15th May 1844
Present His Excellency the Governor
The Honorable Major General D'Aguilar
The Honorable Major Caine
His Excellency the Governor signified his intention of appointing the Honorable Frederick William Adolphus Bruce a member of both the Legislative and Executive Councils of the Colony.
The question of the necessity for the provision against the arrival of the Chief Justice of some building having accommodation suitable for a Court house was discussed and being freely admitted. It was Resolved that an Advertisement should be inserted in the next Government Gazette calling for tenders with the terms of Rent of any Houses which may be available. This arrangement however to be considered as quite a temporary one pending the reference to Her Majesty's Government regarding the plan and estimate for the erection of permanent public offices which was transmitted by the overland mail which left Bombay on the 1st of February.
The necessity for an Assistant Magistrate being permanently stationed at Check-chu was strongly represented and being fully assented to. It was Resolved that Mr. Hillier the present Assistant to the Chief Magistrate should be appointed to that Office with a Salary of $200 per month and to enable him to efficiently discharge his duties it was considered necessary and further Resolved that a suitable Establishment should be placed under his orders and that including the Assistant Magistrate it should consist as follows of:
Dollars per annum
Mr. Hillier Assistant Magistrate 2400
One European Clerk @$70 per month 840
One Chinese Clerk @$20 per month h 240
One non-Commissioned Police Officer @$8 per month 96
Six European Privates of Police @$4 per month each 288
One Head man @$8 per month and Ten
Chinese Police men @$6 per month each 816
Dollars 4680
It was further considered absolutely necessary that House accommodation should be provided by the Government for the above Establishment together with the addition of a Sock up house sufficiently large to contain Twenty prisoners and it was thereupon Resolved that the Surveyor General should be called upon to submit for the consideration of Government a Plan and Estimate for the same.
In order to supply the loss of Mr. Hillier's services in the Chief Magistrate's Department at Victoria It was Resolved that Mr. Fearon should be appointed to succeed him on the same Salary of $200 for month at being understood that that Gentleman was fully qualified for the appointment having in 1842 previous to his departure to England on Sick leave held the situation of Clerk and Interpreter to the Police Court until and time as the Buildings are ready for the reception of the Assistant Magistrate and his Establishment. It was Resolved that that Officer should be directed to take up his quarters at Check-chu on the first of June for the investigation of complaints and the transaction of other Magisterial Duties and that temporary accommodation should be provided for him and his Establishment by the Chief Magistrate at the expense of the Government all these appointments to date from the 1st June.
The amount of compensation to be awarded to the occupiers of Paddy ground in the Wang-nei-chung and Soo-cum-poo vallies was taken into consideration and a Report from the Committee appointed by Sir Henry Pottinger on the ninth of February 1844 for the investigation of the subject was read from which it appeared that the sum of 30$ per Mow was by those Gentlemen considered to be a fair remuneration and it was thereupon Resolved that that amount should be confirmed.
His Excellency the Governor signified his intention of appointing Mr. John Pope to be Civil Engineer and Clerk of the works at a Salary of $150 P Month.
(signed) J. F. Davis
Read and approved
this 22nd day of May 1844.
(signed) A. E. Shelley,
Clerk of the Council.
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