236
the sergeant of police to discharge him at the stationi
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
trade. Opium should be as free as arms and
It was decided that tlie words "before a M./ one as free as the other.
gistrate" should be omitted and the words to a police station" be insorted.
The Hon. Dr. Ho KAI raised the point as to whether the Schedules would be translated into
Chinese,
His EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR-Yes I take it all the Schedules will be translated into Chinese.
-uuu
The Hon. Dr. Ho Kar-Sir, regarding this Schedule D first, I desire to propose an amend ment. I propose that the figures $1,200 be deleted in the first item and the figures. $250 be inserted in lieu thereof. The old fee is only $10, and to increase it now by 120 times is to my mind very excessive and unfair. 1f $1,200 be the license fee chargeable annually, then the arms importers and dealers would be the heaviest taxed of all persons trading in this Colony, even more heavily faxed than holders of publican's licenses. The reason given for this increase is, I believed, that in a responsible business like im- porting and dealing in arms a substantial license fee ought to be paid and that a big fee would tend to keep out disreputable characters. But I maintain, Sir, that since power is given in this Bill to the Captain Supt. of Police, subject only to an appeal to the Governor to refuse licences to questionable and undesirable characters, it is quite unnecessary to have recourse to a high and almost prohibitive licence fee. It will be especially hard on those Chinese arms-dealers who are conducting their business in an honest and legitimate manner to have to pay to the Government a monthly fee of $100 for the pri- vilege of trading in this Colony, and this seems all the harder on them if one takes into account that when the new provisions of this Bill come into operation it will entail upon them much loss of time and a great deal of extra trouble and inconvenience. It is perfectly right and proper that we should regulate most carefully the dealing in fira-arms and ammunitions in Hongkong, but to impose an almost prohibitive licence fee for that purpose is in my opinion unjust and unnecessary.
The Hon. T H. WHITEHEAD-The fee of $1,200 is ridiculons, and it is questionable whe- ther the dealers would make that amount of profit. I think the fees mentioned by the hon.
member are very reasonable.
|
[April 7, 1900,
THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF HONGKONG.
The humble Petition of the Undersigned showeth
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY-Thero
1.That they desire most earnestly to call is nothing in this Ordinance that throws any obstacle in the way of legitimate trade. I the attention of your Honourable Council to the continuous rise in the market prices of al- have seen several Chinese dealers in arms in the presence of my. Hon. friend on most all the necessaries of life, meat, fish, and the left (Dr. Ho Kai), and have question garden produce. Hardly a month passes with- ed them as to whether they could point out an intimation being received from the out anything in this Ordinance that would stop Compradores, that from the beginning of the legitimate trade and they could not do so. following month some increase in the cost of one They spoke of i couveniences, but, if I may be article or another is to take effect. Beef is now allowed to point out, these inconveniences (I 15 and 24 cents a lb. as compared with 12 and 18 refer to. export and removal permits) havecente two years ago. Mutton is 24 cents a lb. existed and have actually been used and put in as compared with 18 cents. at the same period. Suet is now 18-cents a lb. against 10 cents. force, but the trade goes along just the same. This trade pays the Macao Government no less Fish has risen from 16 cents to 18 and 20 cents a sum than $40,500 annually and the Macao per lb in the same time. Government considors the trade in arms, gun. fit subject for powder and saltpetro a
The hon. member says that, if we taxation. tax the trade here, it will go to Macao I say it will not, firstly because the tax there is also hea- ry. Secondly, because it would not pay large dealers for the sake of saving $100 a month for a license to start a branch at Macao. Thirdly, the Chinese dealers would not go there because they would find the trade is already farmed and find it also blocked by some
ask the poly. Finally, I would like to hon. member, who knows Macao very well, how far he could go out of Macao without being overhauled by the Chinese Customs Officials, and which does he think the casier place to carry on smuggling from, Macao or Hongkong?
mono-
The Hon T. H. WHITEHEAD-May I ask whether you have any idea of the cost to the Government of regulating and looking after this trade in arms? What fees are required to cover the cost to the Government? Is $1,200
not a ridiculous fee ?
Acting Colonial Secretary can tell us how many The Hon. C. P. CHATER-Perhaps the licenses there are in force to-day?
2.—That a certain increase in prica as com- pared with prices a few years ago was unavoid- able, but the process is a continuous one, and many of the more recent augmentations have been of such a character and made under such circumstances as to induce us to believe that they have been the result of combinations among the Compradores.
3-That in view of this apparently mischiev ous and causeless increase in the cost of living in the Colony, we most urgently request that instructions be given to institute a close inquiry into the causes of this rise and to devise means for putting a stop to any illegal combinations between the salesmen. We would also most respectfully suggest an inquiry into the inci- dence and operation of the licence fees, &c, now imposed upon boats, markets, &c., &o., with a view to their reduction to such figures as will simply cover the necessary cost to Government of supervising the public markets and register. ing the junks and men.
!
Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray that
will as in duty bound ever pray. your Honourable Council take the necessary steps to meet their prayer, and your Petitioners
(152 Ladies' signatures.)
THE SALARIES OF SUBORDINATE OFFICIALS.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY-Forty. HIS EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR then put the proposal of the hon. member in the form of an amendment, that $1,200 per annum payable in
HIS EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR There is a matter that will come before you in the Finance advance as a fee payable for a license by an Im- porter should be altered to $250. The decision
Committee to-day. When the ques tion of in was against the amendment and the Hou. Dr. oreased salaries of certain officials was consider. Ho Kai asked for a division. The Hons. Dr.ed the Unofficial Members requested me to com- Ho KAI, T. H. WHITEHEAD and WEI A YUX municate to the Secretary of State, with a view voted for the amendment and the other members look into the question of the salaries of thoso to receive authority to appoint a Committee, to against, the amendment being lost.
The Hon. Dr. Ho KAI, therefore, did not not considered before. The Secretary of State, on the assumption that this. referred to the press his second amendment.
salaries only of subordinate officers, has approv ed of the appointment of such Committee, and I have nominated this Committee to report on the question of salaries of subordinate officers not before considered. You will see the matter has already come before the Committee, and certain heads of departments and certain Chi- nese have been considered. Messrs. . M.Gray, D. Gillies and R. Shewan have been nominated as a Committee, and I am sure their appoint. ment will give satisfaction.
1
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY-Ï beg to state that the fees the hon. member has pro- posed would not anything like cover the cost of watching over this trade. The trade is an ex-
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-I have to tremely large one, and if any honest man knows express my congratulations to the Hon. the anything about it, he can testify that it is also to Attorney-General for the amended bill he has a very large extent an illicit trade. This now brought before the Council. Unfortunately Government has not only to protect its own trade I arrived too late to present certain amend but it has international obligations to carry ments to section 3 but I would like, if possible; ont. The hon. member will remember that
Your Excellency, to have them considered. I there has been a state of war in a neighbouring might give them to the Attorney-General for colony for a very long time, and we know per- his consideration, but time did not permit of. festly well where the arms to carry on that war thoir being repared as the amended bill had came from, and he may have know of some of the only been in their hands for two days. It was a trouble the officials of this port have been put to great improvement on the crude measure which I say sir, the legitimate-trade in arms is so largest came before the Council and which not only that it can well afford to pay this fee. If there are dealers who live on licit trade in arms who cannot pay this fee, then it will be a very good thing for this colony if they cease to exist.
The Hon. Dr. Hồ KAI-Do you say that the trade in arms is illicit?
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY-Yes, it is to a very large extent
The Hon. Dr. Ho Kar-We must not kill legitimate trade by imposing a hardship upon those dealers who are trying to carry on their business in a proper way, and they cannot pos sibly in a legitimate way make any substantial profit if they have to pay such a heavy license
so fee.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY-I would like to ask the hon. member if he has any idea as to what revendo the Macao Govern. ment obtains from those dealing in arms?
intestered with the freedom of the port bnt. interfered with the liberty of the subject.
The meeting then concluded.
FINANCE COMMITTEE. A
meeting of the Finance Committeo, was the held, the Hon. FH. May, C.MG,, prá- siding
HIS EXCELLENCY said no one better than himself was able to realise how much the hon. member could do in two days so devoting himself
The first item was Finance Minute No 9, in to the Bill (laughter); it he was anxious to push which the Governor recommended the Council the Ordinance forward without further delay.to rote the sum of $26,189 to defray during After further conversation the amendments of the hon. member were dealt with.
The Council then resumed.
A PETITION AGAINST THE RISE OF PRICES
IN FOOD STUFFS.
The Hon. T. H, WHITEHEAD-Sir, may I be permitted, though not quite in order at this period of the meeting, to present a petition to the Council. It is signed by 152 ladies of Hongkong, and deals with the rise in the price of food stuffs, and they have my very hearty sympathy with their petition. I also give notice that at the next meeting of the Council give I shall move the following resolution:--
"That
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-The Macao Government farm out this business and collect a revenue in a most objectionable and in a most antiquated manner. The system of farming has
Committee be appointed to enquire been condemned and is not to be tolerated in into the continuous rise in the market price of England. The trade in arms in England is as life such as meat, fish, and garden produce and free as any other trade. I repeat that this
is to report." Colopy should not restrict the freedom of this The Petition handed in was as follows
the current year the 'increase in salaries of Government Officials sanctioned in the Secre tary of State's despatch No, 280, of the 8th Dec., 1899.
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD said he would be glad if the Chairman would read the telegram connection sent to the Secretary of State with this vote.
The CHAIRMAN read it as follows—" At the request of the Unofficial Members of Council votes of salaries postponed it was unanimously agree to request a Committee to investigate all other applications for increase and to report thereon for your consideration.".
And the The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-And the Se. cretary of State's reply?
The CHAIRMAN-I do not think I am at liberty to read the reply from the Secretary of State. The result of the communication to the Secretary of State is that a Committee has
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.