*.
digast 5, 1899.]
alanghter-house into bis own back-yard and kill it
The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE I do not think it would be advisable to make "the alteration without further consideration. It is not long since we made by-laws providing for the taking of pigs to the pig depot, where they are now kept and slaughtered. Practically all the pigs are owned by Chinese,
The Hon. Dr. Ho KAI--I think it would be great hardship to have to take a sucking pig to the slaughter-house to be slaughtered,
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR-What is the custom of the country?
The Hon. E. R. BELILIOS-The common practise amongst the European community in Hongkong is to slaughter sucking pigs in their own houses.
HIS EXCOLLENCY THE GOVERNOR-As far as I can see, the effect of the Attorney-General's amendment would be that while you are not allowed to offer for sale any meat unfit for haman consumption, you may slaughter it if you like in your own back-yards for your own consumption. But you gentlemen know more about the customs of the place and the neces- sities of the people than I do, and the matter is entirely in your hands.
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-May I ask who suggested the deletion of the words, "for
8.10.
The ACTING Attorney GENERAL-I am sorry to say that the papers dealing with this matter seem to have gave astray altogether, but I think the suggestion came originally either from the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon (Mr. Ladds) or the Medical Officer of Health, and I think that probably the suggestion was made because as the Captain Superintendent of Police has pointed out it was not considered advisable for the Chinese to be allowed to kill swine in their own backyards. But it has been pointed out to me that that is rather a common custom and it
was also pointed out to me that if we passed this Bill as it stands it would be a penal offence for any Euro- pean to kill or dress a sucking pig on his own premises. 1
The Hon. E. R. BELILIOS-As to the con- dition of the animals slaughtered at home, I may say that they are specially fed so that they are in althy condition when they are slangh tere Especially is this the case at festivals.
H EXCELL NOY THE GOVERNOR—Í un- derstool that the alterations were for the
purpose of enabling Mahomedans to slaughter certain animals without taking them to the slaughter. house and to meet the requirements of their religion?
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL-That will be provided for. The question divides it- self into two points-whether these words" for aleshall be left out, and then it is proposed to go on with the question of slaughtering for Indian troops or Indian police quartered in the The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE It would be a very dangerous thing to strike ont the words "for sale." There are thousands of pigs slaughtered by Chiness.
solony.
The Hon. Dr. Ho KAI-I think it would be better if section 3 were deleted altogether, and if we let clause 12 stand as it has stood for nine Joare
|
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
during the passing of a Bill through commit tee. As a matter of fact this was foreshadowed. The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-This was an amendment suggested some three weeks ago.
His EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR~This was foreshadowed by the Hon. E. R. Belilios.
At this stage the Hon. C. P. Chater obtained His Excellency's permissionto retire, as he did not feel well.
I
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL-This is how section 12 will read after being amended as propose "No person shall slaughter any animal or dress any carcase thereof for sale except within a slaughter house appointed for the purpose under this Ordinance, always pro- vided that goats or sheep may be slaughtered or dressed elsewhere by or for any Indians, Indian troops' or Indian police quartered in the colony" The effect of this amendment, sug- gested by the Hon. E. R. Belilion and the Indian gentlemen he introduced to me, will be that it will be possible forthem to slaughter on their own premises sheep as well as goats
when necessary.
The amendment was adopted.
1
The Hon. E. R. BELILIOS threw out the suggestion that instead of the wholesale slaugh tering of herds in cases of rinderpest they should build pens in the Hinterland and when suspected cases appeared transport the whole herd to such редв.
The Council then resumed.
HIS EXCELLENCY GOES TO TAIPOHU. His Excellency the GOVERNOR-Before we adjourn I want to tell you that on Wednesday I propose to go to Taipohu to meet the com- mittesmen who have been appointed under the Ordinance which was passed some months ago. I need hardly tell you that from that time until now the Colonial Secretary has been busily eng. aged in going over the New Territory and divid ing out the districts. We have made eight districts and a very large number of sub-districts, and we have apponted about 350 committeemen. I am going out to meet nearly 300 of them on Wednes day at Taipohu. The Wingfu will leave here at seven o'clock in the morning, and if any of you gentleman would like to accompany me. Ι shall be glad to see you. I want to get there at about 12 o'clock, and so we shall have to leave here at about seven o'clock in the morning. I propose to see some committeemen at Taipehu on Wednesday and then see a smaller number at Pingsan on Friday.
The Council then adjourned until Tuesday of next week.
FINANCE COMMITTE.
A meeting of the Finance Committe was then held, the Colonial Secretary presiding.
The CHAIRMAN-The first business I have entitled an Ordinance to authorise the ap- to bring before the Committee to-day is a Bill propriation of a supplementary sum of three hundred and eight thousand six hundred and seventy-two dollars and eighty-seven cents, to defray the charges of the year 1898. I pro- pose to follow the usual practice and take each item, and if any honour ble member has any question to ask in regard to it the Colonial Treasurer will answer it.
