Saturday, 26 December 1857
Present:
His Excellency the Governor,
The Honorable the Acting Colonial Secretary,
The Honorable the Attorney General,
The Honorable the Colonial Treasurer,
The Honorable the Surveyor General,
The Honorable the Chief Magistrate,
The Honorable J. Jardine, Esquire,
The Honorable George Lyall, Esquire.
The Council met today be special summons.
The minutes of Council held on the 24th November, were read and approved.
There being a vacancy in the number of Members of this Council by the death of J. F. Edger, Esquire. His Excellency the Governor stated that he had appointed pending Her Majesty's Pleasure, John Dent, Esquire, a member thereof Mr. Dent being in attendance, was sworn in, and took his seat at the Council Board.
The Governor laid on the Table the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure of the Colony for the ensuing year as finally prepared by the Honorable the Acting Colonial Secretary and approved by His Excellency.
The Honorable the Colonial Treasurer informed the Council that the printed Estimates having been received by him only this day, the Committee appointed for carrying out the Resolution of Council held on the 24th November, had not prepared their Report.
The Governor stated that as the Estimates should have been forwarded Home are this, and they having already been approved by him, he would forward them to the Secretary of State by the outgoing mail of the 29th Instant; and should the motion referred to be received in time, it would accompany the Estimates; but that in case it might not be practicable for the Honorable Members to have it ready, His Excellency would acquaint the Secretary of State, that it would be forwarded by the first mail of January next.
The Honorable the Acting Colonial Secretary put in the following motion, which was seconded by the Honorable George Lyall, Esquire, and carried unanimously:
"That from and after the 1st January, 1858, a Statement of the "Proceedings at each meeting of the Legislative Council, to be drawn up by the Clerk of Councils and after approval by His "Excellency the Governor, be published in the Government Gazette, "issued next after such meeting."
A Draft Ordinance "for criminal Procedure" was laid on the Table, and its purport having been explained to the Council by the Honorable the Attorney General, the Draft ordinance was read a first time, and ordered to be published for general information in the next Government Gazette.
A Draft Ordinance "for licensing and regulating the sale of opium in "small quantities" was laid on the Table, read a first time, and ordered to be printed and circulated among the Honorable Members.
The Honorable the Acting Colonial Secretary put in the following minute in reference to the Establishment of the Honorable the Lieutenant Governor:
"With reference to the motion of the 21st November 1857, regarding the present establishment of the Lieutenant Governor, I deem it my duty to append to my vote in support of such resolution certain Documents appearing in the Records of my Office. I do so for the purpose of laying more clearly before the Home Government the length of services of that Officer and the high opinion which has been continuously expressed of those services by his superior officers in this Colony. The Lieutenant Governor has been absent from the meetings of the Legislative Council on the Estimates, and I should be unwilling that the motion in question should go home without being accompanied by testimonies so favorable to the officer affected by them."
(Signed) "W. F. Bridges,"
"Acting Colonial Secretary."
"26 December, 1857"
The Council adjourned till Tuesday, the 5th January, 1858.
(Signed) John Bowring,
Governor.
Read and approved,
this 5th day of January, 1858
(Signed) L. d'Almada e Castro,
Clerk of Councils.
_____________________
(Ture Copy)
L.d' Almada e Castro,
Clerk of Councils.
Minutes of Proceedings
of the Legislative Council
of Hong Kong, for the
half year ending
31th December, 1857
Enclosure No. 2 in Desp:
No. 84 of 1858
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.