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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL NO. 17.
WEDNESDAY, 25TH MARCH, 1885.
PRESENT:
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR
(SIR GEORGE FERGUSON BOWEN, G.C.M.G.)
His Honour the Chief Justice, (SIR GEORGE PHILLIPPO, Knt.)
The Honourable the Colonial Secretary, (WILLIAM HENRY MARSH, C.M.G.)
,, the Attorney General, (EDWARD LOUGHLIN O'MALLEY.)
,, the Colonial Treasurer, (ALFRED LISTER.)
,, the Surveyor General, (JOHN MACNEILE PRICE.)
,, the Registrar General (FREDERICK STEWART, LL.D.)
,, PHINEAS RYRIE.
,, WILLIAM KESWICK.
,, THOMAS JACKSON.
,, FREDERICK DAVID SASSOON.
,, WONG SHING.
The Council met in pursuance of adjournment.
Minutes read and confirmed.
VOTE OF MONEY REFERRED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.—Read the following Minute by His Excellency the Governor:—
G. F. BOWEN.
The Governor recommends the Council to vote the following sum:—
C.S.O.
541 of 1885. Arrears of pay for 1884, due to Inspector LINDSAY, who has just returned from leave and accepted the increase of pay under the new regulations as to term of service
for pension and remittances to England,................................................................... $ 81.28
Government House, 25th March, 1885.
The Colonial Secretary moved that this Minute be referred to the Finance Committee.
The Colonial Treasurer seconded.
Question—put and passed.
ASSENT TO ORDINANCES.—The Clerk of Councils announced His Excellency the Governor's assent to the following Ordinances:—
No. 3 of 1885.—The Bankers' Books Evidence Ordinance, 1885.
No. 4 of 1885.—An Ordinance to amend Ordinance 8 of 1882.
No. 5 of 1885.—An Ordinance to amend Ordinance 7 of 1873.
No. 6 of 1885.—An Ordinance to amend Ordinance 14 of 1870.
No. 7 of 1885.—The Unclaimed Balances Ordinance, 1885.
No. 8 of 1885.—The Weights and Measures Ordinance, 1885.
ORDINANCES CONFIRMED BY THE QUEEN.—The Clerk of Councils announced Her Majesty's confirmation of the following Ordinances:—
No. 1 of 1884, entitled.—The Opium Ordinance, 1884.
No. 2 of 1884, entitled.—An Ordinance for the naturalisation of WILLIAM DOBERCK.
No. 3 of 1884, entitled.—An Ordinance to amend Ordinance 3 of 1862.
No. 5 of 1884, entitled.—An Ordinance for the naturalisation of TSÉUNG SZ-KÁI.
No. 6 of 1884, entitled.—The Medical Registration Ordinance, 1884.
No. 7 of 1884, entitled.—The Dangerous Goods Ordinance, Amendment Ordinance, 1884.
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No. 8 of 1884, entitled.—The Criminal Procedure Amendment Ordinance, 1884.
No. 9 of 1884, entitled.—An Ordinance to amend Ordinance 3 of 1881.
No. 11 of 1884, entitled.—The French Mail Steamers Ordinance continuation Ordinance, 1884. No. 13 of 1884, entitled.—An Ordinance to amend Ordinance 3 of 1871.
No. 14 of 1884, entitled.—The Merchant Shipping Ordinance, 1879, Amendment Ordinance, 1884. No. 15 of 1884, entitled.—The Stamp Ordinance, 1884.
No. 16 of 1884, entitled.—The Preservation of Birds Ordinance 1870, Amendment Ordinance 1884. No. 17 of 1884, entitled.—An Ordinance to make provision for certain duties formerly attaching to the Office of Sheriff.
No. 18 of 1884, entitled.—An Ordinance to authorise FRANCIS BULKELEY JOHNSON to construct piers and wharves in the harbour of Victoria, and to confer upon the
said FRANCIS BULKELEY JOHNSON certain other powers and
privileges.
