470
The amendment was therefore lost by seven votes to fiver:
Bill read the third time.
THE APPROPRIATION BILL. Conncil went into Committee. on the Bill entitled an Ordinance to apply a sum' not exceeding two million three hundred and fifty- nine thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine dollars to the Public Service of the year 1897.
After the items had been read,
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD said-On this very day last year, when the item " Governor and Legislature" came on for consideration I moved as an amendment that the vote be reduced by $100, and 1 feel it my duty to do so again. I then explained that my object in doing so was to complain of the action of the Gor- ernment in regard to the Sanitary Board, and of the protracted delay on the part of the Government in reconstructing the Board on. a proper basis. I am well aware that your Excellency intimated to us on 14th Dec., 1895, that you would lay the papers before the Council when you were in a position to do so, but that you had not then received any definite decision from the Secretary of State, and therefore you could not do so then. When I moved the reduction of this vote last year I said "It is a matter of the greatest importance to the colony that the reconstruction of the Board should not be longer delayed. I submit that a copy of all the correspondence between the Colonial Government and the home authorities, and all the documents, including the report of the un- official members on the subject, should not be longer withheld, but should be laid upon the table. I hope the Government will deem it expedient to do so without further delay. The Council and the community are now, after waiting twelve months, fully entitled to know what has been done." At a later date. I brought on a resolution in the Council for the production of all the papers. That was on the 8th July this year, and I then said "It is necessary that the Government should give the unofficial members of the Council an opportunity of studying the cor- respondence and despatches which passed between the Colonial authorities and the home officials in connection with (1) the resignation of the unofficial members of the Board; (2) the appointment of the Medical Officer of Health, his position, and relation to the Sanitary Board; (3) the recommendations of the unofficial members of Council; (4) the Colonial Govern- ment's reasons and arguments in support of the necessity for now proposing to so alter and change the constitution of the Board. The sole and only remedy proposed in this draft Bill is the reduction of the number of official members from 4 to 3, and the reduction of the unofficial members from not more than 6' to 2, and of this it appears, in the objects and reasons attached to the draft Bill, that the Secre- tary of State has approved. I feel quite certain Sir William Des Voeux and the Secretary of State in 1888 did not sanction a majority of unofficial members Board without having first made the very fullest enquiries and conclusively satisfied them- selves of the wisdom of their deliberate action. Unless we have before us very substantial grounds and strong reasons, we cannot, I think, justify our beginning to undo the work of a former Secretary of State and a former Governor who was so highly esteemed and respected here. I think the British members of the community confirmed on 15th and 16th May last most emphatically the experience throughout the vast British Empire and British India, viz., that for the general improvement in sanitation the co-operation of the public, through their legally elected represen- tatives, is essential. I respectfully submit, gir, it is not only necessary but it is indispens able that the Government should publish all the correspondence and papers. They are the sole and only material which can enable the un- official members and the public to form an in- dependent and accurate opinion on the merits of the very important change now proposed." Nothing else, has since transpired, sir, and the correspondence, the arguments and the reasons which have been addressed not by the Colonial Government have yet seen the light of day. I think this
on the
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
|
|
delay in reconstructing the Sanitary Board is most injurious to the public interests. When the Sanitary Board have been brought before the Court they have been mulcted in dam- ages and in a certain sense held up to ridicule and contempt. There can be no reason, as far as I can see, why the Government should not lay the correspondence upon the table, as it will be in a sense more or less useless to the unofficial members when the decision of the Secretary of State has been arrived at as same will have to be carried out. I think we are entitled, and the community are entitled, after so long a delay to have all the correspondence laid upon the table. As I said before, it is a mere matter of form that I pro- pose the reduction of this vote-simply to have an opportunity of bringing this matter before the Council,
His EXCELLENCY-I may state that the decision of the Secretary of State was received by yesterday's mail and the whole of the correspondence is already, or will be by to- morrow, in the hands of the printers.
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-Then I withdraw my amendment.
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-In Finance Com- mittee certain information was asked for in connection with the revenue and the expenditure annually for the last three years of the Post Office and the maintenance of the lighthouses.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-I promised the hon. member that the information would be obtained for him, and I mean to fulfil my pro- mise. The information is being obtained, and the hon. Acting Treasurer has shown me & return he has drawn up, and I suggested that perhaps it would be well if he ascertained from the hon. member the exact form in which he With regard to the wished it to be drawn up. lighthouses, that information is also being obtained. The hon member will recollect that when he asked for it it was explained that it would take some time to ascertain certain details..
