106
The Hon. Dr. Ho KAI-I do not wish to raise a discussion on the papers, Your Excellency, but I should lik- to make an explanation as the representative of the Chinese
His EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR-I am sure the council will have no objection to hear any explanation you may care to make as the representative of the Chinese,
The Hon. Dr. Ho KAI-I do not wish to raise any discussion or pass any remark on the protest at all, except to say that I had not seen the protest before it was sent in a copy was rent to me. I think, on Friday afternoon, by the hon'ble member for the Chamber of Commerce. It is also a known fact that since the passing of the Ordinance, and both before and up to the present moment I have not received any protest from the Chinese community whom I represent on this council. And I think in this I am supported by my Chinese colleague, who has not seen the protest. Lasily. the hon'ble member for the Chamber of Commerce. in putting in this protest has not mentioned whether he protests on behalf of the Chinese community or as their representative on the Chamber of Commerce I should like to know what section of the Chinese community he re- presents. Of course he has a perfect right to put in bis protest, but as it affects solely the Chinese, my colleague and I, a representing the Chinese ou this Council, would have expected the hon'ble member to have consulted with us before doing so.
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD- - May I be permitted to state that I made the protest as a member of this honourable Council and that quite a number of leading and substantial Chinese appealed to me in the matter. I went into the subject, and deemed it my duty to make the protest in question, which speaks for itself.
The matter then dropped.
PUBLIC WORKS.
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS laid upon the table reports of the proceedings of the Pub. lic Works Committee.
THE COLLECTION OF SHILLS, The Hon'ble T. H. WHITHEAD I rise to usk. (1) Will the ilonourable the Colonial Se. cretary lay upon the table a copy of the general instructions received from the Secretary of State under which Crown Leases were granted to the Lee Hing Company for the dredging and collection of shells in and around Ping Chau Island in the New Territory as stated by him in Conucil on 14th December last, and a copy of the said leases ?
COOLIES' SHELTER.
(2.) Will the Honourable the Director of Pub- lic Works inform the Council of the cause of the prolonged delay in constructing the shelter for the Chinese chai coolies at Victoria Gap the upper terminus of the Peak Tramway, and whether this urgently needed work cannot be proceeded with without further delay ?
JUBILEE ROAD,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLÝ PRÉSS AND
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The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-In regard asked that a copy of the to the first question lease in question should be furnished to the Cout cil. That apparently has been omitted
His EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR-I do not see anything in the question about a copy of the lease. The question asks for a copy of the general instructions. The hoa blo member. can however see a copy of the lease.
THE COLONY'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE
SOUTH AFRICAN RELIFF FUND. A VOTE OF 850,000. The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY-I rise to move that the orders of the day be set aside, and
"That this Council devote the sum of 850,000 as a contribution Lowards the South African War Fund at present being rised by the Lord Mayor of London, and that the distribution and allocation of the said sum be l-ft wholly to the discretion of the administrators of the fund."
|
i thinks, sir, that this motion will receive the cordial support of the hon'ble members of the Connoil, inasmuch I believe that he original saggestion that some such vote might | he asked for in th 8 Council emanated from the senior unofficial member, who has I believed consulted with his colleagues I am sure that this vote will be endorsed by the community, who have already so generously subscribed to one of the special funds to the Sailors and Soldiers Fund, which is also under the care of the Lord Mayor. (Hear, hear)
I
re-
The COLONIAL TREASURER second-d. The Hon. C. 1'. CHATER, C.M G. have much pleasure in supporting the solution, and in doing so, I may state that at a time like this when our gallau, troops are freely shedding their blood, and when half the families of the United Kingdom and mem bers of those in the Colonies are sendin. Gut some representative to take part in the struggle for supremacy in South Africa, Hongkong must not be backward in sending assistance. Its little quota of volunteers freely offered was not needed, it is true, but we can and we will contri- bute of our substance in helping the families of those who are fighting out our cause on the African veldt. This vote, as the Hon'ble the
Colonial Secretary has said, will have the cor- dial approval of my unofficial colleagues and I am sure such will be endorsed by the official members of Council, and by the whole com- munity. (Applause).
The Hon'ble Dr. Họ KA|—I beg to support the vote which has been proposed and seconded. At the present emergency in South Africa I think it is quite right that we should do s me. thing to show our actual sympathy and prac- tical support. This vote will show the British Government that we in Hongong are not be- bind in expressing our feelings in this substau- tial way. I am glad to be able to say that not only he British but the Anglo-Chinese com- munity of this colony are well to the front in giving practical expression to their sympathy. Therefore I have great pleasure in supporting the resolution. (Applause.)
(3.) Will the Honourable the Colonial Secre- tary lay on the table a copy of the correspondence which has passed since May, 1899, between The Hon'ble E. K. BELILIOS, C.M.G.-The the Colonial Office and the Hongkong Govern- suggestion my colleague and senior unofficial member of the Council has made is one that will meut, also a copy of the letter, dated 15th September last, from the Jubiles Committee find general approbation in this colony. What be here to the Secretary of State for the Colonies proposes this colony should do has been done in aud a copy of the letter's reply thereto, in con- the Straits Settlements, and I am of opiniou that nection with the road proposed in 1897, to be thongh the contribution is a large one the colony constructed round the Island to commemorate can afford it. If the money is to be fairly dis the 60th year's reign of Her Majesty Queeu|tributed I fear it will all be needed. The Victoria?
