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March 12, 1896:]
the Sanitary, Department). with a view to the early consideration whether the whole sanitary system of the colony should not be placed on a different basis and all the sanitary arrangements and powers placed in the hands of, one thoroughly competent officer who should be personally responsible to, Government for all matters connected with the health of the colony and for the carrying out of all sanitary laws and regu lations.'
The above remarks were based upon the experiences gained in the plague epidemic of 1894.
The Government fully realized the importance of effecting a reform in the Sanitary Adminis tration of the colony, and, in his opening address. to the Legislative Council on the 28th of November, 1894, His Excellency the Governor publicly expressed his concurrence in the views of the Retrenchment Committee on the subject, and announced the intention of the Government to take action in that direction.
A few days previously the Unofficial Members of Council had been consulted by the Government and had recorded their opinions in writing, and copies of those opinions were duly forwarded to the Secretary of State for the Colonies for his consideration, together with a Draft Bill for the reconstitution of the Board, which was framed upon the lines suggested by the majority of the Unofficial Members who were so consulted
The Secretary of State has now approved of that Draft Bill, and has directed that it be in- troduced into the Legislative Council accord- ingly.
The objects of the Bill are, briefly :- (a) To expedite the despatch of public business by reducing the number of members on the Beard. (b) To throw the primary responsibility for Sanitary Administration upon the Gov- erument, whilst retaining
for th Government the benefit of the ddv ce and assistance of representatives elected by the public.
THE REGISTRATION OF BIRTUS AND DEATHS BILL.
The following are the “objects and reasons" attached to the Births and Deaths Registration Bill read a first time at Tuesday's meeting of the Legislative Council -
The Ordinance re-enacts certain provisions of the Births and Deaths Ordinance, 1872, which it repeals, and it also incorporates certain sections of the Imperial Act for the registra tion of Births and Deaths (37 and 38 Victoria, Chapter 88).
This measure contains, however, a few entirely novel provisions, which will now be briefly touched upon.
Section 7, sub-section (b), has been framed with the object of obtaining particulars of birth in cases where children are admitted to-con- vents or public or charitable or religious institutions.
Sub-gectionis (2) and (f) of section I are intended to prevent the removal or burial of dead bodies except under properly recognized authority.
Section 12, sub-section (a), alters the present law as to the legal obligations of ministers of religion. By section 11 of Ordinance 7 of 1872 the minister was liable to a fine if he did not,
within seven days after performing the burial service, give notice to the Registrar-General in cases where no certificate or order for burial had been delivered to him. The proposed new sub. section renders the minister liable to punish- ment if he performs any funeral ceremony in cases where no proper authority for burial has 7been delivered to him:
Section 12, sub-section (d) (iv.), is intended to secure the correct aud uniform classification of diseases in the death returns, and sub-section (e) of the same section confers the Registrar- General power to invoke the assistance of the Colonial Surgeon in cases where he is not satis- fied as to the correctness of the reported cause
of death.
upon
The first of the ice-bound steamers, the Lienshing, arrived at Shanghai from Tientsin on the 29th February.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
SUPREME COURT.
4th March.
In Original JurISDICTION
BEFORE HON. W. M. GOODMAN (ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE.)
HONGKONG LAND INVESTMENT and AGENCY 00., LIMITED, “...W. G. BRODIE AND OTHERS.
The plaintiffs applied for a foreclosure decree absolute in the suit.
200
CENTENARY OF THE LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY,
PUBLIO MEETING AT THE CITY HALL. A public. mooting to commemorate the cen- tenary of the London Missionary Society was held in the Theatre on the afternoon of the 4th March. The Hon. W. Meigh Goodman presided, and there were also present on-the platform the Right Rev. Bishop Burdon, Rev. Dr. Chalmers, Rev. C. Bennett, Rev. T. W. Pearce, Rev. G. J. Williams, Rev. W. Musson, Commander R. H. B. Risk, R.N., Messrs. E. J. Eitel, D..R. F. Crawford, J. Dyer Ball, and Wong Shing, dance of the general public, including a fair and others. There was a fairly large atten- sprinkling of ladies.
Mr. J. J. Francis, Q. C. (instructed by Mr. Ellis, of Mr. V. H. Deacon's office), appeared for the plaintiffs, and said the motion was made ex parte. An ordinary six montlis' decree
The CHAIRMAN said:-Ladies and gentle- of foreclosure had been made against the second men, some time ago a deputation of gentlemen mortagees, but as at the expiration of that time interested in the subject of Mission work called the money due to the plaintiffs, amounting to pon me and asked me to take the chair at a $108,091.69, was not paid, a decree absolute was public meeting to be held in Hongkong to com- now applied for.
memorate the centenary of the London Mis- His Lordship made a decreo absolute fore-gionary Society. They told me that the meet- closing the second mortagees, E. F. Dancang would be neither political nor sectarian in son, T. A. Melton, and the New Oriental Bank character, and that it would be attended by Corporation, Limited.
