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July 16, 1896.j
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
- COUNCIL.
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Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-And as regards the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon's reports for 1888 and 1889 which so far have not been pub
The COLONIAL SECRETARY There is no objection to the hon. member seeing these reports if they have not been published
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. Botanical and Afforestation Department for 1895; the Reports on the Hongkong Volun- teers; the Report on the Water Supply; the meeting of the Hongkong Legislative Report on Plague; the Acting Colonial Sur-lished Council was held on the 8th July in the geon's Report for 1895; the Report of the San- Council Chamber. Présent :—
itary Superintendent for 1895; the Blue His EXCELLENCY the Governor, Sir WIL-Book; the Report of the Flogging Committee IAAN ROBINSON, K.C.M.G.
appointed by His Excellency in connection Hon. J. H. STEWART LOCKHART, Colonial
with two cases which had been commented Secretary.
upon in the public press; the Financial Re- Hon. H. E. POLLOCK, Acting Attorney-turns; the Report of the Committee appointed General
to consider British trade in the colony; and the Registrar-General's Report for 1895.
The Acting ATTORNEY-GENERAL laid upon the table the Report of the Law Committee upon the Legistration of Births and Deaths Ordinance.
Hon. A. M. THOMPSON, Acting Colonial Treasurer.
Hon. F. A. COOPER, Director of Public Works.
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Hon. R. MURRAY RUMSEY, Harbour Master. Hon. COMMANDER W. C. Ḥ. HASTINGS, Acting Police Magistrate.
Hon. C. P. CHATER.
Hon. Ho Kại
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD.
Hon. E. E. BELILIOS, C.M.G.
Hon. J. BELL-IRVING.
cils.
MINUTES.
The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.
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HONGKONG MÉDICAL COLLEGE. H18 EXCELLENCY-Before proceeding to the business and the Orders of the Day, I wish to state that it is my intention to withdraw for a short time the Finance Minute No 3, which was to have been submitted to you to-day, re-
Mr.. F. J. BADELEY Acting Clerk of Coun. commending a vote of $40,000, being a Govern- went grant-in-aid of the College of Medicine for Chinese. We all know that this institution has been very valuable and that it may be made more valuable. I am personally strongly in favour of having it made so without any unnecessary conditions. I had a meeting the other day at Craigieburn with the Principal Medical Officer, the Colonial Surgeon, Dr. Ho Kai. Dr. Thomson, and Mr. Lockhart, and we came to the conclusion that it would be
· ME. CHAMBERLAIN'S DESPATCH.
HIS EXCELLENCY Gentlemen, I have the honour to lay upon the table copies of the cor- respondence which has passed between myself and Lord Ripon and the present Colonial Secretary of State in reference to the petition addressed to the House of Commons, praying for some amend- ment of the constitution of this Colony. Mr. Chamberlain apologises for not having answered this important petition and these despatches at an earlier date owing to pressure of business at the Colonial Office; and he informs me that as Lord Ripon stated in 1894 that he (Lord Ripon) could hold out no hope of Hongkong ceasing to be a Crown Colony, he (Mr. Cham berlain) has come to the same conclusion. He says "Neither can I hold out any such hope. for I conceive that in the case of Hongkong. representative Government, on whatever form of franchise it might be baxed, and with what: ever supposed safeguards as to the Executive power, would be wholly out of place." He then goes on to say that two practical points remain to be decided. One is whether any further representation on the Legislative Council, as prayed for by the unofficial members can be mad, and the other is whether the unofficial element, as I recommended, should be intro- duced into the Executive Council. Mr. Cham- berlain has agreed to add two members to the Legislative Council, one of whom he states should be the Officer Commanding the Troops. and the second a person belonging to the Chinese community as the element which is least represented whilst it is by far the most numerous. He says he would regard as valuable any step which would tend to attach them-the Chinese more closely to the British connection and to in- crease their practical interest in public affairs. (Hear, hear). With regard to the adding of uns official members to the Executive Conneil I re- commended in May or June, 1894, that two mim bers-unofficial members-should be added to the Executive body and to that recommendation, I am very glad to say, Mr. Chumberlain has assented. He leaves the selection in my hands, and he trusts, and he feels certain, the selection will be made in accordance with merit. I am sure you will be all very glad to hear.. having that latitude or discretion given me, that I have chosen the senior member of the unofficial body Mr. Chater, and Mr. Bell-Irving Hereafter, when the Royal Instruction comes ont, Mr. Chater and Mr. Bell-Irving will be added to the Executive Council. The Chinese gentleman I have chosen for the Legislative Connoil is Mr. Wei Yuk, a gentleman who is well known" and thoroughly representative of the Chinese community and well suited for the appointment for which I have selected him.
PAPERS..
