March 28, 1895.}
doos or others have against what they may | deem an objectionable mode of disposing of their dead, that is, burning in the one case and burial in the other, is the practical com- mon sense of the members of the Sanitary Board. The protection may perhaps be deemed sufficient, but it would have been just as easy to make the law explicit as to leave it obscure.
ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF LI HUNG-CHANG IN JAPAN.
REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.
LONDON, 20th March, Mr. Foster aud Li Hung-chang have arrived at Shimonoseki and have been received with all due bouours.
LONDON, 22nd March. The peace negotiations have been opened at Shimonoseki. A successful issue of them is doubted in Yokohama, the military party in Japan being predominant, and a strong deter. mination being noticed in the Diet that the time for peace has not yet arrived.
LONDON, 25th March.
Li Hung-chang whilst returning to his tem porary residence from the Peace Conference was shot at and wounded in the face by a pistol. The per, etrator of the deed is a young Japanese, who has been arrested.
LONDON, 26th March. Li Hung chaug is progressing favourably, but the bullet is not yet extracted.
The perpetrator is a man called Koyama, a political bravo, who suddenly emerging from the orowd stoppad Li Hung-chang's palanquin aud fired at him almost point blank.
The Mikado and bis Ministers have expressed the most profound regrets, and the Mikado's physician is attending the invalid.
THE JAPANESE IN THE SOUTH.
THREATENED ATTACK ON TORMOŠA.
CAPTURE OF THE PESCADORES.
[SPECIAL TELEGRAMS TO THE“ DAILY PRESS."]
ANPING, 23r1 March,
The Japanese are attacking the Pescadores.
We learn that a portion of the Japanese flet Jeft Japan on the 15th inst. Its destination was presumed to be Formosa, but it would appear that Makung, in the Pescadores, is to be occupied before Formosa itself is attacked.]
ANIING. 24th March, 4.05 p.m. The Japanese are now in complete possession
of the Pescadores.
-
TAMBUI CLOSED.
We learn that telegramis have been received to the effect that the port of Tamsui was to be slosed by the Chinese Authorities yesterday and that vessels will have to discharge into lighters outside.
BLOCKING OF AMOY HARBOUR.
Information has been received from Amoy that the entrance to that port is being blooked by torpedoes.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. A meeting of the Legislative Council was held on the 20th March. Present:- ROBINSON, K.C.M.G.
His Excellency the Governor, Sir WILLIAM
Hon. J. H. STEWART LOCKHART, Aoting Colonial Secretary.
Hon. A. G. LEACH, Acting Attorney-General, Hon. A. M. THOMPSON, Acting Colonial Treasurer.
Hon, F. A. COOPER, Director of Public Works. Hon. R. M. RUMSET, Harbour Master. Hon. C. P. CHATER.
Hon. Ho KAI.
Hon. J. J. KE÷WICK.
Hon. E. R. BELILIOS, C.M.G. Hon. A. McCONACHIE,
Mr. A. Seth Clerk of Councils.
MINUTES.
The minutes of the last menting were read and passed.
THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT: EXPLANATION
BY THE GOVERNOR.
225
then I obserrel the clause to which the hon. the Acting Colonial Secretary has spoken, namely, clause 31. There is very little difference between what the Sanitary Board wants and what we, the unoffical members, would like to bavo therefore I would ask your Excellenoy, as it is urgent that the by-laws should be passed, that they be passed with the exception of by-law 31, which might be referred to the Board for further | consideration.
HIS EXCELLENCY-The question is that olause 31 be referred back to the Sanitary Board, and I ask the Council to approve of the others.
The HARBOUR MASTER-The second sub, section of section 2 states that "the material" to be used for covering the floors and yårds. situated on any upper flor. I do not know whether that is a mistake, Can you have a yard on the upper floor ?
Hon. Ho KAI-Certaiuly,
HIS EXCELLENCY-It is understood that the by-laws, excluding 31, are approved.
By-laws approved.
THE ISSUE OF BANK NOTES IN THE COLONT
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL-Į hare the honour to bring before your attention to-day a subject which is not on the orders of the day, and that subject" is Bill to regulate the issue of bank notes the colony. No notice having been given of the introduction of the Bill it will be necessary in order that it may be introduced to-day, that I should move the suspension of the standing. orders. The Bill has been sent out and drafted by the Secretary of State with orders to pass it without delay, and it is necessary to put it though all its stages to-day in order that there may be no time to evade or attempt to evade Its provisions. It is therefore necessary for me to move the suspension of the standing orders.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY—I beg to second the motion.
HIS EXCELLENCY-Before we proceed with the orders of the day I wish to make a few remarks in reference to some of the papers laid upon the table at the last meeting. From the statement of revenue and expenditure it will be seen that the balance in hand was 8451,000, and several comments have been made in reference to these figures in con- nection with the statement I mide on 29th November that the balance in hand was $600.000. | It has been inferred that the Government wished to put a good face ou the revenue in reference to the exchange compensation. My statement has also been called "a rhetorical fourish." I wish to observe that I made that state. ment in thoroughly good faith, and I am sure all | members of the Council will believe with me when | I say so. (Applause) The statement was re- peated by the Acting Colonial Secretary, and in justine to ourselves I ought to say that we were distinctly informed that the balance in hand was 8620,862. I am very sorry the mistake occurred. I have no desire to throw blame upon an absent officer, and I am very glad to say that the re- venne, of the current year is likely to be on a more satisfactory scale than even that of lastjesty's principal Secretaries of State. I | year. (Applause.)
