February 16, 1901.1
with regard to the recommendations of the Com- mittee appointed to enquire into and report on the salaries of subordinate officers in the Civil Service of the colony ?"
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-In answer to the question of the Honourable Member, I beg to lay on the table the reply of the Secretary of State and to inform the Council that the in- structions contained in the reply are being parried out.
The reply was as follows: "Secretary of State to Governor, Hongkong.
'Downing Street, 31st December, 190:1, "Sir, I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 440 of 3rd October last, forwarding a copy of the report of the Committee appointed to enquire into the salaries of subordinate officers in the Hongkong Civil Service.
"2-I have to request that you will convey my thanks to the Committee for the useful work which they have done.
"I shall be glad if you will consult the heads of departments and the Executive Council, if you have not already done so, and submit a scheme which shall to some extent combine the recom- mendations of the Committee with those of the Acting Colonial Secretary. Such a scheme shall contain a complete classification of the whole subordinate service, with salaries attached to grades and offices rather than to individual officers.
"4.-I shall also be glad if you would submit definite recommendations as to the systemati. zation of their allowances.
“5.—I concur in the view of the Committee that the Government may reasonably requir› say seven hours' work a day from its clerks.
"I have, &c.,
"(84) J CHAMBERLAIN. "Governor, Sir H. A. Blake, G.C.M.G."
THE NATUBALISATION QUESTION. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL proposed the first reading of a Bill entitled, An Ordinance to re- peal all Ordinances for the Naturalisation of Persons as British Subjects within this Colony and to make provision for the Preservation of the Rights of such Persons. He said-I would like to make one remark as regards this Bill It will be observed that all the naturalisation ordinances contain a provision that the person specified shall be naturalised upon taking the oath of allegiance, under the Promissary Oaths Ordinance, 1869. After going through the whole of the Ordinances of Naturalisation-some 60 or 70-with a view to preserving the rights of all those persons without encumbering the Statute Book, it is proposed that all these Ordinances shall be repealed, and that the present Ordinance shall take their place. Some few of these persons have not taken the oath of allegiance at all. The fact is that a person who does not - take the oath of allegiance after the passing of the Ordinance is not naturalised. It would be well if the notice of those of the gentle men whose names are down here, and who have not taken the oath of allegiance, were called to the fact. The earliest of these is Pang Im, whose Ordinance was passed in 1881, but in the case of two gentlemen-Wong Ping Lam and Yeung Cheuk Hin-naturalised in 1899, there is no record of their having taken the oath. It would be as well for their atten.
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tion to be drawn to the fact. I shall probably ask His Excellency's permission to insert in future ordinances of this kind a time-say six months within which the oath of allegiance shall be taken.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY—It is the prac- tice for persons naturalised to be notified as to the taking of the oath of allegiance, and there must be some reason which I am not now able to give why some of these gentlemen have not taken that oath. However, the matter shall be enquired into at once.
CHINA ÖVERLAND TRADE REPORT. | Councils the report of the Standing Law Com¡ mittee as to the Bill. No alterations had been made.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded and the motion was carried, and the Bill was read a third time and passed.
CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL proposed the third reading of the Bill entitled An. Ordinance to establish a Code of Procedure for the Regula- tion of the Process, Practice, and Mode of Pleading in the Civil Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the Colony. He added that the Standing Law Committee had been through the Bill and had made no material alterations, He took that opportunity of thanking his col- leagues on the Standing Law Committee for the very arduous work which they went through so cheerfully in order that there might be no de- lay in passing this very important measure.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded and the motion was carried, and the Bill was read a third time and passed.
CIVIL PROCEDURE.
On the motion of the ATTORNEY-GENERAL, seconded by the COLONIAL SECRETARY, the Bill entitled An Ordinance to repeal various Statutes relating to Civil Procedure or Matters connected therewith was read a third time and passed.
MEETING OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
A meeting of the Finance Committee was held immediately after the Council Meeting, the Colonial Secretary presiding,
A vote of $50 to cover the cost of the con- struction of a water-boiler for the use of the New Territory Police Stations was agreed to.
QUEEN'S COLLEGE.
ANNUAL DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES.
In consequence of the death of her late Majesty our Most Gracious Queen-Empress, and of the inability of His Excellency Sir Henry Blake, G.C.M.G., to attend any public function, there was no official ceremony of prize-giving at Queen's College this year. The prizes were given away privately by the Acting Head Master, Mr. Alfred J. May, in the College Hall, on Saturday, the 9th inst.
137
of us know from experience what monarch she was; and you boys will; time to come, learn from History, and other sources, that though wars have been unfortunately unavoidable, yet our dearly be loved Queen was over a peace-loving one, and her great aim throughout all her life was to serve God, to do all in her power for the good of her country, and to make all her peoples happy, to all of whom she was as a Mother. That she served her God we all know, for have not she and her country been greatly blessed by the Almighty? That she aimed at what was good for her country, history tells, for surely no nation has been so highly favoured and prosperous during her late Majesty's life- time as our country has been. That she strove to benefit her peoples-mind, I say peoples, for they are not only many in number, but many in races-you boys here to-day, and others who have passed through this College can testify, for great have been the benefits to all who have lived and been educated under the aegis of the British flag. I, of course, do not mean merely the benefits accruing from know- ledge per se, but I refer more especially to that higher knowledge of discerning what is truthful, upright, just and honest; and a desire on the part of everyone to be all these; for that is what our late-beloved Queen-Mother always was herself, and what she wished all her children to be.
