October 21, 1901.]
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
for the Police and other purposes and on account of the Taipo road. So far as the cost of administration was concerned, exclusive of the Police, was less than had been estimated in the report. The Colonial Secretary said he did not regard the hon. member's criticisms as arising from a desire to further the public interests, but they seemed to be prompted by a desire to make a personal attack on himself. (The Hon. T. H. Whitehead dissented.) The Colonial Secretary said he was glad to hear the hon. member's disavowal, but he felt bound to state that he not treated the report fairly. The fact remained that the bulk of the report was true, and the Colonial Secretary challenged the hon. member to point out where he had been wrong. "Under British rule," he concluded, "this territory will prosper, and the We have expended money which the hon. member seems to grudge-will be money well spent, and will return to us four- fold." (Applause.)
money
out.
325
in this morning's leading article of the Daily Press?
on
ан
owner
Colonial Secretary, under the head of Re- venue, wrote:-" However, until further ex- perience has shown in what manner revenue can
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-With regard be best raised without exciting the suspicion
to the roads, I am glad to be able to say that I and prejudices of the inhabitants, it would be well
agree with the hon. member that they are not to interfere as little as possible with the present
satisfactory, and the fact has been fully re- system and sources of taxation. If this be
cognised by His Excellency, who has issued done, it is anticipated that there will be no
orders that they are to be made satisfac- difficulty in raising at the start an annual
tory, and has asked to have a report there- handed in in 88 short time
a revenue sufficient to meet the cost of adminis-
sure that all members' of tering the New Territory. The expenditure
possible. I am is estimated at $125,000. To cover this outlay
this Council are anxious that the roads of With taxation to the amount of 11 dollars or 2s. 6d.
Hongkong should be a credit to us. per head of the population will be sufficient," |
regard to the article in this morning's Daily and added that when British rule was established,
Press, which the hon. member has so quickly revenue would be greatly increased Paragraph
acted upon, the matter therein dealt with has 23 of the Secretary of State's despatch of 6th
been referred to the Sanitary Board, which is the June, 1899, reads:-"It will be seen from p. 13 of
responsible body, and when the Sanitary Board Mr. Lockhart's report that the total revenue
has reported the hon. member, if he desires it, from taxation of the New Territory is estimated
will be furnished with a copy of that report.
The reduction was not pressed, and the item at about £16,000, and this may be regarded as
was agreed to. the income which you will have at your disposal
H. E. the GoVERNOR said that in this matter
Legal Departments. for the first year or two at any rate. It should amply suffice to defray the initial cost of a the hon. member had a perfect right to say the Discussing the vote under this head, the simple administration which at first will amount expenditure was large. The reason it had been Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD said-With reference to the second magisterial enquiry into the col- to little more than supervising local bodies and large was that up till the present there had protecting life and property." In consequence been no revenue derivable from the New Terri-lapse of houses 32 and 34, Cochrane Street, of the great difference which exists between tory; it was entirely a question of laying resulting in the death of 43 persons, the Crown - the estimated and the actual figures of revenue One important source of revenue in Solicitor, in reviewing the evidence, submitted "that the persons to blame in the matter of the and expenditure in the New Territory during the New Territory would be the land tax, those two years I think the Council is and the Land Court had been established collapse were: in the first place, the architect
on whose professional knowledge the entitled to some further explanation that that yet for the purpose of settling ownerships and thus given. The honourable member has been hastening the time when the tax could be relied, and who gave it as his opinion, without hitherto regarded as a high authority on affairs levied. But the task was a very difficult one, making any examination at all, that the fit and good; secondly, the Chinese, and in a memorable memorandum because there were so many different claims to houses were relating to a petition to the House of Commons hear-clan claims, family claims, individual official responsible in the Public Works De- from members of the community in 1894 asking claims, all kinds of claims. Until the man to partment, who, without making any examina-
the whatever, passed
plans; and for an amendment in the conștitution of the whom the land belonged was found, the Govern- tion Government of the Colony, the honour- ment, much as it desired and was entitled to thirdly, the head of the Department, who had allowed the staff in charge of the duties of able member claimed that most of the revenue, could not say-" We want so much on petitioners were notoriously ignorant of this land." There was only one way of dealing the Building Ordinance to dwindle down gra- Chinese affairs, and that the customs and with a man, and that was in a just way. (Ap-dually, although the work was increasing, until peculiar requirements of the Chinese were a plause.) Much money had been spent on the it consisted of Mr. Crisp. He had actually sealed book to the British residents in the New Territory. There had been the cost of taken away the assistant engineer in charge of Colony, while it was notorious that the Un- the road to Taipo, and that of the establish- building work and appointed nobody save one were ab- overseer, who had just come out to the Colony official Members were very ignorant of Chinese ment of police stations, which
the lives and and hardly knew the streets. In this way an and Chinese requirements. The difference be-solutely indispensable if
Ordinance which had been very carefully tween the honourable member's estimates in property of people in the New Territory were respect of revenue and expenditure in the New
