VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF HONGKONG. No. 16 OF 1873.
TUESDAY,19THAUGUST, 1873.
PRESENT:
His Excellency Governor SIR ARTHUR EDWARD KENNEDY, K.C.M.G., C.B. The Honorable the Chief Justice (JOHN SMALE).
The Honorable the Acting Colonial Secretary (CECIL CLEMENTI SMITH). The Honorable the Attorney General (JULIAN PAUNCEFOTE).
The Honorable the Acting Treasurer (CHARLES MAY).
The Honorable PHINEAS RYRIE.
The Honorable RICHARD ROWETT.
The Honorable WILLIAM HASTINGS ALEXANDER.
The Honorable JAMES WHITTALL.
ABSENT:
The Honorable HENRY JOHN BALL,─absent on leave.
The Council meets this day at 2.30 P.M., by Special Summons.
The Minutes of the Council held on the 9th July, are read and confirmed.
His Excellency lays on the Table a Letter of the 7th August, from various Merchants and Bankers in Hongkong, supporting and advocating the Motion of the Honorable RICHARD ROWETT for altering the Rules of the Legal Profession,─a copy of which was published in the Gazette of the 19th July.
The Honorable RICHARD ROWETT moves, in pursuance of notice,─"That for the convenience, and in the interest of the Public, it is desirable that all Barristers at Law admitted to practise as Advocates of the Supreme Court in this Colony, shall be permitted to take business from Clients personally, without the intervention of Attornies, in all Cases except those in which litigation has been actually commenced in the Supreme Court, and that at the earliest convenient opportunity the Government of this Colony shall adopt such means as may be necessary to that end."
The Honorable PHINEAS RYRIE seconds the Motion.
The Honorable the Attorney General moves as an amendment, seconded by the Honorable JAMES WHITTALL, that all the words following the word "That" be omitted, and that the following words be inserted in their place:─
"The Council, having regard to the expression of opinion contained in a "Letter recently addressed to the Government by a large proportion of the "Mercantile Community, are of opinion that it is expedient to modify to a certain "extent the Rules of the Legal Profession which restrict Barristers from giving "consultations and opinions and transacting other business, in certain cases, "without the intervention of an Attorney, but that such modifications should be "expressly defined and limited, in such way as may be deemed advisable so as to "meet the reasonable requirements of the Public without effecting an "Amalgamation of the two branches of the Legal Profession."
Debate ensues.
Amendment put, and Division demanded.
Council divides.
Ayes (6). Noes(2).
Mr. WHITTALL. Mr. ROWETT.
Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. RYRIE.
THE ACTING TREASURER.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
THE ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY.
THE CHIEF JUSTICE.
Amendment carried.
Amended Motion put, and passed.
His Excellency lays on the Table a Bill to apply a Sum not exceeding Six hundred and Seventy-two thousand Dollars to the Public Service of the Year 1874, and calls upon the Honorable the Acting Colonial Secretary to give such explanations of the Estimates as might be necessary.
At the request of certain Honorable Members, the explanation of the Estimates is deferred till the next Meeting of the Council.
The Appropriation Bill on the Table is then read a first time.
Read a first time, a Bill to extend to the Colony certain Provisions of an Act of the Imperial Parliament passed in the 22nd and 23rd years of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, Chapter Thirty-five, to amend the Law of Property in relation to Covenants and Conditions in Leases.
The Honorable the Attorney General states the grounds and reasons upon which the Bill is founded.
His Excellency adjourns the Council at 5 o'clock, till Tuesday next, the 26th instant, at 2.30 P.M.
A. E. KENNEDY,
Governor.
Read and confirmed, this 26th Day of August, 1873.
L. D'ALMADA ECASTRO,
Clerk of Councils.
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