218
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
that he did not receive a reply.
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-I had two inter- views with the Ambassador when he passed through the colony and at the second one I ex- pressed my sorrow that he did not avail himself of the Governor's invitation, and his explana- tion was the one I have just given.
The CHAIRMAN-There may have been some misunderstanding, but that is a matter that can be very easily cleared up from the pa- pers on the subject. If the hon. member had given me private notice of his intention to ask the question I would have looked into the mat- ter.
in regard to the Bill 80 as to preventing did not entail quarantine at Singapore. To any misunderstanding as to its nature and scope. The object of the Bill is to enable rules The CHAIRMAN-I am not thoroughly ac and regulations and departmental orders to be quainted with the facts of the case, but if you made and also to enable the Superintendent of desire to know what took place, the information the Fire Brigade himself to inflict penalties not can be obtained. So tar as I understand. pre- exceeding $10 or confinement to the station-parations for the luncheon, were made because not imprisonment-for not exceeding seven it was thought His Excellency would land and days, and with the result that if members of be entertained. the Brigade refuse to pay the penalty inflicted upon them or to undergo the confinement to station they shall be liable to dismissal That is all. As the laws stands at the present time the liablity of a member of the Fire Brigade is to a fine of $25,nstead of $10 as mentioned in the Bill, and to enforce such a fine a man must be taken before the Magistrate. This is thought to be not highly conducive to dis- cipline. It must be borne in mind that when the former Fire Brigade Ordinance was passed in 1968-nearly thirty years ago—there were good many volunteer members of the Fire Brigade. There were many gentlemen who volunteered their services in time of need in the Brigade and naturally they might have strongly objected to being punished by the Superinten- dent himself, preferring perhaps to go before a Magistrate. I think, perhaps, there is some misconception in this. It has been lost sight of that since that time the constitution of the Brigade has very materially altered. I am in- formed that at the present time there are scarcely any European members of the Brigade who are not members of the Police Force. They are policemen who get extra pay each month for belonging to the Fire Brigade, and there- fore it is a very differently constituted Brigade from what it was. However, there is no violent hurry about this matter and I would ask your Excellency to allow the second reading of the Bill to stand over for the present.
The second reading was therefore postponed.
ADJOURNMENT.
The Council adjourned until next Monday.
FINANCE COMMITTEE. The Finance Committee considered the supplementary estimates. Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart (Colonial Secretary) presided.
The CHAIRMAN said he would follow the usual course and take each item as it occurred! in the Ordinance.
PENSIONS.
On the item Pensions. $15,054.71, Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD asked how the scale of pensions in this colony compared with the scale in other Crown colonies. It seemed to him that pensions were always on the increase,
The CHAIRMAN, in reply, said that so far as he was acquainted with pensions in other colonies they were practically on the same foot- ing as the pensions in this colony. The scale of pensions, so far as he knew, was the same in all Eastern Crown colonies and, he believed, much the same in the West Indies also. A man in the civil service had to serve until he was 55 years of age before he was entitled to a pension unless he was invalided before he reachedthat age. The pensions of the Police were dealt with by a special Ordinance.
The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT of POLICE said the scale of police pensions in Singapore was the same as in Honkong.
The HARBOUR MASTER pointed out that as the colony got older and public servants left year by year it necessarily followed that the pension list must increase.
The item was recommended.
LI HUNG-CHANG'S LUNCHEON. On the item, Governor and Legislature, $223.19,
|
The item was recommended.
THE POLICE SCANDAL, On the item, Police, $8.541 71,
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-I would like to
know whether the evidence taken by the hon. the Captain Superintendent of Police and the Crown Solicitor in connection with the charges against Inspector Stanton and other members of the Police Force was submitted to
the hon. the Attorney-General for his opinion as to its sufficiency before action was taken thereon, and whether His Ixcellency sanctioned the dismissal of Inspector Stanton and the other members of the Police Force with the advice of the Executive Council or on the sole recom- mendation of the Captain Superintendent of Police.
The CHAIRMAN-1 do not see what this has appears to me that the proper course to adopt to do with the vote under consideration. It is for the hon. member to give notice of the question in the usual manner in Council.
Hou, T. H. WHITEHEAD-It is quite in accordance with Parliamentary practice to ask for information concerning a certain department when a vote in connection therewith comes up for consideration.
The CHAIRMAN-In this case the expendi- ture, which was incurred in 1896, has nothing to do with the matter alluded to by the hon member. It is uot from any desire to withhold information, but it would be more regular to give notice in the usual manner, when no doubt the hon. member will receive an answer to his
question.
Item recommended,
THE MILITARY CONTRIBUTION.
On the item, Military Expenditure, $82,913.45, Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-I move that this item be omitted. We have discussed this ques tion of the military contribution from time to time very fully and I am still of the opinion that it is quite ont of proportion to the revenue of the colony. It is a monstrous and a most unjust charge and it acts most injuriously upon the welfare of the colony.
