1907-05-23 — Page 1

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23RD MAY, 1907. PRESENT:―

HIS EXCELLENCY THE OFFICER ADMINISTERING THE GOVERNMENT, Hon. Mr. F. H. MAY, C.M.G.

MAJOR-GENERAL R. G. BROADWOOD, C.B., A.C.D.

Hon. Mr. A.M. THOMSON (Colonial Secretary).

Hon. Mr. H. H. J. GOMPERTZ (Attorney General).

Hon. Mr. C. McI. MESSER (Colonial Treasurer).

Hon. Mr. W. CHATHAM (Director of Public Works).

Hon. Mr. A. W. BREWIN (Registrar-General).

Hon. Mr. F. J. BADELEY (Captain Superintendent of Police).

Hon. Dr. HO KAI, M.B., C.M., C.M.G. Hon. Mr. WEI YUK.

Hon. Mr. H. E. POLLOCK, K.C.

Hon. Mr. E. A. HEWETT.

Hon. Mr. E. OSBORNE.

Hon. Mr. H. KESWICK.

Mr. A. G. M. FLETCHER (Clerk of Councils).

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MINUTES.

His EXCELLENCY reported that the Bill had passed

The minutes of the previous meeting were read, and confirmed.

NEW MEMBERS.

Major-General R. G. Broadwood and Mr. H. Keswick took the oath and assumed their seats as members of the Council.

FINANCE.

The COLONIAL SECRETARY, by command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government, laid on the table the report of the proceedings of the Finance Committee meeting, held on the 16th May, 1907, and moved its adoption.

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

PAPERS.

The COLONIAL SECRETARY, by command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government, laid on the table the report of the Superintendent of Prisons for the year 1906, and a statement showing the estimate of expenditure on the Kowloon-Canton Railway up to December, 1907.

The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS. by command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government, laid on the table a report of the proceedings of the Public Works Committee, No. 1.

THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY.

The COLONIAL SECRETARY―I beg to move the following resolution: "It is hereby resolved that a sum of two million four hundred and thirty-eight thousand dollars ($2,438,000) be advanced out of funds in the custody of the Government for the purposes of construction of the Kowloon-Canton Railway (British section) during the year 1907." It is possible, Sir, that members of Council may wish to ask questions about this. I suggest that the resolution be not put to the meeting to-day, but that it should be referred to the Finance Committee.

The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded.

HIS EXCELLENCY―I think that would be the most convenient method to adopt, gentlemen.

Members agreed, and the motion was carried. VALIDITY OF A JUDGE'S DECISIONS.

The ATTORNEY GENERAL moved the second eading of the Bill entitled "An Ordinance to remove doubts as to the validity of the proceedings of the Supreme Court of this Colony during the time that Alfred Gascoyne Wise, Esquire, held the office of Puisne Judge of such Court from the 25th day of June 1902 down to the present time."

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

The Council then went into committee to consider the Bill seriatim.

When the Council resumed,

through committee with several verbal alterations. BILLS OF EXCHANGE ORDINANCE.

The ATTORNEY -GENERAL moved the second reading of the Bill entitled "An Ordinance to amend the Bills of Exchange Ordinance, 1885,"

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

The Council then went into Committee to consider the Bill seriatim.

When the Council resumed,

The ATTORNEY -GENERAL moved that the Bill be referred to the Law Committee.

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

MARRIED WOMEN'S PROPERTY ORDINANCE. The ATTORNEY -GENERAL moved the second reading of the Bill entitled "An Ordinance to amend the Married Women's Property Ordinance, 1906." The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was agreed to.

The Council then resolved itself into Committee to consider the Bill seriatim.

When the Council resumed,

His Excellency reported that the Bill had passed through Committee with minor alterations. PROBATES ORDINANCE AMENDMENT. The ATTORNEY -GENERAL moved the second reading of the Bill entitled "An Ordinance to amend the Probates Ordinance, 1887."

The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.

The Council went into committee to consider the Bill seriatim.

When the Council resumed,

The ATTORNEY -GENERAL moved that the Bill be read a third time.

The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.

