1871-09-22 — Page 1

VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE LEGISALTIVE COUNCIL OF HONGKONG. No. 10 OF 1871.

FRIDAY, 22nd SEPTEMBER, 1871.

PRESENT :

His Excellency Major-General WHITFIELD, Lieutenant-Governor. The Honorable the Acting Colonial Secretary (JOHN GARDINER AUSTIN.) The Honorable the Acting Attorney General (HENRY JOHN BALL.) The Honorable the Acting Colonial Treasurer (CECIL CLEMENTI SMITH.) The Honorable PHINEAS RYRIE.

The Honorable HENRY LOWCOCK.

The Honorable RICHARD ROWETT.

ABSENT :

The Honorable the Chief Justice (JOHN SMALE), absent on leave.

The Council meets this day at 2.30 p.m., pursuant to adjournment. The Minutes of the Council held on the 11th September, are read and confirmed. The Appropriation Bill for 1872, is read a second time, and the Council goes into Committee upon the Estimates for the said year.

The following Votes are agreed to : -

CIVIL DEPARTMENTS : - $ c. Governor, .............................................................. 740.00

Colonial Secretary, ............................................... 12,316.00

Colonial Treasurer, ............................................... 5,012.00

Auditor General, ................................................... 14,087.00

Clerk of Councils, ................................................. 100.00

Surveyor General, ................................................. 21,670.00

Postmaster General, .............................................. 35,210.00

On the Vote for the Registrar General's Department being submitted, a Question is put by the Honorable PHINEAS RYRIE, calling for information relative to the duties of the Registrar General, and asking - "Is it one of the duties of the Department to transmit to Custom-house Officials in Canton letters which have been declared in this Council to be private and confidential?"

The Honorable the Acting Treasurer, in his capacity of Registrar General, with some vehemence replies to the Honorable Member, and assures His Excellency and Members of Council, that no grounds exist for imputing either to himself or to any Officer in his Department the charge implied by the Honorable Member.

Certain remarks on the subject having then been made by other Honorable Members, consideration of the Estimates in Committee is resumed. The following Votes are agreed to : -

Registrar General, ............................................ 10,878.00

Harbor Master, ................................................. 27,547.60

Collector of Stamp Revenue, ........................... 4,078.00

JUDICIAL DEPARTMENTS, .......................................... 10,624.00 REGISTRAR OF COMPANIES' DEPARTMENT, ............... 192.00 ECCLESIASTICAL DEPARTMENT, ........................... 1,134.00 MEDICAL do., ..................................... 15,774.00 POLICE MAGISTRATES' do., ..................................... 25,196.00 POLICE do., ..................................... 188,561.10 GAOL do., ..................................... 44,195.00 FIRE BRIGADE do., ..................................... 7,348.00 CHARITABLE ALLOWANCE, ....................................... 1,756.00 TRANSPORT, .............................................................. 4,500.00 WORKS AND BUILDINGS, ........................................... 87,000.00 ROADS, STREETS AND BRIDGES, ............................... 38,000.00 MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES,...................................... 30,000.00 MILITARY CONTRIBUTION, ........................................ 94,000.00 Total, ........................ $687,296.70

The Estimates having passed through Committee, and the Appropriation Bill being amended in accordance with the foregoing Votes, His Excellency puts the Question - That this Bill as amended, do pass, and that the Title be "An Ordinance enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the Advice of the Legislative Council thereof, to apply a sum not exceeding Six hundred and Eighty-eight thousand Dollars to the Public Service of the Year 1872."

Question put and carried, - the Ordinance being numbered "No. 9 of 1871." The Honorable the Colonial Secretary lays on the Table the Special Fund Account for the Half Year ending 30th June, 1871.

His Excellency then adjourns the Council at 5 Minutes before 5 P.M. HENRY WASE WHITFIELD,

Major-General, and Lieutenant-Governor.

Read, amended and confirmed, this 18th Day of October, 1871.

L. D'ALMADA E CASTRO,

Clerk of Councils