630
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (cont.)
537
was corruptly favouring a European shipping firm, and the next six months in gaol, regretting his rashness.
The Colony was full of petty intrigues. The Attorney General charged the acting Colonial Secretary with collusion with an opium farmer but a Commission held that his honesty and honour were unimpeached.
The Attorney General was, however, not finished. He openly insinuated that the acting Colonial Secretary had burned the account books of a convicted pirate to screen himself and the Registrar General (whom the Attorney General apparently also disliked) against a charge of complicity with pirates.
Tired of the Attorney General and his suspicious mind, the Governor suspended him and referred the case to the Home authorities, who vindicated the acting Colonial Secretary.
Worn out by the repeated charges hurled against him, the harassed Colonial Secretary voluntarily resigned. But he made a valiant attempt to "get square" with the enemies and brought a libel action against the editor of the Friend of China (a keen supporter of the Attorney General). The Governor hurriedly left for Manila, allegedly to avoid a subpoena and the Court found the editor not guilty and awarded costs against the Government.
All this is not irrelevant to the history of the Legislative Council. The official members, notably the Attorney General and the Chief Magistrate, claimed and, indeed exercised, an extraordinary measure of independence. The Attorney General often repudiated the authority of superior law officers of the Crown at Home, when their opinions differed from his own. He maintained that he was an independent legislator and quite within his rights in criticising and opposing the views of the Executive,
Encouraged by his attitude, the unofficial members began to claim equal liberties. The Community too, was clamouring for greater representation.
When Sir John Bowring became Governor, the Lieutenant-Governor was the president of the Legislative Council, which consisted of six members, two of whom were unofficial. Sir John submitted a scheme for the enlargement of the Council, by introducing four more official and three more unofficial members.
The Secretary of State (Mr. Labouchere) disapproved of so great an enlargement but sanctioned a moderate addition. Two official members, one of whom was the Colonial Treasurer, and one non-official were added. In 1857, the Surveyor-General was added and in the following year the Auditor-General became a member of the honourable Council.
Angered by the great preponderance of official members, the unofficial members talked wildly of impeaching the Governor but no action was taken.
After the close of the session of 1857, the proceedings of the Council were regularly published and from March 25, 1858, the Governor allowed the public to be present at debates.
The principal bone of contention between the Governor and his Legislative Council was the construction of a Praya or sea-wall which was to extend along the whole front of the town from Navy Bay to Causeway Bay and to be named Bowring Praya.
The Chinese owners of marine lots consented to reclaim under Government supervision and pay rent for a large portion of the Praya in front of their holdings. European owners, however, were bitterly opposed to the measure, and so great was the influence of the big commercial hongs in the Colony in those days that they captured the support of even official members and defeated the Bill which was to force the hands of dissenting European holders of marine lots.
630
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (cont.)
537
was corruptly favouring a European shipping firm, and the next six months in gaol, regretting his rashness.
The Colony was full of petty intrigues. The Attorney General charged the acting Colonial Secretary with collusion with an opium farmer but a Commission held that his honesty and honour were unimpeached.
The Attorney General was, however, not finished. He openly insinuated that the acting Colonial Secretary had burned the account books of a convicted pirate to screen himself and the Registrar General (whom the Attorney General apparent- ly also disliked) against a charge of complicity with pirates.
Tired of the Attorney General and his suspicious mind, the Governor suspended him and referred the case to the Home authorities, who vindi- cated the acting Colonial Secretary.
Worn out by the repeated charges hurled against him, the harassed Colonial Secretary voluntarily resigned. But he made a valiant attempt to "get square" with the enemies and brought a libel action against the editor of the Friend of China (a keen supporter of the Attorney General). The Governor hurriedly left for Manila, allegedly to avoid a subpoena and the Court found the editor not guilty and awarded costs against the Government.
All this is not irrelevant to the history of the Legislative Council. The official members, notably the Attorney General and the Chief Magistrate, claimed and, indeed exercised, an extraordinary measure of independence. The Attorney General often repudiated the authority of superior law officers of the Crown at Home, when their opinions differed from his own. He maintained that he was an independent legislator and quite within his rights in criticising and opposing the views of the Executive,
Encouraged by his attitude, the unofficial members began to claim equal liberties. The Community too, was clamouring for greater representation.
When Sir John Bowring became Governor, the Lieutenant-Governor was the president of the Legislative Council, which consisted of six members, two of whom were unofficial. Sir John submitted a scheme for the enlarge- ment of the Council, by introducing four more official and three more unofficial members.
The Secretary of State (Mr. Labouchere disapproved of so great an enlargement but sanctioned a moderate addition. Two official members one of whom was the Colonial Treasurer) and one non-official were added. In 1857, the Surveyor-General was added and in the following year the Auditor-General became a member of the honourable Council.
Angered by the great preponderance of official members, the un- officials talked wildly of impeaching the Governor but no action was taken.
After the close of the session of 1857, the proceedings of the Council were regularly published and from March 25, 1858, the Governor allowed the public to be present at debates.
The principal bone of contention between the Governor and his Legis- lative Council was the construction of a Praya or sea-wall which was to- extend along the whole front of the town from Navy Bay to Causeway Bay and to be named Bowring Praya.
The Chinese owners of marine lots consented to reclaim under Government supervision and pay rent for a large portion of the Praya in front of their holdings. European owners, however, were bitterly opposed to the measure, and so great was the influence of the big com- mercial hongs in the Colony in those days that they captured the support of even official members and defeated the Bill which was to force the hands of dissenting European holders of marine lots.
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