Sessional_Paper_1899 — Page 35

Sessional Papers 議政定例兩局文件 All

Mr. BELILIOS, pursuant to notice, asked the following question :-

Referring to the report by the Honourable J. H. Stewart Lockhart on the Kowloon Extension to the Colony, will the Government state what is the source of the information referred to in paragraph 1 under head of Revenue, page 13 of the Blue Book, stating:--" But from information derived from another source it is estimated that the annual revenue of that portion of the Sun On District contained within the leased area amounts to $160,000, or, say, £16,000," this being an increase of more than a lakh of dollars on the estimate given by the Sun On District Magistrate for the territory in question?

The Colonial Secretary replied as follows:-

The Government is not aware of the source from which the information was derived. I may add that the information having been given privately and confidentially to the writer of the Report on the Extension of the Colony of Hongkong he is not at liberty to state its source.

NOTICE OF QUESTION.-Mr. WHITEHEAD gave notice that at the next meeting of Council he would ask the following question :-

Will the Government inform the Council of the reasons why the proposal to expend a substantial amount of public money for repairs and alterations to " Beaconsfield" was not submitted to the Public Works Committee for their consideration and report, under what authority has the said sum of $19,076.70 been disbursed, and why have not the new public works undertaken since middle of last year been referred to the Public Works Committee for consideration and report to the Council before same were commenced?

BILL ENTITLED An Ordinance tO AMEND "THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS ORDINANCE, 1897.”—The Acting Attorney General addressed the Council and moved the second reading of the Bill.