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid the follow ing papers upon the tableReturns of Eu- perior and Subordinate Courts for 1895; the Harbour Master's Report for 1895: the Re- port of the Postmaster. General for 1895; the Report of the Director of Pulilio-Works for 189
Report of the Superintendent of the
better to alter the title of this institution and call it the Hongkong Medical College and not the College of Medicine for Chinese in Hong- kong, so as to make it available for persons
of all nationalities, whether Portuguese, Chinese, or Eurasians; that it should be reorganised by Ordinance and that qualified students should have a recoguised status. We hoped it would be made entirely self-supporting, and that, under Gosernment control, more than at present, its continuity would be secured. No doubt, Mr. Belilios will renew his very generous offer if the institution is reorganised and re-estab- lished on this basis. The gentlemen whom Ilave zamed have formed themselves into a
Committee, and they will send me a report based on the lines which I have laid down; and then I shall have great pleasure in submitting the vote to the Council and I trust it will be nanimously passed.
CATTLE DISEASE.
THE COLONIAL VETERINARY SURGEON. Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-Will the Govern ment inform the Council what steps have been** taken or are proposed to be taken to secure the immediate services of a Veterinary Surgeon, and is it the intention of the Government to provide in the future against the contingency of the Veterinary Surgeon going on leave?
“I·
The COLONIAL SECRETARY This question was referred to the Sanitary Board. when the Secretary wrote the following minute can hardly think the Board will recommend Surgeou-and that seems to be the only rea- the engaging of an Assistant Veterinary sonable reading of the question-inasmuch as, if it were not for the work which has to.
be done in the managing of the public slaughter-houses and food markets, there would be practically nothing for a Veterinary Surgeon to do. It was because it was felt that a Veterinary Surgeon would be on the whole the best kind of man to have to supervise the importation of cattle for food, the management that the Board arged some eight or nine years of the public slaughter-houses and markets, ago the appointment of such an officer. The title then recommended and adopted was
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Inspector of Livestock and Markets. When down that it meant no change of duties. The the title was chargel it was specifically laid
mere fact that a trading company has been so unfortunate as to lose by far the greater num ber of their milch cows does not seem to me s reason why the ratepayers of the colony should be saddled with the salary of an officer whose post would be for all practical purposes a sine- cure." From the views expressed by the Secre tary. with which all the members of the Board, including Mr. Ede, agreed, it appears that an Assistant Veterinary Surgeon is not necessary.
THE NEW PUBLIC OFFICES. Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD—Will the Gověrn
ment inform the Council the cause of delay in taking steps to obtain by public competition plaus and designs for the proposed new Gov- ernment offices, including the Post-office, the Supreme Court, &c., as directed some time ago by the Governor ?
of State for his sanction, and he has called for ♫ further report, especially as regards the manner in which it is proposed to meet the expenditure required to carry out the proposed scheme.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-Unavoidable de Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-Has the attention lay has arisen owing to the time required for of the Government been directed to the account obtaining and scheduling the information and which must be in the Daily 'ress of 16th March of the insanitary preparing the conditions state of things during the recent fatal disease definitely decided before competition can be amongst the cattle at Pokfulam, and will the invited. The scheme of erecting new Govern Government obtain from the Sanitary Boardment offices has been referred to the Secretary and the Government departments concerned | and lay upon the table a complete and detailed statement of the actual position of matters
well BS a from day to day, us
copy of the correspondence between the Govern- the Dairy Farm Co., Limited, together with the Colonial Veterinary Sur- geon's reports for 1888 and 1889, also the report by the Honourable the Surveyor General, the Honourable O. Chadwick, and Mr. Ladds, referred to in his (Mr. Ladds') report dated 12th January, 1891 †
ment and
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-The Govern- ment has seen the report in the Daily Press of the 16th March. The question of the hon. member was referred to the Sanitary Board, when Mr. Ede, a member of the Board, ex- pressed the following opinion: “I think the statement asked by Mr. Whitehead should not, as far as the Sanitary Board is concerned, be under the au- given. The Board acts thority of certain laws, and as far I know acted in accordance therewith in respect of the cattle plague at the Dairy Farm. It would be a vexatious waste of energy and time to furnish such a complete and detailed statement of the actual position of matters from day to day, and I am entirely opposed to the principle involved in supplying reports of this nature. If any person has a grievance in connection with this matter against the Sani tary: Poard Le bad better slate it." With Mr. Edes views the other members of the Sanitary Board agreed and in them the Government concurs.
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THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S DESPATCH, Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-The next question has reference to the production of the Secretary of State's despatch, but as it has been laid on the table there is no necessity to ask the question, and I beg to withdraw it.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-There is no papers objection. I have only to say that the were in type before the receipt, of the hon. Member's question.
SANITARY BOARD REFORM. Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD Does the Govern ment. intend to take any action for construction of the Sanitary Board in accordan with the opinion expressed by the British members of the community at the ballot taken on the 16th day of May last, the result of which was duly reported to the Government by MIN J. Ede?
The COLONIAL SECRETARY The question of the construction of the Sanitary Board has beenla referred to the Secretary of State for his final decision, and he has been informed of the result of the ballot to which the hon? member retëra.
THE COST OF GAP ROCK LIGHTHOUSE, AND
A THE SPECIAL LIGHT DURS Hon T H. WHitehead Will the Go ment lay upon the table a statement 8 (1) the cost of the construction of the Lighthouse, and the cost of laying.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.