The Supplementary Colonial Estimates for 1898 were then gone through.
it
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-With refer- The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I bag to
ence to the items under Medical Depart move that clause 3 of the Bill be amended as
ments" I observe that there is an increase of follows by striking out the words "By the $7,000 and it would be very desirable I think delection of the words for sale" and substitut- if, for the information of members of the com- ing in lieu of these words "By the inmittee, the Government would have a statement sertion between the word 'goats and the prepared showing the income and expenditure word "may" of the words "orsheep; 'aud by the in- of the Civil Hospital for the last four year; sertion after the w word slaughtered and and if the hospital is not self-supporting it is before the word by' of the words or dressed possible it may be made more self-supporting elsewhere." "R
than it is. I do not know exactly whether it is self-supporting or not, but the fees appear to went to a hotel they would have to pay much me to be very low. If the first-class patients
more, even if they went to a second-rate hotel, than they pay at the Government Civil Hospi-
tal,
The CIAIEMAN-I take it from marks that you think the fees too low.
€107
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD—I do propose that the Government should mi profit out of the Government Civil Hospital but if it is not self-supporting it may be mi more so without injustice to the first portion.
The total of items headed "Public Work extraordinary" amounted to $94,695.76, and The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD remarke I hat is an extremely large item.
The DIRECTOR OF Public Works plained that a larger store of materiale necessary in consequence of the taking over: the New Territory. He thought that under th circumstance the increase was not excessive 585 It was decided to recommend the Council t to sanction the Bill.
The CHALEMAN-I may say that I had in- tended to bring several financial minutes before the committee to-day but in view of the fact that two of the unofficial members are absent I think it desirable we should postpone the consideration of these votes until we have a fuller meetings
This was all the business,
THE ARMS DEALERS AND THE
NEW ARMS ORDINANCE:
The following is the petition presented at the meeting of the Legislative Council on Monday by the Hon. T. H. Whitehead on behalf of the arms dealers :---
In the matter of the Arms Consolidation Ordinance 1895 and in the matter of a proposed Ordinance to amend the Arm Consolidation Ordinance, 1895.
To His Excellenoy Sir HENRY BLAZE
G.C.M.G., Governor and Commander-in- Chief of the Colony of Hongkong and Vice-Admiral of the same, and to the Legislative Council of the said Colóny, of No. 191 Queen's Road Central, The Yow The Humble Petition of The Tung Tak Arm Foo firm of No. 356 Queen's Road Central, The Chee Yan firm of No. 280 Queen's Road Cen- tral, The Fook Lung firm of No. 14 Fat Hing Street, The Tak Lung firm of No. 322 Queen Road Central, The Wing Tack firm of No. 16 Queen's Road West, The Luen Wo firm of No. 12 Queen's Road West, The Cheung Tai firm of No. 140 Praya West, The Tang Sing firm of No. 54 Queen's Road West, and the Kwong Tak Cheong firm of No. 215 Queen's Road West, all of Victoria in the Colony of Hong. kong, Arms Dealers, Respectfully Showth:-
1-That your Petitioners are dealers in Arms as defined by Section 3 of Ordinance No. 8 1895 carrying on business in the Colony of Hong
tioned. kong at the respective addresses above men-
:
2.- That at the present time there are eleven Chinese firms licensed under the said Ordinance No. 8 of 1895 at Victoria aforesaid carrying on the said business of dealers in Arms of whom your Petitioners are ten, the remaining Arm being the Yow Cheong firm of No: 206 Queen's Road Central, Victoria aforesaid.
3. That at the present time your Petitioners
accordance in
with the provisions of section 10 of the said Ordinance No. 8 of 1895 pay to the Government of this Colony an annual fee of $10 in respect of the license to deal in arms granted to them under section 10 of the said Ordinance No. 8 of 1895.
4-That your petitioners are informed that & Bill entitled "An Ordinance to amend the
Arms Consolidation Ordinance 1895"' has been recently introduced into the Legislative Council of this Colony and was read a first time by the said Council on the 20th June, 1899, whereby it is proposed to enact (inter alia) that (section 3) section 10 of Ordinance No. 8 of 1895 shall following section substituted be thereby repealed and in lieu thereof the
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-I think this
■ an irregular course to purane altogether. These amendments should be printed and cir. onlated in order that members might have a
"Every importer of or dealer in arms shall regaonable amount of time to consider them
take out a licence annually and shall register And to see whether they meet the case or whe-
his name and place of business for the time ther they do not. I submit that it is rather
The CHAIEMAN-The statement the honour- in which he stores or intends to store
being and any godown warehouse or other plaos unreasonable that the time of honourable able gentleman would like prepared will be the office of the Captain Superintende - members should be taken up in drafting amend- } prepared and laid before the Connoil.
Police. Any importer of or dealer in ments in the way in which this has been drafted. regard to the fees I think the now
taking out such licence as aforesaid His EXCELLENCY-TAN GOVERNOR-It is was only drawn up a short time ago.
gistering as aforesaid shall be liable o quite in order for any honourable gentlemen to
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-It came into conviction to a fine not exceeding two suggest any amendment which strikes him foros in January last, the
Dellars or to imprisonment for a period not
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.