326
The COLONIAL SECRETARY Seconded, and the į Bill was read a third time and passed.
This was all the business, and the Council adjourned.
FINANCE COMMITTEE.
A meeting of the Finance Committee was held immediately after the Council, the COLONIAL SECRETARY in the chair.
There was only one minute to be considered, in which the Governor recommended the Council to vote a sum of $1,500 to cover the cost of repairing and effecting certain altera- tion to the Government Pavilions at the Peak The CHAIRMAN-As Lon. members of the Committee are aware, the pavilions at the Peak have been lent for some time to certain parties, and have been used for the purposes of the Peak Club. These pavilions were formerly used as a sanatorium' or summer resort for | Government officers, and these officers have petitioned the Government that they revert to their former status. His Excellency has approved of that, and the Peak Club has received notice. The pavilions want repairing, and the estimated cost of repairs will be $1,500, the sum brought before us.
The vote was agreed to. This was all the business.
now
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD,
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on the 17th inst. in the Board Room. There were present the President (Dr. J. M.Atkinson. Principal Civil Medical Officer), Dr. F. W. Clark | (Medical Officer of Health), Mr. F. D. Badeley (Acting Captain Superintendent of Police), Mr. Lau Chu Pak, and Mr. G. A. Woodcock, Secretary.
SAMPLES EXAMINED UNDER THE FOOD
AND DRUGS ORDINANCE
The return by Mr. F. Brown, Government Analyst, of the number and the results of the examinations made under the Sale of Food and Drug's Ordinance, 1896, for the quarter ended 30th September, shows that six samples of whisky and one sample of milk were examined. All six samples of whisky were genuine, but the sample of milk was found to be adulterated.
· BANGKOK'S QUARANTINE REGULATION. A
copy
of a quarantine regulation issued by the Acting Consul-General, Bangkok, Mr. Wm. J. Archer, was laid on the table.
NO PLAGUE AT TON KAH.
A letter, dated 18th September, from Mr. J. Stewart Black, Consul-General, Bangkok, respecting plague in Ton Kah, shows that the Siamese Government state that plague has now ceased there. A copy of the letter was laid on the table.
PLAGUE CASES AND DEATHS
IN BOMBAY CITY,
A statement of plague cases and deaths in Bombay City from 3rd to 16th September was laid on the table. The total number of cases
was 431, and the total number of deaths 514.
PLAGUE AT SURAT PORT.
A copy of a telegram reporting two fatal cases of plague at Surat Port, Longanou, was laid on the table.
PLAGUE AT CAPE TOWN.
Further reports regarding the outbreak of bubonic plague in Cape Colony were laid on the table.
BATAVIA QUARANTINES ARRIVALS FROM
HONGKONG.
Witing under date 20th September, Mr. W. V. L. Davids, H.B.M. Consul, Batavia, states that the authorities there do not see their way to withdraw the quarantine against Hongkong, owing to the Netherlands Consul-General in this Colony having advised the Government at Batavia that Hongkong is still infected by ,plague. A copy of the letter was laid on the
table.
MORTALITY IN THE COLONY,
The mortality statistics for the Colony for the week ended 28th September show & death-rate per 1,000 of 23.6, against 23.6 in the previous week and 21.6 in the corresponding week of last
year.
MORTALITY IN. MACAO,
The mortality in Macao for the week ended 6th October was 47. In the previous week it was 57,
This was all the business.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
.
SIR JOHN CARRINGTON'S
RETIREMENT.
FAREWELL TO THE VOLUNTEER CORPS.
B6
After having acted for five years as Comman- dant of the Hongkong Volunteer Corps-fire years spent in the arduous work of raising the Corps to its present state of efficiency, Sir J. W. Carrington, C.M.G.. at a parade of the Corps at Headquarters on the 12th inst., bade farewell to the members-officers, non-com- missioned officers, and men of the body he has commanded with such marked success. The Corps paraded at five o'clock, a good muster falling in at the sound of the bugle. Preliminary evolutions, smartly gone through, having been completed, the Corps stood at attention as Lieutenant-Colonel Sir John Carrington approached, to whom, he finally stopped and faced his command, was accorded tho general salute. Sir John then took his place at the head of the Corps, and, standing rigidly at attention, the entire force was photographed. Shortly afterwards H.E. the Governor, Sir H. A. Blake, G.C.M.G., and H.E. Major-General Sir William J. Gas- coigne, K.C.M.G., accompanied by their aides de-camp, arrived on the parade ground, and were also received with the general salute, the band, too. striking up. H. E. the Governor, who is Hon Colonel of the Volunteer Corps, was attired in civilian dress. The Corps was then drawn up in three sides of a square to hear the farewell from their chief.