5th March.
IN BANKRUPTCY,
BEFORE HON. W. M. GOODMAN ACTING
CHIEF JUSTICE.)
RE EDWARD FRANK BIRCHAL.
The public examination of this debtor was closed, no creditors wishing to pat any further day to be fixed for hearing the application for questions, and the bankrupt thou applied for a
his discharge.
His Lordship-Under sub-section of section there should be not less than fourteen days' no. 27 of the Bankruptcy Act it is necessary that
tice given before hearing the application for discharge. I had better fix this day three wooks as the day for hearing the application. I hope in the interval to hear of some more of the assets being collected.
WRECK OF THE "SPONDILUS.”
representatives of various societies interested in missionary enterprise. Now, although I was naware of any special reason why I should have been selected to fill so prominent a posi- tion on such an occasion, I felt that, at all events, the deputation was conferring a great honour upon me in making the request, and gympathizing with the object of this meeting
+
accordingly agreed to do as they desired. When, however, I came to refer to the pro- gramme of proceedings which the promoters of the meeting had drawn up. I found the first item was Introductory speech by the Chair. giderable diffidence, because it appeared I was man," and then, I must say. I felt some con-
desired to address you in the presence of men whose knowledge and experience of Missions and of Mission work must be so vastly greatos than my own. But, indeed, a man must have a very cold heart and a very
all imagination if he can find nothing at all to say as he stands mentally contemplat- ing the hundred years of life and work of the venerable London. Missionary Society. It is the Society that sent men like Nott and John Williams to the South Seas, men like Robert Moffat and David Livingstone to Africa, men News was received on the 10th March that
Like Doctor Morrison and Dr. Legge to China; the Shell Line steamer Spondilus was ashore age, and hundreds of others who devoted their on Cape Varela. The Spon·litus left long-domed their daty to their fellow creatures. It lives to the nuselfish purst of what they kong on the 3rd March for Singapore. On the 6th she was sighted by the steamer Holstein. would be strange if any nian could study with- which was on a voyage from Saigon to Hong.ont motion the lives of men like theso. All kong, ashore on Capo Varela. A telegram has since bocu received from Singapore raporting the safety of the crow, and stating that the Spondilus is likely to become a total þrock.
THE HUMBER ASHORE.
We were informed on the 5th March by Mr. W. Macbean, of the Straits Insurance Cow pany, Limited, that a t-legram bad boon steamer, name unknown, was reported wrecked received from Amoy stating that a British on the Pescadores and that a Japanese steamer
to her assistance. gone
had
Straits Insurance Co., Limited, for the informa- We are indebted to Mr. Machern, of the tion that a telegram received from Amoy on the 5th March states that the vessel préviously re- ported ashore on the Pescadores is the lumber, possibly from Japan to Hongkong, and that she
is ashore on Sand Island.
It is not yet known in Hongkong whether
the Humber, which went ashore on Sand Island
on the Pescadores, was carrying coals from Moji to Hongkong or whether she was returuing home, as no definite information has been lost because if such had beon the case the received. It is presumed that no lives were telegram sent from Amoy would have mentioned the fact. The Humber is a steel screw steamer of 2,198 gross tonnage, and 1,417 register. She was built at West Hartlepool in 1888 by Messrs. W. Gray and Co., and she has triple expansion engines of 217 horse power and 150lbs. pressure. She is a well decked vessel fitted with the electric light, and is owned by the Mercantile Steamship Co., Limited.
true men love to hear of noble actions. Toll
to
how the Victoria Cross was wou upon a field of battle by the pluck and dash of out who risked his life to save that of a courada, and you will never fail to find a sympathetis audience. All honour to the gallant soldier! But there is also another sert of eroism-the heroism of noble endurance and perseveradro in the cause of truth, in the face of every discouragement, with no friendly voice to cheer, no friendly eye to witness. How often has snel heroism devoted their lives, been exhibited by missionaries who have amidst uncongenial surroundings, to teaching what they held to be truths dearor them then life itself. Sach horoism has not been confined to one age or to one denomination. It was shown by St. Paul and others in the urat contary. It was shown by those who reclaimed Great Britain and the other countries of Europe from bar- barisma and pagan rites. It was shown by the great Jesuit missionaries, one of the first of whom was Francis Xavier. What a life was his! Consider what travel meant in the middle of the sixteenth century, and read then the re- cords of those ten years from the day he landed at Goa to the day when, in 1552, he died at the Isle of St. John, not many miles from this Hall, woru out by malignant fover and at the thre- shold of that vast Chinese Empire he longed so ardently to outer, after having founded his mis- sion in Japan and revisited India. Such heroism was shown by those Moravian Brethren who, half a century before the founding of other Protes- tant Missions, laboured from the West Indian Islands to Ceylon to spread the knowledge of a better life. But it seems to me that the great revival of missionary enterprise began about a
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