1902-03-25 — Page 1

PRESENT:─

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25TH MARCH, 1902.

The DIRECTOR of PUBLIC WORKS submitted the

Report of the Public Works Committee (No. 1),

His EXCELLENCY THE OFFICER ADMINISTERING THE GOVERNMENT, Major-General Sir W. GASCOIGNE, K.C.M.G. (Commanding the Troops).

Hon. J. H. STEWART LOCKHART, C.M.G. (Colonial Secretary).

Hon. W. M. GOODMAN, K.C. (Attorney-General). Hon. Commander R. M. RUMSEY, R.N. (Harbour Master).

Hon. A. M. THOMSON (Colonial Treasurer). Hon. W. CHATHAM (Director of Public Works). Hon. A. W. BREWIN (Registrar-General). Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD.

Hon. J. THURBURN.

Hon. J. J. BELL-IRVING.

Hon. Dr. HO KAI.

Hon. WEI A YUK.

Mr. R. F. JOHNSTON (Acting Clerk of Councils). DR. HO KAI'S REAPPOINTMENT.

HIS EXCELLENCY─Attorney-General, I wish to ask if you consider it necessary that Dr. Ho Kai who has been re-appointed a member of Council for other six years, should be re-sworn at this meeting?

The ATTORNEY GENERAL─I consider, Your Excellency, that such a proceeding is necessary under Section 8 of the Promissory Oaths Ordinance of 1869 (No. 4 of 1869). In the course of the meeting Dr. Ho Kai should take the oath.

At a later stage, the oath was formally administered to Dr. Ho Kai.

PAPERS.

The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table the Report on the Police and on Crime for the year 1901, and the Report of the Director of the Observatory for the year 1901.

FINANCIAL.

The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table Financial Minute (No. 9), and moved that it be referred to the Finance Committee.

The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was agreed to.

The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table the Report of the Finance Committee (No. 2), and moved its adoption.

The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was agreed to.

PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE.

which was as follows:─The Chairman read several letters from Mr. Babington, Mr. Skelton, and others, requesting that nullahs in the neighbourhood of the houses which they occupied should be trained. He also submitted a small general plan of the City, showing the nullahs which remained to be trained near dwelling-houses, and an estimate of the cost of the work, amounting in all to $26,300. It was unanimously agreed to recommend that the work should be undertaken as early as possible, commencing with the streams in the neighbourhood of the Richmond Road and Macdonnell Road properties, and that a vote should be obtained for whatever sum could be expended by the Public Works Department during the year.

VOLUNTEERS AT THE CORONATION.

HIS EXCELLENCY─Gentlemen, I received some days ago the following telegram from the Secretary of State:─"His Majesty's Government hope to see the Colonies represented at the Coronation by local forces, as at the Jubilee, 1897. If you concur, His Majesty's Government will be prepared to receive from Hongkong any number not exceeding 75 of all arms. Selection left to yourself. Quarters for officers and quarters and rations for non-commissioned officers and men provided for about one month from date of arrival. Passage and all other expenses to be defrayed by the Colony. Officers must be limited to proportion of three per 100 men. There must be no unattached or supernumerary officers. I shall be glad to learn probable number and other details at your earliest convenience." When I received this telegram, gentlemen, I formed the opinion in my own mind that if any contingent were sent from Hongkong certainly the honour should devolve upon those, like the Volunteers, who give their time and services, and indeed in many cases their money, free gratis to the Colony; but in all such matters I felt that I must go on the advice of those who have far more experience than myself, and so I determined to consult the Executive Council on the subject, but before doing so I was obliged to find out first whether there would be a possibility of a sufficient number of Volunteers who would be ready and willing and able to get leave to go. Well, I received an answer from the Officer Commanding the Hongkong Volunteers, saying there would be a sufficiency of men able and willing to go, and desirous of going, and I then laid the matter before the Executive Council; and I am glad to say that they unanimously agreed that the Hongkong Volunteers, on the grounds I have formerly stated, that they give their services to the Colony free, should have the priority of claim. As this involves a considerable expenditure of money, I now come to you to-day, gentlemen, and ask if you also endorse

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the opinion already expressed.

