669448-1885-Legislative-Council-28th-January-1885- — Page 2

118

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 7TH FEBRUARY, 1885.

C.S.O.

(3)

3252 of 14 Building a Dwelling House for the First Assistant at the Kaulung

Observatory,

The Government is at present paying $30 per month for his quarters at Kaulung. It will therefore be more economical to build a dwelling for him.

Government House, 28th January, 1885.

.$

500.00

The Colonial Secretary moved that these Minutes be referred to the Finance Committee.

The Colonial Treasurer seconded.

Question--put and passed.

ASSENT TO ORDINANCES.-The Acting Clerk of Councils announced His Excellency the Governor's assent to the following Ordinances :---

Ordinance No. 1 of 1885.--An Ordinance to apply a sum not exceeding Nine hundred and Forty-nine thousand, and Sixty-one Dollars to the Public Service of the Year 1885.

Ordinance No. 2 of 1885.-An Ordinance to amend The Stamp Ordinance, 1884.

QUESTION.-The Honourable T. JACKSON, pursuant to notice, asked if it is true that the funds of this Colony are at present being spent upon the construction of a fort in the Limun Pass, covering the proposed minefield, upon which it is intended to mount old 40-pounder guns, which have been obsolete for nearly twenty years, and which would prove utterly useless against modern ordnance.

His Excellency the Governor replied as follows

"With reference to the question of the Honourable Gentleman, I desire, in the first place, to take this opportunity of informing the Council that, on the 2nd instant, I forwarded by telegraph to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the vote passed unanimously, on the 31st ultimo, viz.:-

'

'This Council now vote unanimously the sum of fifty-five 'thousand six hundred and twenty-five pounds sterling (£55,625), required as the contribution of this Colony to the effective defence 'of Hongkong; it being understood that the armament to be provided 'by the Imperial Government will be of the best and latest pattern of breech-loading ordnance, capable of resisting attacks by the 'heaviest modern ironclads.' To this I have received the follow- ing reply:

€

6

Referring to your telegram of the 2nd January, new guns are 'being provided at the cost of more than eighty thousand pounds sterling (£80,000).' It will be remembered that this is more than double the cost (viz. £37,500) of the guns originally proposed for the new Forts at Hongkong.

"With regard to the terms of the Honourable Gentleman's ques- tion, I am unable to say, if 'the Funds of the Colony are at present being spent upon the construction of a Fort in the Liümun Pass.' I have ascertained that the military works here are being carried out under the immediate direction of the War Office in England, and that it is not known as yet whether the cost of the battery at the Liümun Pass, which will not exceed one thousand pounds sterling, (£1,000), will be set down to Imperial Funds, or to the Colonial con- tribution. Of course, if it is so desired, I will forward the question of my Honourable Friend to the Secretary of State.

"With respect to the other points of the Honourable Gentleman's question, I am informed that heavy ordnance will probably be mount- ed at the Limun Pass so soon as it can be procured; but that the primary object of the new work there is to protect the Submarine minefield against the attack of armed boats and steam-launches; and that for this purpose lighter and rapidly firing guns are indispensable; such as breech-loading 10-pounder guns, which the Military author- ities declare are not obsolete, or ineffective."