VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF HONGKONG.
NO. 8 OF 1876.
THURSDAY, 21ST SEPTEMBER, 1876.
PRESENT:
His Excellency Governor SIR ARTHUR EDWARD KENNEDY, K.C.M.G., C.B. The Honourable the Colonial Secretary (JOHN GARDINER AUSTIN, C.M.G.). The Honourable the Acting Attorney General (JAMES RUSSELL).
The Honourable the Acting Colonial Treasurer (CHARLES MAY).
The Honourable PHINEAS RYRIE.
The Honourable HENRY LOWCOCK.
The Honourable WILLIAM KESWICK.
The Council meets this day at 2.30 P.M., by Special Summons.
Before commencing proceedings, the Acting Attorney General, JAMES RUSSELL, takes the Oath as a Member of the Legislative Council.
The Minutes of the last Meeting of Council are read and confirmed.
The Honourable WILLIAM KESWICK, with the permission of His Excellency, enquires of His Excellency the Governor, whether an answer has been received from the Secretary of State in respect to the suggestion made on the 26th April last, to add a clause to the Bill relating to Chinese Passenger Ships, to empower the Governor in Council to grant Special Licences to Mail and other first class Steamers.
In reply, His Excellency states that no answer has yet been received from Her Majesty's Secretary of State in reference to the clause alluded to.
The following Bills are then laid upon the Table, and read a first time:—
A Bill to authorize the Appropriation of a Supplementary Sum not exceeding Fifty-five thousand Dollars, to defray the Charges of the Year 1875.
A Bill to apply a Sum not exceeding Eight hundred and Twenty-six thousand Dollars to the Public Service of the Year 1877.
His Excellency nominates the following Members to form the Sub-Committee to consider and report upon the Estimates:—The Colonial Secretary, the Acting Colonial Treasurer, the Honourable PHINEAS RYRIE, and the Honourable WILLIAM KESWICK.
His Excellency the Governor informs the Council, that after lengthened consideration and correspondence, it had been decided with reference to the Ordinance relating to the "China Traders' Insurance Company, Limited," that any measure dealing with the question of subdivision of shares should have a general and not a special application. The Acting Attorney General would, therefore, lay a Bill upon the Table having for its object the repeal of Ordinance No. 4 of 1876 and the amendment of the Companies Ordinance, 1865.
The Acting Attorney General then introduces a Bill to repeal No. 4 of 1876
and to amend the Companies Ordinance, 1865. The Bill is read a first time.
His Excellency next lays before the Council various papers which had been already circulated amongst Honourable Members in connection with a proposal from the Secretary of State that Hongkong should join the International Postal Union.
His Excellency briefly explains, that the estimated loss to the Revenue by the adoption of the proposal would be £3,150 per annum; that there would, however, be a saving to the general public amounting to a considerably larger sum than the Subsidy the Colony would be called upon to pay; and that, after full consideration, he was strongly disposed to recommend its adoption.
By desire of His Excellency, two Reports from the Postmaster General illustrating the nature of the proposed change and its bearing upon the Postal Revenue are then read.
The Honourable WILLIAM KESWICK states that, after careful consideration, he has much pleasure in proposing that the Offer of Her Majesty's Secretary of State that this Colony enter the International Postal Union on payment of £3,150 per annum be accepted.
The Honourable the Colonial Secretary seconds the motion.
The motion is put and carried unanimously.
His Excellency adjourns the Council sine die at 3.50 P.M.
A. E. KENNEDY,
Governor.
Read and confirmed, this 16th Day of November, 1876.
H. E. WODEHOUSE,
Clerk of Councils.
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