Sessional_Paper_1884 — Page 615

Speech of His Excellency the Governor at the Prorogation of the Session of the Legislative Council of Hongkong, 3rd July, 1884.

HONOURABLE GENTLEMEN OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,

1. The business of the Session, which has lasted for more than four months, having now been brought to a close, I am enabled to release you for a time from your attendance in Council.

2. During the recess, several measures of importance, to which your attention has in some cases been already directed, will be matured by my Government, and will be submitted for your consideration at your next Meeting. I believe that it is universally agreed that the public convenience will be best consulted by opening

the annual session of the Council in the month of November of each year.

3. I thank you, in the name of the Queen, for the supplies which you have granted for every branch of Her Majesty's Service in this Colony. It will be the duty of my Government to exercise a watchful supervision over their expenditure, and to practise such economy as may be consistent with the efficiency of the several Departments. As you are already aware, it has been my object to reserve as much money as possible for the prosecution of the important Sanitary and other Public Works which are urgently required. The Report recently laid before you by the Acting Auditor General shows that the probable assets of the Colony on the 1st January, 1885, will amount to $659,402. This sum will probably suffice for next year's expenditure on the Extraordinary Works connected with Sanitation and the increased Water Supply; so that it will not be necessary before the close of 1885 to take any steps for raising the small loan not to exceed one year's revenue, which you have already sanctioned in principle. It will be recollected that Hongkong is one of the very few communities in the world which is now absolutely without a

Public Debt.

4. With regard to legislation; Twenty Bills have become law during the Session. Of these several are of much public importance, and received your careful attention; such are, in particular, the Ordinances for the Registration of Medical Practitioners; for the facilitation of the business of Savings' Banks; for the regula- tion of the Post Office; and for the re-arrangement of the Stamp duties; together with several measures amending former Ordinances which experience had proved to be defective. It may be confidently expected that valuable and permanent results will be developed from legislation of such a character, based on no abstract theories, but on practical experience; and neither impaired by haste, nor influenced by favour, nor impeded by faction.

Page 615Page 616