. Io The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY answer to the first question, a copy of the gen. eral instructions referred to are laid on the table.
us to encourage
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS-Io re- ply to question 2 of the hon’able member, a vote for the estimated cost of this work will be sub-ficed before peace is attained. Seeing this to be mitted to-day for the consideration of the Finance Committee. if this vote is passed by the Council, the work will be taken in hand without del-y, The work has been delayed owing to the number of other urgent works which had to take precedence of it.
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The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY -In reply to the third question the correspondence asked for is laid on the table No reply has yet been received from the Secretary of State to the letter of the Jubilee Committee of the 15th September.
difficiulties in the path of our brave soldiers are so exceedingly great, owing to the formation of the country and the mobile character of the enemy's forces, enabling them to toove with great rapidity and occupy strategic positions that we have only too much re son to believe that thousands of valuable lives will be s.ori.
the prospect it babores our soldiers and to stimulate others to join the ranks, and show that the untion iu the event of the father falling in the dis charge of his duty to his country we at once protect his wife aud little At any rate
sure of this that the thenght that the dear ones at home will be safely provided for will lift a load from the minds of the sick and dying sildier" Tamefore I have great pleasure in supporting this
motion.
Am
will
on-8.
į
February 17, 1900,
His EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR¬There are two motions before the C uncil. The first is that the Orders of the Day be set aside to allow of the second motion being put,
This wis greed to.
con-
His EXCELL: NCY the GOVERNOR-Now with regard to the motion that you have heard read I think it only fair that the public should know. that the generosity of the unofficial members representing various sections of this community has gone even beyond the handsome vote of $50,000. The first proposal made to me by the senior unofficial member, with I be. live the concurrence of his colleagues, was that this Council should vote a sum equal to the entire sun subscribed by the colony for this That sum. 襄河 you aro aware, | purpose
has reached $48.000 Still I need hardly say I was obliged to ask for the enrrence of the Se retary of State in this matter, aud on thinking it over I o me to the conclusion that this vote of $50,0))) would be very handsome indeed. I suggested that to the Secretary of State, who however au- thorised a vote of $30.0. I replied that the unofficial members of this Council would be very much disppointed if they were not permitted to vote $50,00, to which the Secretary of State then gave his authority. I think it well that he public should know that the unoffioiul members of this Councial did not limit their generosity to the very munitiient amount now to be voted but were quite prepared to vote a sum equal to that provided by all sections of the British and Chinese communities of this Colony. You will aderstand that the amount of money subscribed by the colouy up to the present has been devoted exclusively to on fund-the Soldiers and Sailors Families' Association branch of the Relief Fund. The Lord Ma yor has pointed out that there are other funds. That particular fand has been very well looked after in England and elsewhere, and there are other funds which equally call for assistance
He suggests in case of further contributions which may be sent that it should be left to the discretion of the Lord Mayor to devote it to any particular fund that seems in most need of assistance. Therefore. it will be left to the discretion of the Lord Mayor and bis Committee to devote the mousy to what purpose be thinks necessary. (Applause).
The motion was then carried ananimously. The Council then re'urned to the Orders of. the Day.
POST OFFICA ORDINANCE AMENDMENT. On the motion of the ATTORNEY-GENERAL, the first reading of a Bill entitled an Ordinanco to further amend the Post Office Ordinance, 1887 was passed.
NATURALISATION.
The ATTORney-General moved the first reading of a Bill entitled sa Ordinance for the Naturalization of Wau Kam Tsung, alias Wan Tsing Kai, alias Wan Ming Kap, which was passed.
PUBLIC HEALTH' ORDINANCE AMENDMENT.
The Bill entitled an Ordinance to further amend The Public Health Ordinance, 1887, on the motion of the ATTORNEY-GENERAL WSB read a first time.
IMPOSITION OF FEES BILI
A Bill entitled an Ordinance to authorize the inposition of fees for the issue by the Govern. ment of Hongkong of certain certificates to cer- tain Chinese, on the motion of the ATTORNEY- GENERAL WAs read'a first time.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES HOSPITA), BILI.. The first reading of a Bill entitled an Ordin. ance for the establishment of a Hospital for in- fect ous diseases in connection with the Tung Wa Hospital, was passed on the motion of the ATTORNEY GENERAL
This being all the business the Council ad journed till the 1st of March.
. FINANCE COMMITTEE.
A meeting of the Finance Committee wRE then held, the Aering COLONIAL SECRETARY presiding.
CHAIR SHELTER.
The CHAIRMAN—Th» first vote is one in which the Governor recommends the Council 10 vote a sum of four thousand and three hundred dollars ($1,300) to meet the expendi. ture for the erection of a Chair Shelter at the
Peak.
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