Sessional_Paper_1886-1887 — Page 409

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should sacrifice something for the public good. On the face of it. this seems reasonable enough, but is it so? Are there no landlords who paid the present price for their land with hard cash? How many landlords are there now in existence who have held land for twenty years on the stretch? Even with these, are the risks they have run and the services they have rendered as pioneers of this settlement to go for nothing? Why should their profits be lessened more than others? These are questions one has to answer before one can recommend this Bill for the consideration of the Legislative Council.

any

I come now to the strongest argument in favor of this Bill, with its numerous Bye-laws. It has been repeated over and over again that in some large English towns similar Bills have been passed, and that this is an almost exact copy of them, most provisions having been copied word for word, and therefore it must be just and proper-going upon the principle that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. In effect whatever laws they may pass at home we must also pass here. I protest loudly against this kind of indiscriminate and servile legislation. If we are to adopt all English local Acts of Parliament as our law, why need we a separate Legislative Council? There is no doubt some English Acts which we shall all be glad to have introduced here, such as the Press law for example, still every new law should be modified and adapted to suit local surroundings and requirements. To my mind the very fact of the present Bill being copied from the local law of England is the strongest argument against its being passed here without a great many important modifications and alterations. Just compare this little Island with England, think of the ridiculously limited space at our disposal, and then say can we really spare the comparatively vast number of feet for back- yard purposes especially with a rapidly growing population? Again, consider the hilly and rocky nature of Hongkong, how nearly every house is built as it were on the top of another and how many high as well as low retaining walls there are; is it necessary then that almost every house should be built four feet away from its neighbour, and does not after all my proposition to legislate against inhabiting cellars or basement floors underground obviate all difficulties? Once again, the original mode of building in most of the English towns is different from that adopted here from the beginning. With or without prohibitory law and sanitary considerations most English houses were built from the commencement with a front and back garden, so that the innovation is not so great to the great majority of the people. The differences of habits, constitutions, requirements &c., between the Chinese and English are also very great arguments against the adoption of the English law here without great modifications. There is yet another point which has to be noticed, and that is however sweeping a law is in England it is passed by the people through their representatives. The minority bows to but not rules the majority, and the people are consulted before any measure is put forward and carried.

In conclusion, I beg to record my strongest objection against this Bill and its Bye-laws as a whole as unnecessary and inefficient. I submit that there are better ways for providing the Colony with sanitary improvements without on the one hand shaking public confidence, and on the other securing unanimity and

success.

1. The first thing I submit is to overhaul all the public drains, traps, &c., and to put them in an efficient and sanitary condition, so that all who connect their house drains with them may have no reason to repent.

2. Next we should insist upon the construction of good drains in every house and proper connections with the public drains; upon the speedy execution of the scheme to carry the sewage matter from the drain-outlets well out into the Sulphur Channel; and upon the immediate construction of ven- tilating shafts above the drains on the hill side, supplied with proper apparatus to destroy the ascending foul air. The provisions respecting drainage in this Bill should certainly be enforced, with a few alterations. 3. Let the people have a free and abundant supply of water without which no

cleanliness is possible.

4. Let the foreshore be thoroughly cleared of all rubbish and decayed matter, not by only one small dredger but by even half-a-dozen dredgers if

necessary.

3. Let building operations where the turning over of virgin soil is necessary,

be confined to the few cold and dry months in the winter.