:
December 23, 1899.]
the Council in committee, I called your Excel- lenoy's attention to the enormous powers we were delegating to two honourable but some- what youthful members of this Council. My advice was then unheeded. I was under the impression when passing the Bill that only disorderly houses were to be closed, but now we hear that edicts have gone forth to close in- disoriminately scores of houses of ill-fame without any fault being found with them.
His EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR-Is not the honourable member travelling outside the the subject unde discuss on ?
The Hon. E. R. BELILIO8-No, sir, I am coming to the point. The consequence is sheer loss to a great number of the poor inhabitants of this city. Before the Bill was introduced, owing to the enhanced rents prevailing in the centre of the town, families of limited means found cheap residences in the suburbs to the east and west of us, but now, owing to the com pulsory exodus of these women to these quarters. rents have been nearly doubled, to the serious detriment of the poor families, who will now be compelled to stint or starve themselves to pay these exorbitaut rents. Notwithstanding this movement rents in the central districts will be upheld by Chinese landlords, who are principally the proprietors or lessees of the houses which are being vacated For this rea- Bons I submit, it will be advisable to let well alone and desist from making any enactments of the kind now proposed. I feel therefore
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
SUPRE A COURT.
18th December.
CRIMINAL SESSIONS,
BEFORE HIS HON. W. MEIGH GOODMAN (Acting Chief Justice.)
OBTAINING GOODE BY A FORGE BEQUEST.
Leung Fuk was charged with offering, u ter- ing, disposing of, and putting off a forged request with intent to defraud. There were five other counts in the indictment. He pleaded not guilty.
The jurors were Messrs. W. H. T. Davis, F. X. Remedios, J. M. M. Dourdia, H. W. Rumoker, R E. Humphreys, Augus Sinclair,
and F. J. Barros.
The Acting Attorney-General (the Hon. H. E. Pollock) said the counts against prisoner in this case were six in number, and they were all of them brought under what was called the Forgery Ordinance of the Colony, rdinance 6 of 186. The evidence would show that prison-
er went to a man called Lee On, who was a car- ver of chops and stamps, about nine o'clock on the morning of the 27th October, and asked bim to make him a chop bearing the characters of the Ma Seung Kwai Tong shop as quickly as possible. Lee Ou agreed to do this, and pri
509
very young. I sentence you to three years' im- prisonment with hard labour on each of the six counts, but the sentences will ran concurrently, so that your sentence will be three years' hard labour altogether.
THE ATTEMPT TO BRIBE MR. J. DIER BALLA An old woman named Tsol Sam was charged with offering a bribe to a public servant with a view to influence his conduct. She pleaded not guilty.
The jurors were Messrs. E. Mirow, U. M. Castro, H. N. Huke, W. H. T. Davies, Mr. A. Calabao, A. Sinclair, and J. Lemm.
servant
in office a8
The Acting Attorney-General said defondant was charged with on the 11th December offering to Mr. Dyer Ball, who was a public Registrar-General, a bribe, namely $15, with a the Acting Assistant view to influence ais conduct as such public servant. The evidence for the prosecution would show that defendant had been applying recently to the Registrar-General's department for permission to rent a pork stall on the site of Yung Po market. It would appear that defend. the old latrine which formerly stood in the Sai
aut had been five or six times to the Registrar, General's Office and seen the clerks there with reference to this application, and apparently bribe it would facilitate matters. Mr. Ball she was auder the impression that if she gave a
11th, she met him on Kennedy Road and handed would tell the jury that on Monday, December him
envelope addresed to himself and
an
compelled to sound a note of warning and bersoner called for it two hours afterwards. It containing a $10 note and a $5 note. Mr.
to deprecate meddling with the present laws of 'the colony.
The Hon. Dr Ho KAI-I beg to second the
suggestion of the honourable member who has sat down that counsel be heard on behalf of the aims dealers who have presented the petition to this Council, in accordance with section 52 of the Standing Rule and Orders.
The motion was carried.
His EXCELLENCY then invited Mr. J. J.
Francis, Q.C., who was present with Mr. J. Hastings (Messrs Deacon and Hastings, solici- tors) to come forward.
Mr. FRANCIS then delivered n exhaustive address of about an hour's duration. A full
report of his speech will appear in our issue of
to-morrow.
On Mr. Francis resuming his seat, the
pro. position that the Bill be read a second time was put and carried.
{
THE MERCHANT SHIPPING ORDINANCE, The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I now propose the third reading of the Bill entitled an Ordinance to consolidate and amend the Laws re- lating to Merchant Shipping, the duties of the Harbour Master, the control and management of the waters of the colony and the regulation of vessels navigating the same,
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was carried.
The Council theu adjourned until Thursday next.
MEETING OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
A meeting of the Finance Committee was held immediately after the Council meeting, the Colonial Secretary presiding.