There being no objections, the Bill was read a third time, and became law.

HONGKONG COLLEGE OF MEDICINE. The Hon. Dr. HO KAI moved the second reading of the Bill entitled "An Ordinance for the incorporation of the Hongkong College of Medicine." In doing so he said:―I may be permitted to say a few words showing the objects and reasons for this Bill. The Hongkong College of Medicine, as is probably known to all hon. members, was established some twenty years ago, being first founded in the year 1887. It has been carried on by a number of professional men, recruited mostly from the Civil Service, from the Army and the Navy, and from the professional gentlemen practicing the medical profession in this Colony. From the very beginning, besides $1,000 which had been very generously granted to us by the

committee of the Tung Wa Hospital, the chairman of which at the time was my hon. colleague opposite, we had no funds at all at the disposal of the College, and with this $1,000 to begin with we had to purchase all the necessary books, and models, and diagrams, and specimens that we required. For fifteen years we had only to look to fees we received from students to support the institution and to meet its various expenses. All the lecturers gave their services gratis, voluntarily and honourably. Some five or six years ago the Government were very generous in coming to our aid with an annual amount of $2,500, and since then a gentleman by the name of Tang Chuk-kai, who died at the end of last year, very generously endowed us with a bequest of something like $10,000 to meet the expenses of the College. And it is to enable the College to acquire this property, and to be able to manage now the fund is placed under its control, that this Ordinance is necessary. I may also mention that in a short time we hope, by some Chinese merchants, to be able to get the College built upon the land which has been very graciously reserved for us by the Government. And I would hope also that when the College is built there will be an endowment fund which will be contributed by wealthy merchants of Hongkong, both European and Chinese. In that case we shall then, by this Ordinance, be enabled to receive the property. These are the objects and reasons for this Ordinance, and, I am sure the hon. members of this Council all will be glad to see the College, which is a useful institution in this Colony, now about to be established and placed on a permanent basis.

Hon. Mr. WEI YUK seconded the motion. His EXCELLENCY―I should like to take this opportunity of saying that in my opinion there is perhaps no more useful institution in the Colony than this Hongkong College of Medicine. I have the honour to be Rector of the College, and I wish I were not for the moment, because then I should feel quite free to eulogise the work that has already been done and is being done by the College, and by its licentiates in the Colony. I think that thanks are due to the gentlemen who devoted a great deal of their valuable time in the past to the advancement of the object for which this College is founded, and those gentlemen who continue to do so, even although at the present time some of them receive a very small remuneration, as the hon. gentleman who moved the

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second reading mentioned. I would like to say, at the same time, that I don't think anyone has done more for the College than has the mover of the present motion (applause).

The motion was agreed to.

Council then resolved itself into a committee of the whole Council, and considered the Bill, clause by clause.

On resuming, HIS EXCELLENCY reported that the Bill had passed through committee without amendment.

The Bill was then read a third time, passed, and became law.

HIS EXCELLENCY―Council stands adjourned until this day week.

FINANCE COMMITTEE.

A meeting of the Finance Committee was then held, the Colonial Secretary presiding.

The COLONIAL SECRETARY ― About the Appropriation Bill for 1906, I am glad to say there is only one item instead of many which seems rather large. The statement of expenditure during the year 1906 on page 29 will show the explanations.

Hon. Mr. POLLOCK ― What is the loss on subsidiary coins?

The COLONIAL SECRETARY―It does not say here, but I think it is something like $390,000.

The Bill was passed.

The COLONIAL SECRETARY―The next matter before the Committee is the resolution to expend $2,438,000 for the construction of the railway. You will see from the statement laid before the Council the amount spent last year, and the amount estimated for the present year.

Hon. Mr. POLLOCK―The total brought forward is the amount expended in 1906?

The COLONIAL SECRETARY―The total amount spent in 1906.

Hon. Mr. POLLOCK―I cannot make the totals quite agree.

The COLONIAL SECRETARY―So far as I can make out from the statement, the debits must be subtracted from the first column, and the result added to the total of the third column. You will then find it is the same as the grand total.

The resolution was agreed to.

The Finance Committee then adjourned.