1887-03-25 — Page 1

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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL No. 21.

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FRIDAY, 25TH MARCH, 1887.

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PRESENT:

HIS EXCELLENCY WILLIAM HENRY MARSH, C.M.G.,

Administering the Government in the absence of His Excellency SIR GEORGE FERGUSON BOWEN, G.C.M.G. His Honour the Chief Justice, (SIR GEORGE PHILLIPPO, Knt.)

The Honourable the Acting Colonial Secretary, (FREDERICK STEWART.)

,, the Acting Attorney General, (EDWARD JAMES ACKROYD.)

,, the Colonial Treasurer, (ALFRED LISTER.)

,, the Surveyor General, (JOHN MACNEILE PRICE.)

,, HENRY GEORGE THOMSETT, R.N.

,, PHINEAS RYRIE.

,, WONG SHING.

,, JOHN BELL-IRVING, (vice the Honourable WILLIAM KESWICK, on leave).

,, ALEXANDER PALMER MACEWEN, (vice the Honourable THOMAS JACKSON, on leave).

,, CATCHICK PAUL CHATER, (vice the Honourable FREDERICK DAVID SASSOON, on leave).

The Council met pursuant to adjournment.

The Minutes of the last Meeting, held on the 18th instant, were read and confirmed.

VOTE OF MONEY REFERRED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.―Read the following Minute by His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government:―

W. H. MARSH.

C.S.O.

696 of 1887. Chinese correspondence having increased very much of late, especially registered letters from America, the duties of the Senior Postman, who has to distribute all registered letters and obtain signatures to receipts, are now more than one man can accomplish in the course of a day.

The Officer Administering the Government, on the representation of the Postmaster General, recommends the Council to vote a sum of $80 to meet the salary of another Postman at the rate of $10 per month from 1st of April next. Government House, Hongkong, 22nd March, 1887.

The Acting Colonial Secretary moved that this vote be referred to the Finance Committee.

The Treasurer seconded.

Question―put and passed.

PAPER.―The Acting Colonial Secretary, by direction of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government, laid upon the table the following paper:―

Correspondence in connection with the proposed Loan. (No. 1787 ).

PETITIONS.―The Acting Colonial Secretary said that the Clerk of Councils had received two Petitions, and moved that they be read.

The following Petitions were then read by the Clerk of Councils:―

(1.)

TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT, AND THE HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF HONGKONG.

The humble petition of Shellim Ezekiel Shellim, of the firm of David Sassoon, Sons & Co., Jacob Silas Moses, of the firm of E. D. Sassoon & Co., Ruttonjee Dadabhoy Tata, of the firm of Tata & Co., Marcus David Ezekiel, of the firm of Abraham, Ezekiel & Co., Mahomedbhoy Khetsey, of the firm of Tharia Topan, Jafferbhoy Khetsey, of the firm of Jairazbhoy Peerbhoy & Co., and Hormusjee Meherwanjee Mehta, of the firm of Framjee Hormusjee & Co., all of Victoria in the Colony of Hongkong, for and on behalf of the Opium Importers and wholesale Opium Merchants of the said Colony.

SHEWETH,―That at a recent Meeting of the Opium Importers and wholesale Opium Merchants of this Colony, held for the purpose of considering the Bill now before your Honourable Council, entitled An Ordinance for the better regulating of the trade in Opium, it was inter alia resolved that the said Bill, if passed in its present form, would prejudicially affect their trade, and that your petitioners should be appointed a Committee to take such measures as they might consider advisable to bring their complaints before your Honourable Council.

That while fully recognizing the necessity of carrying out the object aimed at by the said Bill, namely, the prevention of Opium smuggling into China, and while sympathizing with its spirit, your petitioners submit that the means by which it is proposed to effectuate such object would inflict serious injury upon the Opium trade, and especially on the aforesaid Opium Importers and wholesale and retail Opium dealers, and prove a blow to the general commerce and prosperity of this Colony.

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That your petitioners believe that the ends intended to be accomplished by the said Bill could be attained by other and less objectionable means, and that your petitioners are prepared to co-operate with your Honourable Council and the Executive in attaining the desired object.

That inasmuch as the Bill affects private interests, and was only brought in and read a first time on Friday, the 18th instant, it is desirable to postpone the second reading thereof so as to enable the persons who are more immediately interested, as well as the general public, to acquaint themselves with its scope and object.

Your petitioners therefore humbly pray

1.― That the second reading of the said Bill may be postponed until such day as your Honourable Council may under the circumstances deem meet.

2.― That your petitioners may be heard by Counsel at the bar of your Honourable Council as to their objections to the said Bill in its present form.

3.― That the said Bill may be so amended or modified as to remove the objections of your petitioners, or that it may be withdrawn and a fresh Bill introduced such as the necessity of the case requires.

And your petitioners will ever pray, &c.

S E. SHELLIM.

J. S. MOSES.

R. D. TATA.

M. D. EZEKIEL.

M. KHETSEY.

J. KHETSEY.

H. M. MEHTA.

Hongkong, 22nd March, 1887.

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(2.)

TO THE HONOURABLE

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF HONGKONG.

