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report by Messrs. Coode, Son, and Matthews on the Gap Rock Lighthouse, and to your reply thereto of the 20th idem, I am directed to in- form you that in accordance with the suggestion of the Unofficial Members the Chamber of Commerce has been consulted in the matter, and that it recommended that before adopting the measures suggested by Mr. Matthews a fur- ther opinion should be obtained, preferably that of an officer of the Imperial Chinese Customs.
Sir Robert Hart has accordingly been com- municated with as suggested by the Chamber, but has expressed regret that he has no officer available for the service.
In the above circumstances His Excellency the Governor would be glad to learn whether the Unofficial Members have any further sugges- tion to make, or whether they are of opinion that Mr. Matthews' recommendations should be adopted.—I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
J. H. STEWART-LOCKHART;
Colonial Secretary. The Honourable C. P. Chater, &c., &c., &c.
THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS TO THE
COLONIAL SECRETARY.
Hongkong, 3rd September 1895. Sir,With reference to your letter of the 26th ult., regarding the Gap Rock Lighthouse, I have to inform you that at a meeting of the Unofficial Members it was unanimously decided that we could not, in view of the heavy expense entailed, recommend H.E. the Governor to adopt Mr. Matthews' suggestions.
We would advise that all precautions possible be taken to strengthen the existing buildings and light, and that extra sets of lantern glasses, &c., be provided, and always kept in stock on the spot.
We would also recommend, to ensure the safety of the keepers, that a refuge be con- structed for them, to which they might retife in time of danger.
As, in your last despatch in re the Military Contribution, you state that H.E. the Governor does not wish to consider the letter of the Unofficial Members on that subject as con- fidential, we presume that there would be no objection to our publishing this correspondence also I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant,
C. P. CHATER. Hon. J. H. Stewart-Lockhart, Colonial Sec-
retary.
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THE COLONIAL SECRETARY TO THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS,
Colonial Secretary's Office, September 5th, 1895. Sir I am directed by the Governor to ac knowlege the receipt of your letter of the 3rd instant on the subject of the Gap Rock Light house, and to state that the recommendations of
the Unofficial Members therein contained will receive due consideration.
His Excellency the Governor has no objec. tion to the publication of the correspondence on this subject.-I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
J. H. STEWART-Lockhart,
Colonial Secretary.
The Hon. C. P. Chatër.
THE ILLICIT TRAFFIC IN LETTERS IN HONGKONG,
At the Magistracy on Tuesday seven coolies who were arrested on the previous day for in- fringing the exclusive privileges of the Post- master-General of Hongkong were brought before Hon. H. E. Wodehouse. They had been for some time carrying letters from Macão to this colony in a surreptitious manner.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
explaining the law in regard to letters sent from foreign post offices. Those notices were issued in 1892, and I decided that they should be repeated. If after then Chinese do not carry out the law they will be proceeded against under the Ordinance. These arrests were made before the Chinese had an opportu- nity of having the law explained a second time, and I wanted to have the notice repeated before really enforcing the law, so as to give them every chance.
The Magistrate-Are these prosecutions issued by you?
Witness-No.
The Acting Captain Superintendent of Police The prosecutions were instituted by the Police. I did not know about the notices, and I was going to prosecute all the foreign post offices doing business with Bangkok, Macao, and Singapore, and I began with Macao yester- day. The law was passed a long time ago.
The Magistrate What is the Ordinance you are prosecuting under ?||
Inspector Quincey-Ordinance 1 of 1887, sec- tion 5.
The Magistrate (to the Postmaster General). -Doyou wish me to say anything to the defen- dants?
The Postmaster-General-It would be just as well to warn them what the Ordinance says.
The Magistrate (to the defendants)--You are charged with infringing the exclusive privileges of the Postmaster: It seems that what you were doing has been going on for a long time in the colony, and therefore before any pro- secution is entered on it is thought advisable that you should have full notice that what you are doing is contrary to the law. No such notice has been given and therefore, even if you are guilty, no notice will be taken of the offence on this occasion, as the Postmaster has asked for the charge to be withdrawn. That does not mean that you have not committed any offence, but that no notice will be taken of it on this occasion. Of course if you continue to do what you have been doing you will do so at your own risk and you will be prosecuted. You are now discharged..
AN EXCESS OF PASSENGERS: HEAVY FINE.
At the Police Court on Monday, before Hon. H. E. Wodehouse, Captain Hygom, of the steam- ship Ask, was summoned for carrying thirty passengers in excess of the number allowed by his licence. P.C. 52 said that on the 25th August he boarded the Ask just as the anchor was being weighed. He counted the passengers and found† 130 on board; the certificate allowed only 100 passengers. Hon. Commander W. C. H. Has. tings asked for a substantial penalty, and his Worship fined the defendant $100 and $2 for each of the passengers in excess-$160 in all. The captain said he was on the bridge at the time and had no idea there were so many pas- sengers.
