162
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
On the 6th fustant a meeting of the Hong- kong Legislative Council was held in the Council Chamber at the Government Offices,
being present:-
His EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR (Sir HENRY BLAKE, G.C.M.G.).
His EXCELLENCY Major-General GASCOIGNE, C.M.G. (Commanding the Troops).
The ilon. F. H. MAY, C.M.G. (Acting Colonial Secretary),
the case of the extradition of a notorious - pirate would exact the same condition before surrendering him into Chinese hands. So far, we may admit that the assurance given is quite satisfactory where Portugal is com- cerned. But what of the Chinese side of question? Has China been noted for faith-there fulness to her word in such cases as these ? The fact is no trust can be put in the good faith of her officials. This has been proved over and over again. And under the pre- sent regime of the Empress Dowager and her advisers such trust cannot even be dreamt of. The bloodthirsty new Secret Edict to the Viceroys and Governors, of which we publish a telegraphic abstract on this page, shows how reformers are being treated every- | where else. Why should we imagine that an exception is to be made in this case, when we know that the Empress was moved to fury by the petition to her nephew, the hapless Emperor? KING LIEN-SHAN is a reformer. It is enough.
The Portugese, we are .,—and we do not for a moment doubt Senhor ROMANO's courteous Assurances- -will never give up KING LIEN-SHAN to the mere political ven-
Hon. W. MEIGh Goodman (Attorney-Gene. ral).
Hou. R. MURRAY RUMSEY (Harbour Master). Hou, A. M. THOMSON (Colonial Treasurer). Hon R. D. ORSBY (Director of Public Works)
Hon. C. P. CHATER, C.M.G.
Hon. Dr. Ho KAL
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD.
Hon. E. R BELILIOS. C.M.G. Hon. WEL A YOK. Hon. A. W. BREWIN. Hou. J. J. KESWICK.
Mr. R. F. JOHNSTON (Acting Clerk of Coun- cils).
PAPER.
The ACTING COLONI «L SECRETARY laid on
Victoria Gaol for .899.
FINANCIAL.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table Financial Minutes Nos. 7 and 8, and moved that they be referred to the Finance Committee.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was carried.
[March 10, 1900.
Post Office Ordinance, 1887. Since the Bill was read a first time I have had the opportunity of considering it more fully, and I have come to the conclusion that the second seotion as it stands in the Bill is unnecessary, because it appears that the Governor already has power to make regulations for the performance of the duties of any Government officer. But there was another matter which was not put in the Bill as read a first time and which I consider should have been put in, and when the Bill is in committee I shall move the substitution of a differently worded section for section 2. The section which I propose to substitute provides a remedy for cases where persons open unpaid or insufficient-
paid correspondence and then, having seen. what they require, hand it back, saying they won't have or pay for it, and it provides à remedy against people who send nupaid letters
which are refused and returned. Sub-sections 4 an 15 of se-tion 3 have been in force for some time in the Straits Settlements. When this Bill is passed the law of the colony in this respect will be precisely the same as in the Straits Settlements, except in one particular.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY Seconded and the motion was carried.
The Council went into Committee to con- sider the Bill clause by clause. The follow. ing section was substituted for clause 2:- In all cases in which either no postage or
have been paid by the sender double such post- age or double the deficiency in such postage shall be paid by the person to whom the cor- respondence is addressed on the delivery thereof t him; but if the correspondence be refused, or the party to whom it is addressed shall be dead, or caunot be found, the writer or sender shall pay double such postage or double the deficiency of postage. Any sum of money pay. able under the provisions of this section may
geance of the Empress. Then they must be the table the report of the Superintendent of insufficient postage on correspondence shall prepared to release him, for the criminal charge, even were then the slightest truth in it, is only too plainly a cloak for the real desire. When the trial begins the Chinese must show their hand, and the strength of their cards will be awaited with_curiosity. May we hope for an open court? The matter is one affecting more than the honesty of a Telegraph superintendent; it involves the whole question of international policy as regards China. It is decidedly an unfor- tunate coincidence that at this very moment telegraphic communication with Macan has broken down.
THE CHINESE OPPOSITION TO THE NEW ORDINANCE.
(Daily Press, 6th March.) The Chinese are exhibiting much opposition to the new Ordinance which demands larger cubicle space in native houses. As was antici pated when the Ordinance was discussed in Council previous to its being passed, the Chi- nese are bound to feel its effects most severely. especially the labouring classes. The bject of the Ordinance is to prevent the spread of plague of which the present overcrowding of cubicles is thought to be chief cause. Consequently the Chinese poorer classes will have to seek new dwelling-places, and the landlords, to maintain their income, will increase the rents of their property. Instead of the Chinese partitioning, as at present, their rous into a series of compartments, this sub-dividing is restricted by the new Ordinance and only a specified number of people are allowed to occupy a certain area. Hence the opposition. With the introduction of the "Cock loft Regulation," and widening of air spaces, etc. to follow, over perninety cent. of the houses of Hongkong will be affected. So emphatic has been the opposi-, tion of the Chinese to the eutoreement of the present regulations, that the Sanitary Ioard Officers have had to suspend any attempts at
enforcement since the 1st inst., and the matter. is, we believe, to be seriously considered at a special meeting to be held to-day either by the Council, or by a committee appointed to consider the matter. Practically, therefore, the operation
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY brought up the report of Fiuance Committee (No. 1) and moved its aduption.