to be protected. Then again, the Government framed had been allowed to dwindle down to a Territory and the actual figures realised seems had been obliged to spend a large amount of mere farce. Mr. Bowley, in conclusion, asked incomprehensible. I would like to know about
money on launches to prevent piracy round the his Worship to bring in a verdict, in addition when the revenue will come up to the estimate. two hundred miles of coast, and a large staff to his previous finding, that the deaths of In reply, the COLONIAL SECRETARY said the had had to be engaged for the purpose of these people were due to the adding of a new story to the rotten party wall, and hon. member's remarks were not calculated to demarcating property and so facilitating the
that the architect who recommended the throw any light on the question; indeed, they settlement of questions of ownership of
of all this, was there addition and the Department which sanc. would appear rather calculated to mislead. If land. In view :the hon. member had tried to read the report anything else the hon. member could sug. tioned it were guilty of gross negligence." The magistrate's decision cannot be regarded with the object of learning something, instead gest the Government should have done to of finding fault, he would have seen that obtain revenue? If the hon. member would the report not only stated what the probable consider for a short time, he would see that in revenue would be, but also indicated that it taking over the New Territory it was absolutely would probably be found undesirable to derive necessary to expend money without any im- revenue from certain sources from which it mediate prospects of remuneration. But any had been raised during the period of Chinese expenditure that brought the Chinese under administration. Such had proved to be the British rule was not wasted expenditure, for by case and certain revenue raised by the Chinese coming under our flag they would be treated had to be abandoned. That revenue had not with justice and consideration, as between man been raised; it was found impracticable to raise it and man. (Applause.) for reasons which the Colonial Secretary did not propose to enter into then. With regard to the question of land, the hon. member must be aware of the great difficulties which the Government had had to encounter. It had met with obstacles which even one with his (the Colonial Secretary's) experience of Chinese could not have foreseen. This was one of the first instances in which a Western Government had attempted to take over a large tract of Chinese territory and administer it. Perhaps that fact would strike the hon, member illumine with its full significance, and the darkness in which he now seemed to exist. The hon. member had referred to expen. diture. A reference to the report and the published statements of expenditure would show that most of the expenditure that had been incurred had not been recommended in that report. The Colonial Secretary would be glad to know if he had been able to find any mention in the report for instance of the large amount which he represented had been spent on police stations. If the hon. member would refer to the report he would discover that the Colonial Secretary's ideas as to the policing of the New Territory were that it should be done joù much more reasonable lines than at present. Those ideas, however, were not accepted. Then there was a large expenditure on account of launches
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Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-It seems to me very strange that it is estimated it would be possible to collect a revenue of $160,000 a year, and in these two years it has only been found possible to collect $40,000.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-It seems to be perfectly clear. You must remember the esti- mate was that a certain amount of land would pay a certain amount of money. So it will, and until that times comes we cannot do any more. The hon. member does not suggest we should insist upon someone paying us money for the land?
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-No, of course not. The reduction was not pressed for, and the vote was agreed to.
a8
at all satisfactory. The collapse of the houses was not brought about by any act of God, and could have been prevented had proper inspection and supervision been exercised by those whose duty it was to inspect and supervise. Will the Honourable the Attorney-General whether any further inform the Council proceedings are to be taken in connection with that deplorable and avoidable disaster, so that those responsible for the loss of life may be dealt with in such manner as will act as a deterrent in the future?
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL—With reference to the question which has been put by the hon. member, I have advised the Govern- ment upon that point, and the conclusion I came to was that there was no chance of a prosecution against anyone for manslaughter resulting in a conviction. Therefore I advised the Government not to enter into any prosecu- tion for manslaughter.
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-May I ask whe- ther it was constitutional that the same magis- trate should have presided over the second enquiry, seeing that his brother was one the most important witnesses.
of
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL-The magistrate need not have presided if he felt he could not do so fairly,
This concluded the discussion, and the various items of the Bill, with some alterations, were agreed to.
Public Works Department. In moving a reduction of $100 on this vote, the Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD said-The state of roads in the Colony in former years used to be favourably commented upon. For some time past the roads in the City of Victoria, Kowloon,
The third reading was not moved. and elsewhere have been far from satisfactory,
QUIET IN THE NIGHT, in fact, their condition has been characterised
The ACTIG ÅTTORNEY-ĠENERAL moved as discreditable and disgraceful. As it cannot be for want of funds, will the Honourable the the third reading of the Bill entitled An Or- Director of Public Works inform the Council dinance to amend An Ordinance for the better who is responsible for the unsatisfactory state securing the Peace and Quiet of the Inhabit- of the roads and the condition of the Praya inants of the Town of Victoria and its vicinity the neighbourhood of Blake Pier as described during the night time (No. 17 of 1844).
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