August 26, 1897.j.
With regard to the latter portion of the ques~ tion I regret that it is not possible to state to what causes the failure alluded to by the hon. member was due.
GOLD LOANS.
In pursuance of notice Hon. T. H. WHITE- HEAD asked the following question :-Will the Government lay upon the table a detailed state- ment or account of the loan of £200,000 raised in 1887, showing separately in sterling and in dollars all receipts and all payments in connec- tion with or in respect of the principal, interest, and sinking fund, with the dates and the rates of exchange at which each item was converted from sterling into dollars or vice versa, in short, a detailed account showing how much interest per cent. per annum the ratepayers have paid for the loan in question, and a similar account to date in respect of the last loan of £200,000 floated in 1894, shewing in addition what amount thereof is still available, if any, how and in what way the monies have been expended, and what are the available assets in respect of said disbursements P The statement to show in what securities the sinking fund has been in vested, the cost thereof in sterling and in dollars, the annual revenue derived therefrom and the present market value of the securities.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-I beg to lay apon the table the statement asked for by the hon. member.
TYPHOID FEVER.
PUBLIC WORKS EXPENSES.
The first minute was one in which the Gov- ernor recommends the Council to vote a sum of $103,000 to meet the following expenses during the current year
Public Works Annually Recurrent Expendi- tare.-Repairs to Buildings, $12,000, Mainten- ance of Telegraph, $1,000.
Public Works Extraordinary.-Water and Drainage Works, Miscellaneous, $42,000 (charge- able to loan), Taipingshan Improvement, 340,000, Forming and Kerbing Streets, Victoria, $3,000, Gardener's Cottage, $5,000. Total-$103,000.
Vote recommended.
THE NEW PEAK ROAD.
The next winnte was one in which the Governor recommends the Council to vote a sum of $5,000 for the construction of a new road at the Peak District, from Plantation Road to Magazine Gap.
The CHAIRMAN-Hon. members will remem-
ber that the Director of Public Works, at the meeting of Council that has just been held, laid upon the table the report of the Public Works Committee with regard to this new work. That report gives the reasons why the Committee considered it desirable that this work should be carried ont, and the amount recommended in this vote, $5,000, is considered necessary to defray certain preliminary expenses. The Director of Public Works will give any further information that may be desired on this subject. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-What will be the total cost?
In pursuance of notice Hon. T. H. WHITE HEAD asked the following question: Will the Government direct the Medical Officer of Health to report:-(1.) Upon all cases of The ACTING DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS tyhoid fever which have occurred in the colony-The total cost, of the road, including concret- during the last 12 months; and (2.) As to ing, will be $28,000, and the necessary sewers whether or not he has instituted any enquiry and water mains will cost $10,000, into the history of these cases, adding thereto the causes which have led to the recent greater prevalence of this disease in the colony, and with what results ?
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-The report of the cases which occurred in 1896 of the disease termed by the Medical Officer of Health "enteric fever " is contained in the Annual Report of that officer published in the Govern. ment Gazette of the 14th inst. I now lay upon the table another Report by the Medical Officer of Health on the cases of the 'same disease which have occurred this year. An inquiry into the history of each case has been made. The results of such inquiry are embodied in the Reports of the Medical Officer of Health.
PREPARED OPIUM ORDINANCE. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I have the honour to move the first reading of a Bill entitled an Ordinance to further amend the Prepared. Opium Ordinance, 1891. I may mention that this Ordinance is not intended to affect the present farm, so that it need not create any anxiety to its effect upon the present farm.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded. Bill real a first time.
WIDOWS' AND ORPHANS' PENSIONS ORDINANCE.
The COLONAL TREASURER-I have the honour to move the first reading of a Bill entitled an Ordinance to amend the Widows' and Orphans' Pensicus (Amendment) Ordinance "No. 28 of 1895.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, Bill read a first time.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-Is this $5,000 this year's expenditure?
The ACTING DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS -It is to enable the work to be gone on with at
SUPREME COURT.
18th August.
CRIMINAL SESSIONS.
161
BEFORE SIR JOHN CARRINGTON (CHIEF JUSTICE).
A PLEA OF GUILTY.
Cheung Tsat was charged with the man- slaughter of Li Chiu on the 8th August.
Prisover pleaded guilty.
The Attorney-General (Hon. W. M. Good- man), who appeared for the Crown, being in- structed by Mr. H. L. Dennys (Crown Solicitor), explained that this was not a case in which he would press for a heavy punishment. The pri- soner pras employed at a shop at 47, Nullah Lane, where marine delicacies were sold. The deceased was a cook in the employ of a coal coolie and on the 8th August he went to the shop to buy some seaweed. A dispute arose about a few cash and the prisoner struck the deceased on the side with his open hand. The victim had an enlarged spleen, the weight of it being 12 ounces instead of 5 ounces, and the blow ruptured this organ, death ensuing two hours afterwards. The blow was a light one and death would not have ensued if deceased had not had a diseased spleen, but the prisoner committed an unlawful act and therefore he was guilty of manslaughter.