The HARBOUR MASTER- -Question. Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-It is higher than any contribution required from any other Colonial Government, and why we should be thus muleted and imposed upon as we are it is impossible to conceive. I therefore move the rejection of the item.
The CHAIRMAN--Does anybody second that? Hon C. P. CHATER-This is a matter with which 1 think it is almost hopeless for us to attempt to do much more.
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[September 15, 1897,
Ordinance was passed by this Council after the protests had gone home, and a vote of 17 per cent. of the revenue, excluding land premia, is the military contribution fixed by the Ordin ance, the object of which was to prevent the recurrence of debates year by year on the sub- ject. It is impossible for ns, sitting in Finance Committee, to repeal that Ordinance, and it would be most absurd, having passed that Ordinance, to say that we would not vote the money. We must be consistent.
Hon. C. P. CHATER-My object in seconding is just to be, as the hon. the Attorney-General has expressed it, consistent. The Bill he refers 1o was passed against the unofficial vote. It was agreed to by the official majority and on the present occasion we want it to be kept on record that it has again been put through, as it no doubt will be, by the official majority.
Hon. Ho KAI-For the same reason I sup- port the hon. member for the Chamber of Com- merce. The military contribution of 174 per cent was passed by the official majority against the unofficials, and it is no use to say that that Ordinance is law. No doubt the Ordinance becomes law because the official majority is against us, but it is no law as far as the un- The repre- official minority is concerned. sentatives of this colony are still against the 17 per cent.. whether it was passed by the official majority or not. As long as the wishes they from time to time record their opposition of the unofficials are not granted so long will
to the military contribution.
The CHAIRMAN thought the simpler plan would be to state that the unofficial members objected to the item.
Hon C. P. CHATER-Take the vote. The HARBOUR MASTER-The inference to be
drawn from the remarks of the hon. member opposite (Hon. Ho Kai) is that if anybody does not approve of a law that is passed it is not binding on him. This law has been passed and it has not been approved by certain members, and therefore it is not considered binding!
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-The unofficials
the law enforcing 17 per cent. voted in accordance with their conscience against
The amendment was then taken as follows:--
FOR.
AGAINST. Hon. Wei A Yuk. The Acting Director of Hon. I. J. Bell Public Works.
Irving.
The Colonial Treasurer. Hon. E. R. Belilios. The Harbour Master. Hon. T. H. White- TheCaptain Superintendent
head.
of Police.
Hon. Ho Kai.
:
The Attorney-General. Hon. C. P. Chater. The. Colonel Commanding.
The Colonial Secretary. The amendment was therefore lost by one vote and the item was recommended.
THE TAIPINGSHAN PROPERTY,
On the item, Public Works Recurrent, 824,047.79,
Boo. T. H. WHITEHEAD-Notwithstanding your raling, Mr. Chairman, I should like to repeat the question which I put at a meeting of the Council a few weeks ago in regard to the Taipingshan property, an asset which cost the ratepayers the best part of a million of dollars. The question I put last month was-"What steps do the Government now propose to take with a view to the speedy disposal of the Crown land available at Taipingshan, and what were the causes of the failure of the Government to obtain a bid for any lot at the recent sale by public auction ?" Mr. Chairman, you replied as follows-"The Government propose to adopt the usual course and to wait for applications to sell the land by auction. With regard to the... latter portion of the question 1 regret that it is not possible to state to what causes the failure alluded to by the hon. member was due." That answer in regard to this property, which cost the ratepayers nearly a million dollars, is no answer at all. It is an evasive reply. I cer- placed on the same footing as our sister colony, tainly think the ratepayers are entitled to know Singapore, but to all these protests and peti. why no bids were received for the property. tions we have had the cne answer, that the vota Possibly the Director of Public Works can en- must be made. Yet to show the Secretary of lighten us. If he is not in a position to do so State that we do not willingly pass this rote II have no doubt the senior unofficial member second the resolution of my hon. friend the member for the Chamber of Commerce.
The CHAIRMAN-Do I understand that you second the motion ?
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD asked why was this Hon. C. P. CHATER-I am coming to that expenditure incurred when the Ambassador's directly. We have done what we could in this acceptance of the Governor's invitation to lun- matter. We have protested, we have petitioned, cheon was only conditional that his landing in and we have pointed out to the Secretary of Hongkong did not entail quarantine at Sioga-State for the Colonies that we should like to be pore and the Government was not in a position to give any satisfactory assurance as to that
condition.
The CHAIRMAN-So far as I remember, the Government was not aware of the fact that he was going to make his acceptance of the invita- tion conditional. The luncheon was prepared and it was believed he would land.
Hon. 7. H. WHITEHEAD—A telegram was sent to Shanghai and His Excellency Li Hung. @hang replied that he would land if the land-
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL—As regards the greater part of the vote it has been settled by Ordinance 21 of 1896 which was passed to save continual debate on this question. The
could enlighten the Council, because there is not another man in the colony-in fact there are no half dozen men in the colony whose knowledge and experience of property and the management thereof are equal to the senior unofilvial member's. Several ratepayers have
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