180
$
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-Si, the Chi- neşe have various names.
1
[September 8, 1902.
a very it
answers as I have prepared them are as follows: Hon. R. SHEWAN-May I ask a question, I me
a free hand. We spared no expens', The Police have no legal power to force chair- sir? Has the Attorney-General considered the and we adopt d the best measures that coolies to ply for hire if the coolies prefer not desirability of naturalising theso Chinese under W3 could. Perhaps they were not the to ply for hire. Chair-coolies are not allowed one name. The Paisne Judge some time ago very
best possible, but they were the to leave their chairs unprotected in the street. said it was a great inconvenience to the course best possible under the circumstancI8. If they do and the chairs are seen by the Police of justice that these Chiaess should be allowed. Fortunately for us, the evil was staved off the latter are in the habit of summoning the
80 many aliases, It is not customary for without any serious results other than the. licences for obstruction. No limit is placed British subjects to be allowed an alias. If sufferings and discomfo t I speak of. Then on the number of licensed chairs in Victoria. there are any so-called disabilities he should came the Coronation, with its anxieties, almost The licence fee is only $2 a year and there is have to undergo, those disab ̈lities.
amounting to despair; then its postponement nothing to hinder the supply meeting the demand.
owing to the King's illness, the revival of hope At the Peak the number of chairs, for want of
on His Majesty's recovery, and ultimately its accommodation for the bearers, is limited. Ad- Hon. Dr. Ho KAI - If I might be allowed to con ummation. As I have sail before, gantle- ditional quarters are being built for more make some remark apon this I should say the men, your good advice and good judgment bearers, and additional chairs will be licensed practice of putting all a man's names down enabled us to celebrate the Coronation here there in due course Stands are appointed for here should be retained, inasmuch as whether with a dignity bafitting this prosperous and chairs and jiurickshas; s o regulatious published we naturalise him or not he still has those rising Colony. Gentlemen, in the last eight in the Government Gazette of 29th July, 1899, names. They stick to him. It is the usual months wo bave had a good number of changes Coolies are not allowed to wait or ply for custom of the Chinese to have those names. in th's Council. We have, first of all, a new bire except at the authorised stands. The Police The naturalisation of a man under these names | Colonial Secretary, and I venture to think that have however no power to require that any is simply for the purpose of identification. the appointment of Mr. May was particular vehicle or number of vehicles shall They are put down so that there may be no sound and a very good ous. (Applauss.) stand for hire at any particular stand. The law mistake. It would be a bad practice, I am may not be generally known, but it is of demand and supply is expected to effect a
afraid, to leave out all but oue me.
none the less a fact, that when the vacancy solution to that question. The Government
occurred the two Senior Unofficial Members does not consider that any good would result
of that day asked me, on behalf of all from getting a person to guarantee the good
the Unofficial Members, to telegraph to the behaviour of coolies. There are ample menos The ATTORNEY-GENERAL Thes› names be- Secretary of State recommending the a point- to ensure good conduct, but it is necessary that long in almost all cases to gentlemen. And ment of Mr. May. I hid already made that such members of the public as have cause of there are other people besid s Chinese who have recommendation, but this greatly strengt sened complaint should go to the trouble of preferring long strings of names In a legal document my hands. The result was that the appoint- their complaint before the Magistrate or the the full name ought to be properly stated. Iment was made, and I repeat, I think it was a Captain Suparintendent of Police. The public think that where the incongrufty appears is in sound and good one. Mr. May is thoroughly is, however, extremely lax in doing so, and the the insertion of the word alias." The man's honest and conscientions and a very hard coolies know it and probably trade on the know- name is really not so-and-so plias something worker, and bis heart is bound up in the best ledge. It should be observed that an epidemie'se, for all the name are his. In fature Bills interests of the Colɔny. (Applause.) Next of dengue has been responsible for the scarcity of we had better leave out the word "alias
we have a new Attorney-General. Gentlemen, chair-coolies that has been experienced of late. Ilon. R. SHEWAN-Will you make him sign
Hon. R. SHEWAN-May I remark, sir, that them all in future ? the first question says nothing about applying for hire at all? I simply asked if the police could not take measures to prevent chair-coolies from deserting their chairs; the chairs are there, but we cannot find the coolies. There is nothing about compelling them to ply for hire.
The COLONI L SECRETARY-The bon, mem- ber is not in order in discussing the question. If he wishes any further information he can put another question.
Hou. R. SHEWAN-Sir, I know I am not in order in discussing the question, but I am not discussing the question. I am only complaining that I have not got an answer.
HIS EXCELLENCY--I think I may say, with- cut trespa-sing upou order, that you have had an answer to your question. Your see, your questions were mixed up, and we thought the best way of answering them was by giving the information in the way we imagined you wanted it. If you look, I think y、a will fiud the answers.
Hon. R. SHEWAN-Surely it is a plain question-Can the police not take measures to prevent chair-coolies deserting their chairs? I here can be no doubt about the meaning of that question. They leave their chairs on the streets; and when we want them we can see the chairs but cannot find the coolies. Can the police not prevent them leaving their chairs like that? The COL NIAL SECRETARY—I have answered that question.
|
Hon. R. SHEWAN -It is not a question of what his name is now, but of what it is to be in the future.
