64
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE CONSTRUCTION OF A TRAMWAY, The Hon. C. P. CHATER moved the first reading of a Bill entitled An Ordinance for authorising the construction of a tramway On the 15th inst. a meeting of the Hong-within the Colony of Hongkong. kong Legislative Council was held in the Council Chamber at the Government Offices, there being present:-
His EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR (Sir HENRY BLAKE, G.C.M.G.).
His EXCELLENCY Major-General GASCOIGNE, C.M.G. (Commanding the Troops).
Hon. J. H. STEWART LOCKHART, C.M.G. (Colonial Secretary).
Hon. H. E. POLLOCK, K.C. (Acting Attorney- General).
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Hon. C. McI. MESSER (Acling Colonial Treasurer).
Hon. W. CHATHAM (Acting Director of Public Works).
Hon. F. H. MAY, C.M.G. (Captain Sup. erintendent of Police).
Hon. Commander R. M. RUMSEY, R.N. (Harbour Master).
Hon, C. P. CHA1ER, C.M.G.
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD.
Hon. J. J. BELL IRVING.
Hon. Dr. Ho KAI.
Hon. J. TAURBURN. Hon. WEI A YUK.
Mr.R.F. JOHNSTON (Acting Clerk of Councils).
MEMBERS SWORN IN.
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD and the Hon. J. THURBURN were sworn in on resuming their seats in the Council.
PAPERS.
Hon. J. H. STEWART LOCKHART laid on the table a number of papers, including the Supplementary Colonial Estimates for 1900, the Report of the Acting Postmaster General fór 1500, Report of the Director of Public Works for 1900, Report of Registrar General for 1900, Report on the Land Court for 1900, Report on the Hongkong Volunteer Corps for 1900, Report of the Medical Officer of Health, the Sanitary Surveyor, and the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon for 1900, Report on the Po Leung Kuk Society for 1900, Returns of the Supreme Court for 1900, Returns of the Subordinate Court for 1900, Statement of Water Account for 1900, Report of Acting Harbour Master for 1900, and the Report of Inspector of Schools for 1900.
FINANCIAL.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table Financial Minutes Nos. 20 to 43, and moved that they be referred to the Finance Committee, The ACTING COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was carried.
REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the fable the report of proceedings of the Finance Com mittee at a meeting held on 23rd April, and moved its adoption.
The ACTING COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was carried.
SANITARY BYE-LAW,
The ACTING DIRECTOR OF Public WORKS moved that the sanitary byo-laws made under section 13, sub-section 16, of the Public Health Ordinance, 1901, be approved.
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL seconded,
and the motion was carried.
CROWN LEASES.
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the first reading of a Bill entitled an Ordin- anca to validate Crown leases heretofore made of foreshore and submerged lands within the territorial waters of the Colony for reclamation and other purposes, and to legalise and facilitate the making of such leases hereafter.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was carried.
REFORMATORY SCHOOLS, The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the first reading of a Bill entitled an Ordinance to amend and consolidate the law relating to Reformatory Schools,
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was carried.
NATURALIZATION,
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL Moved the first reading of a Bill entitled An rdinance for the naturalization of Lau Yat Ts'un, alias Lau Ng, alias Lan Man Kwong, alias Lau Ng Wo, alias Lau Hok Wai.
The COLONIAL BECRETARY seconded, and | the motion was carriod.
The Hon. J. J BELL IRVING seconded, and the motion was carried.
STAMPS AND STAMP DUTY.
July 20, 1901.
The CEAIEMAN said that in the next minute the Governor recommended the Council to vote a sum of $80,000 in aid of the vole “Other Miscellaneous Services" under the heading "Miscellaneous Services." In this, vote was included Financial Minute No. 36, regarding expenditure on account of the census.“
The following statement was appended :-
VOTES.
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the first reading of a Bill entitled An Ordin- Voted by 1901 Estimates... ance to amend and consolidate the laws relating Hongkong. to stamps and stamp duty in the Colony of
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was carried.
CHARGES OF YEAR 1900.
The ACTING COLONIAL TREASURER moved the first reading of a Bill entitled An Ordinance to authorise the appropriation of 8 snp. thousand nine hundred and uinety-one dollars plementary sum of five hundred and fifty-nine
and seventy-eight cents, to defray the charges of the year 1900.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was carried.
MEETING OF THE FINANCE
COMMITTEE.
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A meeting of the Finance Committee was! then held, the COLONIAL SECRETARY presiding.