There being no indication of a contrary opinion,

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HIS EXCELLENCY continued─I conclude, gentlemen, that you are all agreeable to that. That being so, I would like to take this public opportunity of saying that I trust employers will see their way to afford all facilities to deserving men in their employment who are also Volunteers, to enable them to go; and I think that if this statement can be considered sufficient by employers of labour I should be glad, because it would be a little difficult for me to send out circulars to all employers of labour on the subject. Of course we shall lay before you─I regret to say that in spite of my endeavours I am unable to do so at present─the details of the expenditure present, but these I am endeavouring to get as soon as possible. There is also another thing. There is a certain number of officers, non commissioned officers and men─as I say, a sufficiency of names here put down of men hoping to be able to get away and willing to do so; but in addition to them there is a number of officers (rather a large number of officers) and men who will be in England, or are in England at this moment, who are anxious to take part with their own units in the Coronation ceremonies. They made the generous offer that they would take part in the ceremonies free, as it were, giving no expense to the Colony, with the sole stipulation that they thought they should have their railway fares from their homes paid to and from London; and that in the case of the officers there should be a subsistence for the days they are detained in London. With regard to the matter, as you observe, the officers must be limited to a proportion of three per 100 men and there must be no unattached or supernumerary officers. Well, these officers are neither unattached nor supernumerary, but I know from former experience in Canada that the number of officers turning up with a small body of men created a good deal of confusion; and therefore before I could allow these officers and men who are in England to take part in it I shall have to get the approval of the Secretary of State; but I feel quite confident, gentlemen, that you would wish that the contingent sent from Hongkong should be sent in such a way so to reflect credit on this great Colony, (Applause.)

SUMMONING OF CHINESE ORDINANCE.

The ATTORNEY GENERAL made the following motion as to Ordinance No. 40 of 1819:─ "Whereas by section 5 of 'The Summoning of Chinese Ordinance 1899' (No. 40 of 1899) it was enacted that the said Ordinance should only continue in operation for the period of two years from the coming into operation of the said Ordinance and for such further period or periods as might, from time to time, be determind by Resolution of the Legislative Council, and whereas such operation has been continued by Resolution of this Council till the 30th day of March, 1902 (inclusive): It is hereby resolved by this Council that 'The Summoning of Chinese Ordinance, 1899,' shall be further continued in operation for the further period of two years from

the 31st day of March, 1902, (inclusive). He said─I may say that on 28th December last this Council extended the operation of this Ordinance for three months from 30th December, in order to enable the Registrar-General's report to be considered and that time might be afforded for full consideration as to whether the Ordinance should be extended or not. The report of the Registrar-General was sent to the Secretary of State, and he has sent a despatch saying that he approves of the proposal that it should be extended for a further period of two years from 30th March inclusive. In these circumstances, I move that that the Ordinance be extended for the period mentioned. I may say that there have been no complaints in regard to the working of it, that the working has been very carefully conducted and will be very carefully conducted in the future.

The REGISTRAR-GENERAL seconded, and the motion was agreed to.

NATURALISATION ORDINANCE.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the second reading of the Bill entitled An Ordinance for the Naturalisation of Chü Ship Chün, alias Chü Li, alias Chü Man Tin, alias Chü K'au Mi.

The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was agreed to.

The Council then went into Committee on the Bill, and considered it clause by clause.

On the Council resuming.

The Bill was read a third time and passed on the motion of the ATTORNEY -GENERAL, seconded by the COLONIAL SECRETARY.

The Council adjourned sine die.

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FINANCE COMMITTEE.

A meeting of the Finance Committee was held immediately after the Council, the Colonial Secretary (Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart, C.M.G.) presiding.

WATERING OF STREETS.

The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $7,500 in aid of the vote of $2,400, "Watering Streets," Sanitary Department.

The CHAIRMAN─With regard to this recommendation, no doubt the Committee would like to have some explanation of this increase in the vote, and I do not think I can give a more lucid explanation than that contained in a letter from the Secretary of the Sanitary Board, which I shall read. The letter says:─"The vote 'Watering Streets' is

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exhausted and a supplementary vote for $7,500 is required to meet the expenditure under this head during the remaining portion of the current year. In explanation of the early expenditure of the original vote of $2,400 I beg to add that the

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amount of this vote has been insufficient for several years past, but no addition was made to it when the estimates were under consideration, as the use of water-carts was then being discussed, and it was uncertain what effect the use of the water-carts would have on the expenditure. The water-carts were first used in August, 1901. and increased the expenditure to such an extent that a supplementary vote of $1,800 was taken in October, 1901, in aid of the 'Watering Street' vote, but owing to the fact that the coolies engaged in watering the streets worked eight hours a day and were paid thirty cents instead of twenty cents a day

from October 1st, 1901, the expenditure under this heading could not be met, and a December bill of $306 was paid in January and consequently out of the vote of $2,400 for the current year. I attach a statement giving full details of the expenditure during 1901 and 1902 up to date, and it will be noticed that owing to the fact that only 1.39 in. of rain has fallen during November, December and January, the expenditure incurred for watering streets has been unusually heavy."

On the motion of the CHAIRMAN, the recommendation was approved.

This was all the business.

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