After distributing the prizes, instead of the usual cheering, the boys, led by the Acting Head Master, shouted. God save the King! The following is a list of prize-winners :-
OXFORD LOCAL, 1900, Hing kam; Ramjahn, D.; Humphreys, E.
Junior-Curreem, 8. R.; Fuckeers, H.; Hung
Preliminary,-Sayer, H. C.; Li Sik Lun.
SCHOLARSHIPS, - MORRISON-Senior I-Hung Hing-kam; Junior IV-Fung Pák-liu.
STEWART, Fung Mun-chak. BELILIOS,-Senior-I C-Silas, M. D.; Junior-III A-Li Ho-ching,
SPECIAL PRIZES.
C to EIA-Hung Hing-kam.
TRANBLATION— E to C II A-Chan Sui-ün;
Silas, M. D.; II A-Not awarded; II B-Not HISTORY—I A-Hung King-kam; I C→ awarded; II C- Motabboy, A. Ellis, E; III A —Chan Sz-yui; III B-Fang Iu-hung,
CLASS PEIZES.
2 Fung Mun-chak (Stewart); 3 Hung Kwok- I A-1 Hung Hing-kam, (Senior Morrison);
leung.; 4, Ho Shai-wing.
Before distributing the prizes, Mr. A. J. May COMPOSITION-I A-Ho Shai-wing; I C thus addressed the boys-This is a British-Senr.-Ghulamali; Junr.-Solomon, E, S.; School, on British soil, and under British II A-Wong Pak-hong; II B-Yoning She government, where, among other things, British tsai; Il C-Bunje, A. F.; III A-Ho Yan. ideas, and to a certain extent, British oustoms sik; III B-Mak-Un-tóng. British have a custom that when we speak of are instilled into the minds of the pupils. We one highly-respected and deeply loved, but who is no more, we stand with our heads uncovered, as a mark of respect. Now, as I wish to say a few words to you about one who was universally respected and profoundly loved you will stand and take off your caps. (This was done). You are all aware that I refer to her late Majesty, our universally res- pected, very much beloved, and now universally deeply mourned. Queen-Empress Victoria. This institution, Queen's College, was so named by her gracious permission. Some of you
know that it has been an annual custom for
her late Majesty's representative to be present to distribute the prizes, and to say a few words of encouragement and advice to the students of this College. The present representative of been very pleased to have been here to-day to our monarch, Sir Henry Blake, would have distribute these prizes, but as a mark of respect to her Majesty, by whom he was duly appoint- ed our Governor, he has for the present with- drawn from all public functions, and so he is not here to-day. Many of you here have learned History-though I fear that the marks obtained
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded and the for this subject in the late examination scarcely motion was carried.
THE LAW OF LIBEL AND SLANDER,
On the motion of the ATTORNEY-GENERAL, seconded by the COLONIAL SECRETARY, & Bill en- titled An Ordinance to amend the Law of Libel and Blander was read a first time.
SUPREME COURT. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL proposed the third reading of the Bill entitled An Ordinance to “amend and declare in certain respects the Law to be administered in the Supreme Court. He added that he had submitted to the Clerk of
bear out that fact-but I know you are aware that some of the English monarchs have been good, and others might have been better. Some, I am sorry to say, thought of little but their own aggrandisement, and stopped at nothing to obtain it. Others oppressed their people to satisfy their own personal lusts and desires; while on the other hand some did con- sider their people and their country and did their best for the welfare of both. It pleased God to spare our late beloved Sovereign, Queen Victoria, for so many years, that many
IC-Senr.-1 Ismail, S. A.; 2 Ghulamalf, R. I C-Junr.-1 Loureiro, F.; 2 Elias, E. H. II A-1 Chan Man-to; 2 Wong Lin-yan; 3 U Kwan-pó.
II B-1 Li Fuk-ün; 2 Lai Tsui-lán. II C Senr-1 Bunje, C.; 2 Banje, A.F. II C Junr.-1 Watling, H.; 2 Cassem, A.
yui; 3 Ho Yan-sik.
III A-1 Li Ho-cheng (Merit); 2 Chan 81-
III B-1 Tre Tsok-kai; 2 Chu Pò-meng,
2 Lai Ch'u-kun; 3 Ch'an Ss-po.
IV A-1 Fung Pák-lin (Junior Morrison);
fak.
IV B–1 Chénng Pui cho: 2 Trang Tăm.
IV (−1 Wong Un fong: 2 Tan Chin toan, Y A-1 U Un-cheung; 2 Lü In-cheung. V. B-1 Fung Po-sham; 2 Leung Yam. V1. A-1 U În-wan; 2 Yeung Shü-t'ai. VI. B-1 Young Ching-fai; 2 Tang Tsok-
san.
VI. C-1 Ip Ying-nim; 2 Wan Yau-mui. VII. A—1 Hú Ping; 2 Wong Lin. VII. B-1 Li Sung; 2 Ló In-ü.
VII C-1 Wong Chi-t'ing; 2 Ch'an Ping-
lun.
VII. D−1 Wong Chịu-chán; 2 Long Tong.
Vill. A-1 Wong Man-Inn; 2 Sung Tesfai. VIII. B-1 Young Tak-kong; 2 Wai Shin-fan.
VnIC 1Ng Two fong, 2 Ma Po. VIII D-1 Ng Hi-po; 2 Ng Ying-ch'ung. The Acting Headmaster takes this oppor tunity of tendering his best thanks to the fol- lowing generous donors of prizes:-The Consul General for Portugal, Mr. A. G. Romano,
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