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The CHAIRMAN said the first minute was one in which the Governor recommended the! Council to vote a sum of $1,000 in aid of the vote under the heading Public Works, Annually Recurrent Expenditure" for the maintenance of buildings in New Territory. The Acting Director of Public Works had reported to the Committee that the vote already passed in this connection was not sufficient. Of that vote 8901.40 had been expended on Ch'eung Chau Police Station and $144.56 on Kowloon City Police Station, making a total sum of $1045.96, and learing less than $500 for the whole of the other buildings. It had been estimated that an additional sum of $1,000 was necessary to cover the whole of the expenditure.
The vote was agreed to.
In the next minute the Governor recom- mended the Conneil to vote a sum of $1,235 as a grant-in-aid to the London Missionary Society for the buildings used for purposes of a school in the Training Home for Chinese girls.
The vote was agreed to.
In the next minuto the Governor recom. mended the Council to vote a sum of $4,000 for the erection of a public bath-house for the
use of the Chinese.
The CHAIRMAN said-On 17th March last H.E. the Governor seut a minute in the following terms to the Sanitary Board—" I think it might have an important bearing on the health of the colony if two or three bath. houses could be supplied for the use of working coolies. Ask the Sanitary Board to advise us in the matter." The Sanitary Board has con- sidered the question, and recommends the erection of a bath-house at $4,000,
"
Hon. Dr. Ho KAI-Where is the site ? Acting DirecTOR of PUBLIC WORKS-It is to the eastward of the Naval Hospital, between that and where the gasworks stand.
CHAIRMAN-It was selected by a sub-com- mittee of the Sanitary Board consisting of the Acting Director of Public Works and the Medical Officer of Health.
In answer to another question, the Acusa DIRECTOR of PUBLIC WORKS said the bath- house was to be a permanent oue.
CHAIRMAN-If it should be successful, I am sure the Council will be ready to vote other sums for works of a similar nature.
The vote was agreed to.
The CHAIRMAN said the Governor recom- mended the Council to voto a sum of $959 to defray, during the current year, the salary of an additional accounting clørk in the Public Works Department
Salary for nino months from 1st April to 31st December, 1901, at $100 per month Clerical assistance rendered during the month of March pending the appoint. ment of the above mentioned Clerk...
Total, The vote was agreed to.
$900,00
¦
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I
Financial Minute No. 3...
$10,000.00
$10,000,00 200.00
No. 5
#1
11
1,145 01
"
No. 7.
5,829.82
No. 9...
"
260.42
No. 12...
235.00
"
11
No. 13...
11
+
No. 15...
265 00 2,943 60
$20,878.84
79,182.55
$100,061.39
Balance ..
EXPENDITURE.
Expenditure to June 30th-Plague $25,386,88 Other 24.674.51
$50,061.39
+
Estimated plague expenditure :- (1.) Sanitary Board for June (ii.)
July, August and September (iii) Police (Special Police) and
departments
Estimated for expenses other than plague to December 91st...
15,000,00
25,000:00
5,000.00.
1
$45,000.00
5,000.00
$100,061.39
The vote was agreed to. to vote a sum of $100 for the opening of a The Governor next recommended the Council stores account under the heading Works Extraordinary.
"Public
transaction. The amount should have appeared CHAIRMAN This is purely a bookkeeping
on the Estimates for 1901, but was omitted.
The vote was agreed to.
The Governor next recommended the Council to vote a sum of $8,659.41 to meet the cost of laying a telegraph cable to Waglan Lighthouse.
ABSTRACT.
Joint Telegraph Company for supply-
ing and laying cable...
...$8,160.00 Yan Kung Cheung for labour, etc. 463.41 Incidental Expenses
Total
36.00
......$8,659.41
CHAIRMAN-I am sure the honourable mem- bors will agree to this vote. This cable is a very desirable thing to have to facilitate the signall- ing of the approach of vessels from the North and East, and we were fortunate in having obtained the services of the telegraph ship belonging to the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company, which passed through Hongkong last Christmas and which laid the cable. Otherwise the expenditure would have been considerably increased, and there would have been consider- able delay.
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-Was it done by contract ?
CHAIRMAN-It was done by the only ship available at the time. There was no question of contract about it. The Government is in- debted to the Company for having placed their ship at its disposal.
The vote was agreed to.
In the next minute the Governor recom- mended the Council to vote_Miscellaneous Works under the heading "Public Works, Annually Recurrent Expenditure" to meet the cost of increasing the height of the windows on the ground floor of the Central Market in order to improve the natural lighting.
The CHAIRMAN-Complaints have been made that the Central Market is somewhat dark, and 2. it is hoped by this improvement that more light will be obtained.
50.00
||~|~Hon. C. P. CHATER-I think it will be a „.„8950.00 ' great improvement.
The vote was agreed tɔ.
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