++
re-
was
|
|
[October 21, 1901.
efficient, the Corps did not want him, provided, of course, nothing prevented him from becom ing efficient. That condition being eliminated, a man ought to be efficient. "And get that feeling amongst yourselves," counselled Sir man must become efficient John, "that a if he is to remain in the Corps." Re- ferring to those who had helped him in the performance of his duties, Sir John said he desired in the first place to thank the officers of the Corps for the way in which they had all acted with him during his command. A better set of officers he thought it was not possible for any Commandant of Volunteers to have. They had given great attention to their duties, were efficient in the performance of them, and were thoroughly good comrades, both as regarded one another, as regarded the non-commissioned officers and meu, and as regarded the command. ing officer. As long as memory holds its seat in my brain," continued the speaker, who was evidently deeply stirred, "I shall never forget the good comradeship and fellowship of my brother officers of the Corps. With regard to the non-commissioned officers and men, I have to thank them all for their consideration during the time of my command. They have all behaved to me in the way I should have wished them to behave, and I can honestly say that during the time I have commanded the Corps I have never had a rude word or an · angry look from any member of the Corps. That is a gratifying thing indeed to look back upon. I wish I had been able to do more for you during my command, but at any rate I have tried to do my best for you, for I have been very anxious to promote the efficiency of the Corps." Sir John then thanked the officers and warrant officers of the staff of the Corps, whose performance of their respec- tive duties he characterised as in every way excellent. And now," he concluded, "I shall say good-bye. I shall always treasure the remem- brance of my connection with the Corps, and I am sorry, very sorry, to part with you all."
46
Sir JOHN CARRINGTON, who spoke with evident emotion, especially towards the end of his remarks, said the parade had been ordered that he might address a few words of fare- well to the members of the Corps-officers, non-commissioned officers, and men----on signing the command. Before saying these few words, however, he must make acknow- ledgement, on behalf of the Corps and of himself, to H.E. the Governor for attending there on that occasion, and in that acknow. In presenting Sir John with a handsome ledgement was included H.E. the Major- salver subscribed for by past and present mem- General Commanding the Forces. It is bers of the Corps, H. E. the GOVERNOR said. a hard thing for me to say good-bye to Lieut. Col. Sir John Carrington, I share with the you," continued Sir John, because for the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the last five years the Corps has been very much Hongkong Volunteer Corps their deep regret at in my life and my thoughts. I was appointed your retirement from the command of the Corps. to the command of the Corps on the 14th of When you arrived in this Colony you were November, 1896, so that I have held the com.already an experienced Volunteer and Militia mand for nearly five years. When I took over officer, your service as an officer dating from the command of the Corps there were only two! 1871 when you were an Ensign in the Oxford units-the Field Battery and A Machine University Corps. You had also experience as Gun Company; the number on the roll was 140, a Major in the British Guiana Militia, a posi- To-day, as we stand on parade, 'there are six tion that you held until you left that Colony units of the Corps and a band, and the, for the Far East, so that your invitation to
Now number the roll is 362.
оп
you become Major Commandant of the Hongkong no credit Volunteers Corps may be looked upon as the quite understand that I take
which
natural
of sequence your long service. As you for any increase in numbers, almost entirely due to the impulse of military have told us, when you took over this Corps its ardour which took place in connection with the strength was 140. It is now 362. What the troubles in the Hinterland in May, 1899, and that condition of the Corps was when you assumed impulse was maintained through the troubles the command I do not know, but speaking in in the North of China last year. But I cannot the presence of General Sir William Gascoigne, who will I hope add his testimony to mine, I help thinking that great credit is due to the Corps, for though the causes which prompt. am not afraid to say that you leave the Corps ed the impulse I have spoken of have departed, in a most creditable state of efficiency. Ño one knows better than I your unflagging the Corps has still kept up its numbers and its efficiency." Commenting on its efficiency interest in everything connected with the and internal economy of Sir John reminded the Corps that the General drill, discipline, Officer Commanding had declared it to be an your command, and I may say that when, on the augmentation of the Corps, it was efficient unit among the defensive forces of the
to promote you my pleasant duty Colony. Still, that assurance had been accom. panied by the reminder that there was yet the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, I felt that room for improvement. A great deal would I had never signed a commission more richly have to be done in striving after proficiency, earned by faithful and deligent service. I and Sir John trusted that the Corps would have been requested by the members of the always remember that, and not be content to Corps to ask your acceptance of a souvenir rest satisfied with the present numbers and the that has been subscribed for by past and pre- present state of efficiency. From the interest sent members of all ranks. Although I am he hoped they believed him to have taken in the Honorary Colonel of the Corps I did not dare to you this Corps during his command, he could honestly come here in uniform to offer to assure them that nothing would give him presentation in the face of the regulation against greater pleasure in the future than to hear presentations of this nature on parade. But I that the Corps had kept np its numbers and think that, without any fatal results to discipline, had increased its efficiency. A good English the Governor may allow himself the pleasure of Volunteer Corps, in the matter of efficients, being the medium of making this presentation usually had as many as 97 and 98 per 100, in the presence of the Corps, of again express- sometimes quite 100, and there was no appar- ing for himself and for every member of the ent reason why the same thing should not be Corps their regret at your departure, and, said of the Hongkong Volunteer Corps. One further, hoping that the rest that you are about way of attaining that standard was to maintain to take from your onerous labours will soon an esprit-de-corps-a feeling amongst the Corps fully restore your health that has been tem- that a man must be efficient. If he were not porarily impaired by a long continued devotion
to
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.