Prisoner, when asked if he had anything to say, said the deceased picked up a weight and struck him with it.
His Lordship told the prisoner there was no- thing about that in the depositions.
Prisoner then said he had nothing more to
say.
His Lordship, in passing sentence, said—You clearly caused the death of this man and yon caused his death in an unlawful manner; there- fore you are guilty in point of law of the crime of manslaughter. At the same time, as the The CHAIRMAN-The Public Works Com-Attorney-General has kindly said in your be- mittee thought it desirable to have the work put in hand at once.
once.
Vote recommended.
half, the degree of your guilt is very slight. You gave him only a slight blow and the death of the man was owing to his having a diseased spleen, but when you struck him you did an un-
FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPLIANCES AT THE | lawful act. He did not strike you and you had
GAOL.
The third minute was one in which the Go- vernor recommends the Council to rote a sum of $523 to meet the cost of certain fire extin- guishing appliances at the gaol.
The CHAIRMAN explained that the Superin- tendent of the goal reported that the fire ex- tinguishing appliances were not in a satisfac- tory condition and that in order to carry out the necessary improvements this sum was re- quired.
Vote recommended.
SLAUGHTER-HOUSE AND DEPOTS.
The last minute was one in which the Gov- ernor recommends the Council to vote a sum of $349.30 in aid of the rote "Slaughter-House, Sheep and Pig Depôts, including Pier."
Vote recommended.
ADJOURNMENT,
The Committee then adjourned.
Mr. K. Stahlgren, late Acting Danish Consul at Tientsin, was arrested one afternoon of the 9th Angust on board the N.P. steamer NATURALIZATION ORDINANCE,
Columbia at Yokohama, on a charge of fraudu The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved and the lently appropriating the sum of $4,000, in addi- COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded the first read-tion to a large quantity of jewellery. Mr. ing of a Bill entitled an Ordinance for the Stahlgren was removed to the American Con- naturalization of Ho Mui Sz alias Ho Linsulate, pending the necessary arrangements being made for his transference to Shanghai: Shing.
He was subsequently released by the Danish Acting Consul, Mr. Gielen, on the ground that there was no evidence on which to support the The Council then adjourned until Thursday charge. If this is the case, it seems carions
Bill read a first time.
next.
ADJOURNMENT.
FINANCE COMMITTEE.
that a warrant should has been issued. We may not unfairly assume, says the Kobe Chro- nicle, that the action of the Japanese authorities in protesting against the arrest has not a little | to do with the somewhat hurried acquittal. Mr. Nakano, the, Governor of Kanagawa, is now said to be pressing for an apology from the Acting Danish Consul. It is reported that The minutes of the last meeting were read Mr. Stahlgren will enter an action for illegal
arrest. and confirmed,
A meeting of the Finance Committee was then held. Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart (Colonial Secretary) presided and all the mem- bers were present.
MINUTES.
no business to strike him. By giving way to your temper you caused the death of that poor man. I will take into consideration all the cir cumstances of the case and also your showing that you are sorry by pleading guilty. You will be kept in raol for "three months with hard
labour.
The Court then adjourned.
Just as the Court had risen an old man and an old woman, the parents of the deceased, came from among the crowd of spectators and knelt near the usher's box. The old man appeared to be almost blind, and the old woman was so over- come with distress that she burst into tears and sobbed bitterly.
20th August.
CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER. Cheung Fuk was charged with the man- slaughter of a man at Taikoktsui on the 7th inst. The Attorney-General (Hon. W. M. Goodman) prosecuted (instructed by Mr. H. L. Dennys, Crown Solicitor), and Mr. J. J. Francis, Q.C. (instructed by Mr. Gedge), defended.
The jurymen were:-Messrs. J. H. Logan, W. T. Shewan, Wong Lin Kep. J. Baptista, D. M. de Sonza, F. Q. Xavier and J. Walker.
The Attorney-General explained that the deceased stole a hat and a jacket from a boat which was lying on the foreshore at Taikoktsui and he was chased by the prisoner and other men, who caught him and beat him with poles and their fists, the result being that he died. Death was caused by rupture of the spleen,
The case had not concluded when the Court adjourned.
21st August,
Mr. Francis for the defence called witnesses to prove an alibi. They stated that at the time the deceased met with his death the prisoner was in bed asleep.
The jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty and the prisoner was discharged.
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