1919-06-21 — Page 1

46 HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. 21ST JUNE, 1919.

PRESENT:―

HIS EXCELLENCY THE OFFICER ADMINISTERING THE GOVERNMENT, HON. MR. CLAUD SEVERN, C.M.G.

HIS EXCELLENCY MAJOR-GENERAL F. VENTRIS (General Officer Commanding Troops in China).

HON. MR. A. G. M. FLETCHER, C.B.E. (Colonial Secretary).

HON. MR. H. E. POLLOCK (Attorney General).

HON. MR. C. MCI. MESSER, O.B.E. (Colonial Treasurer).

HON. MR. W. CHATHAM, C.M.G. (Director of Public Works).

HON. MR. E. R. HALLIFAX, O.B.E. (Secretary for Chinese Affairs).

HON. MR. E. D. C. WOLFE (Captain Superintendent of Police).

HON. MR. LAU CHU PAK.

HON. MR. HO FOOK.

HON. MR. S. H. DODWELL.

HON. MR. C. G. ALABASTER, O.B.E. HON. MR. E. V. D. PARR.

MR. A. DYER BALL (Clerk of Councils). ABSENT:―

HON. MR. J. JOHNSTONE.

Trading with the Enemy Amendment Ordinance, 1919

THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL ― I beg to move the first reading of a Bill intituled, "An Ordinance to amend further the Trading with the Enemy Ordinance, 1914-1916." As hon. members are aware, it is proposed to carry the Bill through all its stages at this meeting and I shall presently move that the Standing Orders be suspended. In view of the course I propose to adopt it may be as well if I explain now the objects and reasons of the Bill. These objects and reasons are sufficiently set out in the "Objects and Reasons" printed at the foot of

the Bill and which hon. members have before them. The object of this Bill is to carry out the general intention, which is designed to take effect throughout the British Empire, of putting an end in the British Empire to enemy Missions, or Missions which (though nominally neutral) are of enemy association, and which have been used for political propagandist purposes against the interests of Great Britain and her Allies. This Bill enables the Governor to vest the property real or personal of such Missions in the Custodian under the Trading with the Enemy Ordinances, which carries with it, under the full form of vesting order, authorised by this Ordinance, the right for the Custodian to sell and dispose of the property of such Missions to any purchaser and to give a good and valid title thereto.

In addition to this, it will be noticed that certain words are inserted at the end of the Bill, which were suggested to me by my hon. friend who represents the Justices of the Peace, which run as follows:―"Including the power to execute, vary or determine any trust affecting the whole or any part of such property." The result of that will be the Custodian will have power, if thought fit, to either execute the trust at present affecting the property or to vary or determine the same. I mentioned this clause to the Land Officer and examined some of the deeds affecting these Missions in the Land Office. The Land Officer considers these words are apt for the purpose aimed at. While we want to have power in appropriate cases to vary or determine the Trust, I think I ought to inform the Council that, as a matter of fact, so far as beneficent activities are concerned they have been carried on for some months past by other bodies in this Colony, such as the Church Missionary Society and the French Missions, and it is the general intention of the Government that the charitable and beneficent activities which were formerly carried on by these Missions for the benefit of Chinese and others in this

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. 47

Colony should be continued. I do not think I need say any more. With these observations I beg to move the first reading of the Bill.

THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the Bill was read a first time.

THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the suspension of the Standing Orders in order to enable the Bill to be passed through all its stages at one meeting.

THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, seconded, and this was agreed to.

THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL then moved the second reading of the Bill.

THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.

HON. MR. C. G. ALABASTER―I hope this Bill means that it will be part of the post-war policy, not merely of this Colony but of the whole Empire to frustrate the establishment within our borders of any Mission or Association or Institution, controlled or directed by persons whose race has produced that vaunted culture which can only be likened to the cultures of bacteriology―the germ culture of disease. The Empire has had to reap the crop of sedition which we now know only too well was largely sown and fertilised by the people who posed as Ministers of God, and although the peace terms, if they are signed, may suffice to prevent a recurrence of open warfare; although they may manacle the mailed fist, they will not prevent that feeling of hatred in the German mind which the war has engendered and which

is consummated by the great defeat they have suffered. We can only prevent the dangers arising from that feeling of hatred ― the insidious policy of propaganda and mind poisoning which we must expect them to undertake―by adopting a policy based on the utmost vigilance and distrust.

H.E. THE OFFICER ADMINISTERING THE GOVERNMENT―With regard to what the hon. member who represents the Justices of the Peace has said, I may say that the Government, through the debates which have taken place in this Council during the course of the war, is in no sort of doubt as to the feeling of the Colony with regard to the return of our enemies here. The Secretary of State is in full possession of the views of this Colony, and even at the present time the subject of allowing the missionaries of those countries who have been our enemies to enter the Colony again is under discussion. It is hoped that the result, from our own point of view, will be entirely satisfactory.

The Bill was then read a second time.

Council went into Committee to consider the Bill clause by clause. The Bill passed through Committee without amendment and, upon Council resuming,

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

THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the Bill was read a third time and passed.

Council then adjourned sine die.

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