THE SANITARY BOARD BY-LAWS. The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY-I have the honour to move the approval of certain by laws made by the Sanitary Board under Section 13 of Ordinance 15 of 1891. It will be remem- bered that at the last meeting of the Council, at the request of the unofficial member opposite (Hon. J. J. Keswick), the consideration of the question of approval of the by-laws was post- poned. Since that meeting certain amendments have been suggested by the unofficial members with regard to by-laws Nos, 3 4, 5, 18, 19, 20, 22, 27, 33. The amendments suggested by the uuofficial members were referred to the Sanitary Board for its consideration, and a letter has been received to-day from the Sanitary Board transmitting the by-laws, which were considered, am nded, and made by the Board at a meeting held yesterday afternoon. I think the Sanitary Board is to be congratulated upon the prompt attention which it has given to this matter. I may say that the Sanitary Board has practically passed all the The Mercury of the 21st iust. says:-After a amendments sug rested by the unofficial members storm comes a culm; and the present calm, is with the exception of by law 31-that is by-law ominous. We are without information as to 33 of the original by-laws, and 31 in the by-laws what is occurring at Shimonoseki. It is likely as last seat up by the Sinitary Board. Although that the Envoys on both sides are exchanging they have not accepted it in its entirety, as the credentials, and that as soon as these are found amendment proposed by the unofficial members in order on both sides negotiations will begin. amounted to its deletion, they have modified Meanwhile one or two incidents, themselves the by-'w in question and confined it to a state of small account, are to be noted. The Japanese of thi when an epidemic of bubonic plague, have sent some teu men-of-war into the Gulf of | small cholera, or such like disease exists Peobibli and these have been engaged search in the colony. I trust that the by-laws will be ing approaching vessels, preferably German, for munitions of war. In so doing the Japa uese are clearly acting within their rights as belligerents. On the other haud, much com- ment has been excited in native cirolas over the proveedings of the French fleet. A French man-of-war has lately been visiting the coast of Formosa, with the ostensible object of looking after the graves of sailors buried during the Franco Chinese war. As in the former oise the vaszol was within her rights, but the time selected is unusual. Meanwhile the British fleet has been enjoying a spell of unwonted ease, and no further Japanese descents are noted. Admiral Fremantle is still at Shanghai,
approved without delay by this Council,
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GONEBAL — -Iu seconding the resolution I may say that the Sanitary Board has worked with extreme expedi- tion because not only have its members had to consider the amendments proposed by the unofficial members. but they had to make other amendments also in regard to the by-laws which were only submitted for their cousidération at the last moment. The hou. member then referred to
misprint in by-law 18, which was corrected without reference to the Sanitary Board.
Hou. C. P. CHATER-I beg to say that the altered by laws were received by me only during lunobson to-day, and on carefully going through
|
Carried nem, côn.
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL—I have move the first reading of an Ordinance to ragu- late the issue of bank notes in the colony. Th object of the Ordinance is to prevent any bank from making, issuing, or circulating any bank notes without the sanction of one of Her.
not attempt to regulate, and it exempts from chief provisions, the rights by Banks possessed under Royal Charter or Colonial Ordinance, The Ordinance, as I have remarked before, introduced by express directions of the Secretary of State for the Colonies. The regalation of the issue of paper money by bankers is an undoubted prerogative of the Crown, and in Eng. land it is regulated. think, by the Bank Charter Act of 1844. But although the Royal, Instructions to this colony and the Colonial, Regulations point very clearly to the prohibition. of the issue of bank notes without the previous sanction of the Secretary of State or without a Charter or Ordinance having been obtained, hitherto there has been no statute law or enactment prohibiting the issue of bank notes in this colony. That fact was "brought to the attention of the Secretary of State, and he has accordingly directed that this Ordinance. be passed. The Ordinance briefly provides that at some date to be fixed-that is from the passing of this Ordinance or from such day may be put in the Ordinance-no bank is make, issue, or circulate bank notes payable bearer on demand without the sanction one of Her Majesty's principal Secrétaries of State. The Ordinance does not affect bank notes which are in circulation on that day. That will be filled in in Committee as this day, 20th March, There is also a provision in the Ordinance en abling the Colonial Treasurer to require banks to furnish him with a statement of the number of bank notes in issue or circulation on 20th March this year in order that notes issued afterwards may be identified from notes issued prior to the. passing of this Ordinaucs. I do not think it will be necessary for me either on the second third reading to make any further remarks. The object is a very simple on; it is to give effect to what had always been the intention of the Colonial Office. I have to move the first reading.
The ACTING COLONIAL. SECRETARY to second that.
Bill read the first and secon 1 time and com. mitted.
Hoo. Ho KAI-Do the words "Bank Notes” include notes issued by Chinese bankers?
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL —AS I ER-
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.