723114-1858-VOTUES-AND-PROCEEDINGS-OF-THE-LEGISLATIVE-COUNCIL-OF-HONGKONG-NO-20-OF-1858-MONDAY-12th-JULY-1858- — Page 1

THE

Hongkong

Government

GAZETTE.

NEW SERIES.

VICTORIA, SATURDAY, 9TH OCTOBER, 1858.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

VOL. IV. No. 177.

The Contract for publishing this Gazette, entered into on the 24th September, 1853, was terminated on the 30th ultimo ; and notice is hereby given, that a NEW SERIES of this Gazette will be published hereafter, to commence from the 7th instant, under a New Contract, and that

“THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE"

will, as before, be the only Official Organ for Proclamations, NOTIFICATIONS, and PUBLIC PAPERS, of this Government.

By Order,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Victoria, Hongkong, 2d July, 1855.

W. T. MERCER, Colonial Secretary.

VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF HONGKONG.

No. 20 of 1858.

MONDAY, 12th JULY, 1858.

PRESENT:

HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, AND ALL THE MEMBERS.

The Council met to-day, pursuant to adjournment.

The Minutes of the last Council were read and approved:

Read a Letter, of the 8th instant, from Mr Parsons to His Excellency the Governor, reiterating his assertions, that Mr Woods stated to himself and Mr Gaskell, that he signed the Memorial for the amalgamation of the two Branches of the Legal Profession, because he saw so many Names of the principal Mercantile Houses attached to the Memorial.

Also, a Communication of 8th instant, from Mr Gaskell to Mr Parsons, corroborating the said assertions, and giving the additional Statement as made to them by Mr Woods, that he thought the change would benefit their Branch of the Profession.

Read a Letter, of the 7th instant, from the Acting Colonial Secretary calling upon Mr Cooper Turner, as Crown Solicitor, for an explanation of the inconsistency between his Letter of the 4th June to Mr Parsons, and that of the 26th June to the Attorney General, as well as with the Statements made in his name by the said Officer.

Read Reply, of 10th July, from Mr Cooper Turner, to the following effect :-" That he was not present at the in- ception nor at the drafting of the Petition; that the same was sent to him in a hurried way for his perusal, and he returned it without considering it much at the moment, with the note dated 4th June last,-I think the Petition will do well,' there being no objection whatever to some portions.-That in using those words he did not intend to give an unqualified approval, or debar himself from giving the matter further consideration or reflection, for on the same day, or the following morning, having well considered the matter, he had an interview with the Acting Secretary of the Hongkong Law Society, and stated to him that he dissented, for many reasons, from the Petition; that some of the points were good, but that if the Statements therein could not be proved, it would militate much against them. That he also expressed his dissent to two of the Pro- fession. That the Letter to the Attorney General, dated 26th June, had reference generally to the above interview. That with regard to the Statements made by the Attorney General in Council, he could offer no As to the address of Mr Parsons to the remarks, as he was not present, nor had he been informed of them.

Council, that he (Mr Turner) was not aware that that gentleman was deputed by the Law Society to protect the interests of the Profession, or that there was a Meeting called for that special purpose." Read a Letter, of the 9th July, from Mr Staco, stating, with reference to the Letters from Messrs Turner and Hazeland, read at the last Meeting of Council,-"That all the Members of the Hongkong Law Society con- curred in selecting Mr Parsons to address the Council in support of the Prayer of their Petition.-That Mr Turner promised to accompany Mr Parsons and himself to the Council Room, but afterwards deputed Mr Hazeland to attend in his stead, who" (Mr Stace remarks) "made no disavowal at the time.”

Read Draft Letter, of this date, from the Acting Colonial Secretary to Mr Cooper Turner, acknowledging his Letter of the 10th instant, and forwarding for his explanation Copy of Mr Stace's Letter of the 9th instant, above referred to.