The humble petition of the undersigned merchants and traders resident in Hongkong. Respectfully showeth:― 1.―Your petitioners are dealers in Opium risiding and carrying on business in Hongkong.

2.―At the meeting of your Honourable Council held on Friday, the 18th March instant, a Bill was introduced and read a first time entitled An Ordinance for the better regulating of the trade in Opium, and the said bill is framed for the purpose of regulating the movement of Raw Opium in this. Colony and of prohibiting the purchase or sale of Raw Opium in quantities less than one chest.

3.―Your petitioners deal largely in Raw Opium, buying and selling it in quantities less than one chest, and have a large capital engaged in the said business, and they employ in their said business many hundreds of persons. 4.―If the said Bill becomes law in its present form the business hitherto carried on by your petitioners will absolutely cease and can no more be carried on the capital therein employed will be idle, the hundreds of persons now occupied in the said business will be thrown out of employment, and your petitioners will all of them suffer grievous loss and injury, and some of them will be irretrievably ruined.

5.―Your petitioners respectfully submit that the objects proposed to be attained by the said Bill may be far more effectually carried out by means other than those contained in the said Bill, and without loss or injury to any class of the community; and they therefore humbly pray that on the second reading of the said Bill they may be heard by their Counsel against the said Bill, under the provisions of the 47th of the Standing Orders and Rules of this Honourable Council, and that they may have due notice of such second reading.

WING KAT CHEUNG. KWONG IN CHEONG.

HOP WO. FUK SHUN LUNG.

KING WO. SHING KI.

I UN HO. KWONG SHING LI.

KU UN HO. MAN UN HO.

WING LI LUNG. TIN UN.

LI TAI SING. PO FUNG CHEONG.

KWONG UN SHING. CHING LUNG.

FUK UN CHEUNG KI. SHANG UN HO.

YUT WO U KI. ON SHING HO.

SHUN KAT HO. MIN UN HO.

Hongkong, 23rd March, 1887.

His Excellency then addressed the Council.

The Chief Justice also addressed the Council.

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QUESTIONS.―PRAYA EXTENSION.―Mr. MACEWEN, pursuant to notice, asked:―

Whether any decision has as yet been arrived at with reference to the Praya Extension Scheme; and called for all Correspondence and Papers on the subject.

The Officer Administering the Government replied, and laid upon the table the following paper:― Memorandum by His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government on the question of the Praya Extension. (No. 1887 ).

RETURN OF UNSTAMPED CORRESPONDENCE.―Mr. MACEWEN, pursuant to notice, asked:―

For an explanation from the Postmaster General with regard to the recent action of the Post Office Authorities in returning to Shanghai and the Coast Ports certain unstamped letters which were addressed to well-known Firms and Individuals in this Colony.

The Treasurer replied, and laid upon the table the following paper:―

Return of Unstamped Correspondence. (No. 1987 ).

LIGHT-HOUSE ON GAP ROCK.―Mr. MACEWEN, pursuant to notice, asked:―

Whether any reply has been received from the Colonial Office regarding the proposed Light on Gap Rock.

The Acting Colonial Secretary replied, and laid upon the table the following paper:―

Correspondence respecting a proposed Light-house on Gap Rock. (No. 2087 ).

BILL ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE FOR THE BETTER REGULATING OF THE TRADE IN OPIUM.―The Acting Attorney General moved the second reading of this Bill, and stated the objects and reasons of it.

The Treasurer seconded, and addressed the Council.

Mr. CHATER addressed the Council, and moved that the second reading of the Bill be postponed till this day three weeks, and that Counsel be heard at the bar on the subject of the Bill.

Mr. MACEWEN seconded.

The Acting Attorney General moved, as an amendment, that a special meeting he held on Wednesday, the 30th instant, at 3 P.M., to consider the Bill.

The Treasurer seconded.

Mr. RYRIE addressed the Council.

The Chief Justice addressed the Council.

Mr. WONG SHING addressed the Council.

The Council then divided:―

For. Against.

Captain THOMSETT. Mr. CHATER.

THE SURVEYOR GENERAL. Mr. BELL-IRVING.

THE COLONIAL TREASURER. Mr. MACEWEN.

THE ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL. Mr. WONG SHING.

THE ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY. Mr. RYRIE.

THE CHIEF JUSTICE.

Amendment carried by a majority of one.

The Officer Administering the Government stated that there would be no objection to Counsel appearing. BILL ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE TO ABOLISH TRANSPORTATION AND PENAL SERVITUDE AND TO SUBSTITUTE OTHER PUNISHMENT IN LIEU THEREOF.―The Acting Attorney General moved the second reading of this Bill, and stated the objects and reasons of it.

The Acting Colonial Secretary seconded.

Question―put and passed.

Bill read a second time.

POSTPONEMENT OF THE OTHER ORDERS OF THE DAY.―On the motion of the Acting Attorney General, the other Orders of the Day were postponed.

ADJOURNMENT.―The Council then adjourned until Wednesday, the 30th instant, at 3 P.M. W. H. MARSH,

Administering the Government.

Read and confirmed, this 30th day of March, 1887.

ARATHOON SETH,

Clerk of Councils.