No. 19 of 1884, entitled.—An Ordinance to authorise CATCHICK PAUL CHATER, to construct piers and wharves in the harbour of Victoria, and to confer upon the said
CATCHICK PAUL CHATER certain other powers and privileges.
No. 20 of 1884, entitled.—An Ordinance to authorise the Appropriation of a Supplementary Sum of Two hundred and Thirty-five thousand Three hundred and Forty
five Dollars and Twenty-six Cents to defray the Charges of the
Year 1883.
No. 21 of 1884, entitled.—An Ordinance to apply a sum not exceeding One million and Six thousand, Eight hundred and Eighty-one Dollars to the Public Service of the
Year 1885.
No. 22 of 1884, entitled.—The Peace Preservation Ordinance, 1884.
THE LATE SIR HARRY PARKES.—The Honourable P. RYRIE addressed the Council with reference to the death of the late Sir HARRY S. PARKES, Her Britannic Majesty's Minister at Peking, and moved that this Council pass a resolution of condolence with the family of the deceased.
The Honourable T. JACKSON seconded the motion.
His Excellency the Governor addressed the Council, expressing his entire concurrence with the motion, and read the following despatch which he had addressed to the Secretary of State for the Colonies on the subject:— GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
HONGKONG, March 24th, 1885.
My LORD,—I have the honour to report that the telegraphic intelligence of the death of Sir HARRY PARKES on the 22nd instant, of remittent typhoid fever, after three days' illness, has caused much sorrow in Hongkong, where he had formerly resided for several years. This feeling will be general throughout the English communities in China and Japan, with which he has been connected as Consul and Minister for above a quarter of a century. Even those who differed from some parts of Sir HARRY PARKES' policy always admired his many high qualities,—his courage, his energy, his unselfish devotion to the public service. To myself he is a great loss. Our relations, both official and personal, have always been most cordial; he deplored that I had been obliged to seek, on medical certificate, the leave of absence which was so kindly granted by your Lordship; and he rejoiced and applauded when I decided, at whatever risk of health and sacrifice of personal convenience, to remain at my post during the present crisis in the affairs of this quarter of the globe. The feeling of Sir HARRY PARKES on this point was identical with my own. He had been for some time in failing health, and he felt severely the weight of work and responsibility pressing upon him, as upon me, at the present juncture. But he declined to listen to the advice given him to seek at least temporary rest and relaxation. Recently he wrote to a friend as follows:— "Where I may fail is in physical health, which warns me that the present strain will have its limits, and that some relief,— even if it be for a short period,—will become indispensable. I shall do my best, however, to hold on till the end of this year." His friends knew, and Sir HARRY PARKES himself knew, that his impaired strength would yield altogether to any severe attack of illness, if he should determine to remain at Peking. He did so determine, and thus this able and gallant servant of his Queen and country has died by the most enviable of all deaths, at the post of honour and duty.
I have, &c.,
G. F. BOWEN.
Question—put and passed.
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BILL READ A SECOND TIME.—On the motion of the Attorney General, seconded by the Colonial Secretary, the Bill entitled The Married Women's Disposition of Property Ordinance, 1885, was read a second time. PRIVATE BILL.—FIRST READING.—On the motion of the Attorney General, seconded by the Colonial Secretary, A Bill for the Incorporation of the Roman Catholic Vicar Apostolic of Hongkong, was read a first time. A BILL ENTITLED THE BILLS OF EXCHANGE ORDINANCE, 1885, IN COMMITTEE.—On the motion of the Attorney General, seconded by the Colonial Secretary, the Council resumed consideration, in Committee, of the Bill entitled The Bills of Exchange Ordinance, 1885.
Progress reported at clause 82.
On the motion of the Colonial Secretary, the Council adjourned until Wednesday, the 1st proximo, at 4 P.M.
G. F. BOWEN,
Governor.
Read and confirmed, this 1st day of April, 1885.
ARATHOON SETH,
Clerk of Councils.
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