..
"Tho ATTORNEY (†¿NERAL - You
cannot compel a man, who may carry a long string of names, to sign all his namas. A man called John Henry James signs himself J. H. James.
Hon. R. SHE AN-That is all we want; that he signs only one name.
The ATTORNEY GANERAL-I do not thick that we can compel him to do that. In future we can leave out the alias."
M
The COLONIAL TREASURER-Gire his full name
Hon. R. SHEWAN-But British subjects do not have these names.
Hon. WEI A YUK-But the Chicese have these names before they are naturalised. I have fire nam s myself, but I only use one.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I will strike oat the word "alias"
Hou. Dr. Ho Kat -Pat in "otherwise known as."
Hon, R. SHEWAN--But what is "alias.” The ATTORNEY-GENERAL Alias if just "otherwise known as." He went on to move that "alias" be struck out of the Bil'.
The motion was carried.
On the Council resuming the Bill was read a third time and passed on the motion of the ATTORNEY GENERAL, secouded by the COLONIAL SECRETARY.
venture to think that a little new blood is sometimes a good thing. (Applause.) The present Attorney-General brings with him a long experiene gained in other colonies, and I have already seen signs that this experience will be of lasting benefit to us her in Hong- kong. (Applause.) We have also had within the last few months four Unofficial members joining this Council. Ere yone of these mem. bers, I think, has shown his desire to represent to the best of his ability the interests of those him who elected him. The very questions that have been placed on the records to-day serve to prove this, and I think myself that everyone of thes four gentlemen has indeed thoroughly justifie his election. In fact, g ntlemen, I cannot help thinking that the Council to-day, as I leave it, is about as good as it is possible to be. Wherever a body of men are g.thered together there will be diversity of opinion, but to my mind the truo triumph of a legislative assembly is the frea ventilati n of all opinions without personal animus or rancour; then a quiet deliberation of all the arguments adduced, culminating in legislation which, in the opinion of the majority, is in the best interests of the com. munity. (Applause.) That, I believe, obtains in the Council to-day; I go farther, and I say I believe myself that if in the near future legis. lation of a rather drastic kind is required in the Colony, this Council is sufficently liberal-minded and honest enough to
pass such legislation, even if it hits some of the individual members rather hard in their in- dividual interests. We have been a very happy and united community, and it now only remains for me, gentlemen, to thank you with my whole heart for the indulgence you have shown me in my shortcomings, and for the persistent help and friendship and assistance you have accorded HIS EX ELLENCY-Gentlemen, before We to me. I repeat, I shall look back upon the separate I should like to detain you with a few eight months of my administration with the words. This is the last time, to my great greatest pleasure and the greatest pride, and regret. that I shall have the honour of presid- when I rejoiu you all, my colleagues, I shall ing over this Council, and baliste me when I feel that I am coming amongst a body of real, say that the eight months of my administration true, and tried friends. Gentlemen, tho I shall ever look back upon with the utmost Council is dissolved sine die. (Applause.) pleasure and with the utmost pride. have gone through some rather anxious times together. First of all, there was the water famine, accompanied as it was by a rather serious outbreak of cholera. imported, it is true, but none the less serious on that account. You, gentlemen, know, and I kuow, how anxious a time that was to us, and how deeply we sympathised with the sufferings of the community. I my mention incidentally that I was very much struck at the time by the patience and forbearance with which these sufferings were borne. The time was short; were quite unprepared, but you gave
NOTICE OF QUESTION.
Hon. C. W. DICKSON gave notice of the following question, to be asked at next meet. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-The police haveing of Council:- Is it a fact that the houses no legal powers.
Hon. R. SHEWAN--They can take their chairs away.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-They are not. allowed to leave their chairs auprotected on the streets.
Hon. R. SHEWAN-But they do it. The COLONIAL SECRETARY-If they do and are seen by the police the latter are in the habit of summoning the licencees for obstruction. Hoa. R. SHEWA-But they don't do it. The COLONIAL TREASURER That another question.
The matter then droppel.
NATURALISATION BILL.
is
On the motion of the ATTORNEY-GENERAL, seconded by the COLONIAL SE RETARY, a Bill entitled an Ordinance for the Naturalisation of Leung Ngan Pan alias Leung Wai Ching, was read a first time.
On the motion of the ATTORNEY-GENERAL, seconded by the COLONIAL SECRETARY, the standing orders were suspended to allow the Bill to be read a second time, and the Council afterwards went into Committee and considered the Bill clause by clause.
which have recently collapsed were built in accordinca with the Building Ordinances in force in this Colony, and so certified by the Director of Public Works?"
we
THE GENERAL'S VALEDICTORY ADDRESS,
We
FINANCE COMMITTEE,
A meat ng of the Finance Committee was held immediately after the Council, the Colonial Secretary (Hon. F. H. May, C.M.G.) presiding.
CHINESE EMIGRATION ORDINANCE, The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $200 to cover, during the current year, the salary of a clerk for the Registrar General's Department, in connection with the Chinese Emigration (Amendment) Ordinance No. 37 of '1901, for 5 months at the rate of $4 ) per mensem.
The vote was agreed to.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.