Messrs. Villa, Lopez and Co., the agents, were summoned for allowing the excess number of passengers to be carried. The constable gave evidence and Hon. Commander W. C. H. Hast- ings said that on the 24th August he learnt that the Ask had a new charterer. The clerk to the agents went to the Harbour Office and made enquiries as to the number of passengers the ship was allowed to carry. He was told, and at the same time an application was made for permission to ship kerosine at night. Per- mission was given, and witness told P.C. 52 to get into a sampan and watch the steamer. It was by means of this action that the constable got to know how many passengers there were on the boat.
The Magistrate asked the representative of the agents how he could prove that the passen- gers were shipped without the knowledge of the agents and that they derived no profit or bene- fit from the excess number.
Inspector Quincey said the Postmaster asked for the discharge of the whole of the prisoners.
Hon. A. K. Travers, Postmaster-General, | stepped into the witness box and said—I wish to withdraw the charge against these men. In doing The agents' representative said the agents so I should like to explain that on seeing the letter did not know anything about the excess number in the Hongkong Telegraph from “ Observer," until yesterday morning. He asked the steamer's I sent up to the Colonial Secretary's Office for compradore what he meant by taking passengers papers relating to the matter. The question has in excess. He said, They came on without been gone into before, and it was decided my knowledge, and as I could not get them off that a notice should be sent to the Chinese | I got their fares-$1 each,
[September 12, 1895.
The Magistrate-Did he hand the money over to the agents?
It is a
The agents' representative-No clear case of embezzlement on the part of the compradore and we intend to issue a summons against him.
The Magistrate adjourned the case until Tues- day in order that the compradore might give evidence. If what the agents' representative had said was sworn to by the compradore there would be a complete answer.
At the Police Court on Tuesday, before Hon. H. E. Wodehouse, the hearing was re- sumed of the case in which Messrs. Villa, Lopez & Co. were summoned for allowing the steam- ship Ask to attempt to leave the waters of the colony with an excess number of passengers.
Mr. Wilkinson now appeared for the defend- ants, and said the summons was directed to no one in person, but he did not raise any objection to the form of the summons. He intended to simply call Mr. Birchall, the representative of the defendants, and possibly the compradore.
Mr. T. Birchall, representative in this colony of Messrs. Villa, Lopez & Co., the charterers of the Ask, said-I have heard that the steamer left Hongkong with an excess number of pas- sengers. They left without my knowledge, and I issued tickets only for the number allowed- 107. I derived no profit whatever from the excess number.
Hon. Commander W. C. H. Hastings said he would like to ask the witness one or two ques tions.
Mr. Wilkinson objected.
Hon. Commander Hastings-I am acting › Harbour Master.
Mr. Wilkinson-He has no locus standi in this case.
This is a summons before your Wor- ship as Magistrate. I object to my friend interfering.
The Magistrate. He is prosecuting. Mr. Wilkinson-He is not prosecuting. The Magistrate-Yes, he is; he is Acting Harbour Master.
Mr. Wilkinson-P.C. 52 is the complainant, and Messrs. Villa, Lopez and Co. are the de- fendants.
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Hon. Commander Hastings proceeded to question the witness, and said-Has the com- pradore rendered any account, since his return, of the passengers carried ?
Witness-The compradore has nothing to do with the return.
Hon. Commander Hastings-Has the com- pradore any authority to take fares from pas sengers in addition to those paid for at the office? Witness-He was told not to carry an excOSS number.
Hon. Commander Hastings-Is it the inten- tion of the defendants to prosecute the compra- dore for embezzlement ?
Mr. Wilkinson-I object to that question. The Magistrate-I shall not allow the ques tion- to be put.
Hon. Commander Hastings-I respectfully submit that it is a question of the bona fides of this witness. It is not as if the passengers rushed on board from a wharf, and there is no proof that the defendants derived no profit or that any attempt was made to see that only the proper number of passengers was on board.
Mr. Wilkinson--It is an improper suggestion that this witness has come here to perjure him- self for the sake of gaining for his firm $40, which was the utmost profit that could be derived from the excess of passengers. I submit it is satisfactorily proved to your Worship that the defendants derived no profit whatever.
The Magistrate-I do not think there has been any case made out against the defendants, and in addition to the evidence given by the. witness it is in his favour that the number of passengers applied for was less than the number allowed by the clearance. That number was 100, whereas the ship is allowed to carry 107 passengers. The case is dismissed.
A Shanghai native paper reports that Cotton Spinning and Weaving Company expected soon to be established in Nanking by German merchants. For this reason the man- ager of Messrs. Carlowitz & Co. has been to Nanking to interview H.E. Chang Chih-tung to obtain permission to carry out the scheme. It is further said that he has had a favourable answer from the Viceroy,
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