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-On the 15th March, 1894, I asked a question on this very subject and the returns were given in a very simple form. They are stated on page 20 of the Hansard and figures are given for 1890, 1891, 1892, and 1898.
His EXCELLENCY-Which returns?
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-With regard to the Post Office. The then Colonial Secretary, Sir G. T. M. O'Brien, said :-"The figures are as follows
Income.
1890
$148,460
1891.
142,770
1892,
157,699 167,597
Expenditure.
$115,398
140,165 154,248 119,153
1893... Approximate outstanding liabilities, 1892, $745; 1893, $34,222. I should mention that these statements of expenditure do not include pen. sions, nor some other items which are necessary for a complete statement, but are not readily as certainable, such as interest on cost of buildings and depreciation of buildings." It would be of great interest to the community to get the figures, as the Post Office apparently yields but little profit to the colony.
His EXCELLENCY-The returns will be made in the same form as in 1894.
Council resumed.
Bill read the third time.
ADJOURNMENT.
Mr. Wilkinson-r the first action and the defendant.
Mr. Wilkinson recovery of $1, The facts of the base been well acqu
Fere
ber
the
some years made use of getting him to and to take.... About the beginning of of August, the defendant spo and said he intended to puro vernment a portion of land Arsenal Street, if the Govern and he desired the plaintiff to ascer the Government were prepared Plaintiff did so, and ascertained that ment was willing to sell the land.
shou suggested that the plain the speculation, and plai consider the matter. After the Government was willing plaintiff decided that he would it himself, and informed the defen on, the 2nd or 3rd October, defendant plaintiff he had been endeavou money, but had not been able to raise auf to enable him to pay for this land, which was about to be put up for auction, and he was negotiating for a mortgage on his property. Plaintiff there-
agreed to
lend the def upon
the
$2,000. On the 2nd October. paid $1,000 in two Bums $700 and received promissory notes for the amounts. On the following day he brought the remaining $1,000, for which he received promis sory notes, and it was on this loan he was now suing. The first $1,000 loan was paid back in three instalments $100 on 8th October, $500 on 21st October, and $400 on the 4th November Plaintiff had frequently applied since the last date of payment, 4th November last, ment of the remaining $1,000, Defendant put him off from time and plaintiff was now com pelled to take this action. There was a cros suit brought by the defendant, which he under- stood was in respect of the same tran and he asked his Lordship to hear both cases together.
His Lordship agreed, Mr. Bowley offering no objection.
in cross-examination, plaintiff said there was no regulation in the service binding him not to fake part in outside business, as he was a oivi- lian. He applied to Lieutenant Thomson, the officer in charge, for leave of absence to-day. Lieut.-Colonel Clark was the superior officer, but he was now at Macao. Defendant imself had previously thought of purchasing a piece land below the Observatory at Kowloon, for which they were prepared to invest $10,000. Each was to give $5,000. The land, ho was found to be too dear. He had writ viously to the Director of Publio gard to speculations on his own accoun
the Govern had been ten years in service, and during that time he had been saving money to lend out. He seldom put money in the bank, because as much as he could. He started account with the Hongkong and Bank about the beginning of this had not a safe in his house, but he box in which he kept all his
His EXCELLECY—I adjourn the Council until thought his house was better than this day week.
SUPREME COURT.
9th December.
IN SUMMARY JURISDICTION.
On the 1st October he, had close upon $1, his cash bōr. He borrowed the from a friend of his, an assistant
godown keeper at
at the Sugar
ceived the money at Jardine' the evening of the first evening. He gave his fi for the two amounts and at the rate of 2. cont agreed to charge the
BEFORE MR. T. SERCOMBE SMITH (ACTING of interest. He
PUISNE JUDGE.)
MADAR V HO CHUK KAL
Lerest to his friend wife to make up the
Additional
The plaintiff, O. N. Madar, a clerk in the was adjourned. Ordnance Store Department, sued Ho Chuk Kai, tailor, Beaconsfield Arcade, for the re covery of $1,000 on two promissory notes. In a cross suit defendant claimed $1,000 from the plaintiff,
The defence receive any mon
mber
ondant did i
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.