The CHAIRMAN said-I have one minute only to bring before the committee, and that is one in which the Governor recommends the Council to vote a sum of $250 in aid of the vote Maintainance of Gardens." The Superintend- ent of the Botanical and Afforestation Depart- ment reports expenditure that an of $73.33 has been incurred in collecting and sending ma- terials to England in connection with the Ma- larial Commission. He has been making en- quiries in connection with the mosquitoes; which are supposed to be connected with the spread of malaria. He has also expended a sum of $176 61, the cost of making a kitchen garden at Government House.
The vote was passed. This was all the business.
On Saturday morning a Chiuese boy who was in a sampan was or shed between two lautches and received such injuries that he died in Hospital shortly afterwards. A Chinaman who fell from a scaffold on the 7th inst. has since died.
appeared that prisoner was formerly in the employ of the Ma Seung Kwai Tong firm, but when he went to get this chop made he bad already left their employment, and he got this shop made with intent to defraud. Oo get. ting the chop from Lee On prisoner took it to a man camed Tsang Shu, who was evidently a confederate of his, and got him to write out three delivery orders for goods which were to be obtained from the Wong Cheung Ki shop, the Ma Seung Kwai Tong chop being affed to the orders. Prisoner presented these orders to the Wong Cheung Ki shop on the 9th, 10th, and 12th November, pretending that they came from the Ma Seung Kwai Tong shop. On the strength of these orders certain goods were hauded to him on the 9th and 10th October, but on the 12th October suspicion was aroused that the requests for goods were forged and that the Ma Seung Kwai Tong firm had not sent prisoner for the goods
Prisoner was found guilty on all counts. Sentence was deferred.
Tsang Shu was charged with making re- quest for the delivery of goods with intent to defrand. There were four other counts in the indictment. He pleaded not guilty. Prisoner was found not guilty by five of the jury against two, and was accordingly discharged.
The jury was composed as follows:-Mesars A. W. Macpherson, F. H. A. Fanobs, L. Scal- fort. E. A. da Silva, A, lamjahu, G. A. Buok- land and W. H. Gaskell.
for
In the afternoon Leung Fuk came up sentence. Addressing prisoner, His Lordship said (through the interpreter)—You have been convicted on an indictment which charges you with no less than six different offences. Under the first three counts you are found guilty of uttering forged documents on three different dates and under the last three you are charged with demanding goods-and in two out of the three obtaining them-under documents which you knew to be forged. I don't suppose you bave the slightest idea of the enormous gravity of your offence The section of the Ordinance under which you have been con- victed provides that the inaximum panish- meut for one of these offences shall be penal servitude for life. It would be impossible to carry on mercantile affairs if people are to forge requests and go and order goods in this way. I have thought carefully as to what was my duty, and I am bound to say in the first place that I never met with a man who seemed to be so absolutely regardless of truth as yourself. You kept on contradicting yourself this morning, first saying one thing and then auother, first swear- ing one thing before the Magistrate and then swearing here it was a lie. Unless you end your ways I do not know what will be the end you. I see you are described as only 19 in the information, and so I take your ease into merciful consideration on account of your being
of
Ball took the envelope and told the woman to co ne to the office, and she was afterwards arrested. He might mention that it was part of Mr. Ball's duty as Acting Assistant Registrar. Cieneral to look after the letting of stalls in the markets, and probably the woman, acting under a mistaken impression as to the delay which had taken place in regard to this stall, in order to facilitate matters. acted on the business idea of offering this bribe
It appeared that the envelopes handed to Mr. Ball also contained a letter asking him to use his good offices.
The jury found the old woman guilty, and His Lordship fiued her $85, or a month's im. prisonment.
19th December.
KIDNAPPING
CASES.
A woman named Wong I, who was charged with an offence under under the Women and Girls' Protection Ordinance, pleaded not guil-
.c. ty. She was defended by Mr. J. J. Francis,
E. Pollock) having stated the case for the pro- The Aoting Attorney-General (the Hon. H.
secution, the evidence was called.
Mr. Francis then addressed the jury at some length on behalf of prisoner.
The Jury found prisoner guilty, and His Lordship sentenced her to 12 months' imprison-
ment.
The jurors were Messrs F. X. Remedios, A. Ramjaha, F. H. A. Fukhs. F. D. Maclean, W. H. T. Davis, E. Mirow, and E. W: Terry.
There was another charge of a similar obar- soter against prisoner, but this was withdrawn,
December 21st.
THE LAMMA PIRACY CASE,
Chan Sam, Lai Lok, Chenng Chang, and Lai Hing were charged with robbery being armed. They pleaded not guilty.
The juror were Messrs. W. H. T. Davis, F H. A. Fuchs, F. J. Barros H. W. Rumoker, F. D. Maclean, D. H, Silas, and W. H. Howard.
The Actin: Attorney-General (the Hon. H. E. Pollock) said prisoners were charged with an offence against section 31 of Ordinance 7 of 1865, which provided that-- Whosoever shall, being armed with any offensive weapon or in- strument, rob, or assault with intent to rob, sny person, or shall, together with one or more other persons, rob, or assault with intent to rob, any person, or shall rob any person, and at the time of or immediately before or immediately after such robbery shall wound, beat, strike, or use any other personal violence to any person, shall be guilty of felony," &c. It
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