The COLONIAL TREASURER couded and the motion was carried.
QUESTIONS,
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD had given notice of the following questions :-
(1) Will the Honourable the Acting Colonial Secretary inform the Council whether any re. port was made by the late Acting Attorney General ou Ordinance No. 40 of 1899, entitled An Ordinance to provide for the Summoning of Chinese before the Registrar General," and on my Protest in connection with the said Ordiusnes, and if so, will the Goverument lay a copy of such reports on the table, and if not, why not?
(2) Will the Honourable the Director of Public Works inform the Council whether it is still the intention of the Government to carry out the original plans for the improvement of the grounds in the Wong-Nei-Chong Valley by diverting the course of the stream and complet- ing the filling in and levelling of the Bowring ton end so as to make one recreation ground extending from side to side of the Valley, and if not, what are the reasons for further delaying the completion of the work?
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS replied to the second question as follows:- Beyond the objects and reasons for the Bill as printed. no report of the Laos offices ein be laid on the table, such reports and minutes being confiden tial.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY replied WHS found to the first question as follows; -It
trome. necessary to postpans this work for a
If funds owing to other more pressiu z claims.
are available a rot» will be submitted to the Council for the work this year; the work has not been lost sight of.
NATURALISATION,
A Bill entitled an Ordinance for the natura
of the new Ordinauce (or the already legalised │lisation of Capitolino Joao Xavier, And a Bill regulations thereof) is in abeyance through | entitled au Ordinance for the naturaliqution of Native opposition.
Fog Sik, alias Foo Yik Pang, were reaų a first time.
The Bill passed through the committee stage. and was read a third time and passed.
It is stated that the Japanese Government
The Bill entitled An Ordinance for the has under consideration a plan for inflicting | Naturalisation of Wan Kam Tsung, alias Wan capital punishment by means of suffocation. Tsing Kai, alias Wan Ming Kap, was read a An air tight chamber is to be a nstructed, the second time. sir in which can be exhausted and thus cause almost painless and instantaneous death in about a minuta. Experiments are now being made in Europe with this new death chamber. It must be confessed that this method of execution does not sound a very plainless oue,
THE POST OFFICE ORDINANCE,
The Aering ATTORNEY-GESFOAL - I here the honour to more the second rexding of a Bill entitled an Ordinance to further amend the
|
|
be recovered at the suit of the Postmaster General.'
The Bill passed through the committee stage and the Council resumed.
.
THE PUBLIC HEALTH ORDINANCE. The ATTORNEY GENREAL-I have the hon. our to move the second reading of the Bill, entitled an Ordianoce to further amend the This is a Public Health Ordinance, 1887. very short Bill and contains only two clanses, Taking clause 3 first I would point out that the only difference between that clause and the law as it is at the present time is that it will enable such to be brought by the Medical Officer of Health or by such other official as the Board might se fit to depute. At present this can only be done by the Secretary of the Board ander Section 84. The reason of that altera- tion is this: when a public official, such as the Secretary of the Beard, attends court he is able to conduct the cage in person be- cause he is the proscecutor; but if any other official went down, he might be objected to on the ground that he was not the prosecutor. As regards section 2 for the institution of proceedings against any person contraven- ing any bye-law wade under Section 3 of No. 24 of 1847 without the previous issue by the Sanitary Board of any notice to the offender. This is necessary, for although notice of what is required to be done should properly be given in c Ses of nuieraces under Section 18, it is absurd to acquire this in cases of an in fringement of the bye-law relating to lime- washing. The offender knows perfectly well what is required of him, namely to white-wash his premises. To require a notice to be served to tell him what to do in order to comply with the law is to require an enormous waste of energy and to prevent the enforcement of the lay. The result of requiring notice is that not he in seven of the houses which require to be white, washed comply with the law within the proper time, and then the owners do not obey the law until a formal nofic... is served upon them.
The ACTING Colonial SkCRETARY SOConded. The Hon. Dr. Ho KAI-I rise to offer my i am not strongest opposition to this Bill. so much opposed to section 3, but as regards section 2 it will, if passed, wrought much hard- ship on the general community of Hongkong aud especially on the Chinese. It is well-known to everybody that there are no laws in this Colony more complicated and difficult to understand and remember than the laws relating to sanitation
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.