding a précis of correspondence re Home for Girls, the following paragraphs

in the latter.

appear

"Five Chinese houses were accordingly erected near St. Stephen's Church in accordance with plans which the Pỏ Leung Kuk Committee had seen, and which, it was understood, they approved..................

"The cost of building these houses was $8,000; the land on which they stand was

valued at about $12,000.

“There seems to have been some misunderstanding with regard to the rents to be derived from the lower floors, the På Leung Kuk Committee thinking that they were to go towards the maintenance of the Home, while the Government decided that they were to be paid into the Treasury.

"When the buildings had been completed the Pó Léung Kuk objected to move into them

because they considered them unsuitable, etc........?

and in the report to the Colonial Secretary dated 1st February, 1892, on a petition from the Pó Léung Kuk, the Registrar General says-

“I understand that it is the intention of the Government to sell the five houses, the top floors of which were intended for a Home. Their value, together with that of the ground on which they stand, has been estimated by the Surveyor General at $21,000."

Will the Government inform the Council whether these houses, erected at the public expense, were built upon inland lot No. 1,129; if so, have they been sold by private contract, the name of the buyer, and at what price? In connection with the sale, if there has been one, will the Government lay upon the table a copy of the correspondence which has passed between the Government and the Colonial Office on the subject?