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sale attack on the administration of His Excellency and other Straits officials, it was dismissed as an invention of enemies. Now, however, the forecast of his retirement turns out to have been correct, though no one of course will accept the explanation coupled with it at the time. Sir FRANK SWETTEN- HAM has been very popular ruler in the Straits Settlements, and his loss will be felt considerably. It will be interesting to learn what were the motives which led him to give up his post. The whole of his offi- cial career since 1870, when he passed into the Straits Civil Service, has been spent in the Federated Malay States and the Straits Settlements.
HONGKONG JOTTINGS.
Daily Press, 14th December.) We have had during the past week in the correspondence columns of the Daily Press something in the nature of a discussion on religion toleration. It has often appeared to me that more toleration is shown in religious affairs in these Far Eastern comauities than one can meet with in any other part of the world. We had a striking instance of this in Hongkong only a few days ago. Where else in the world may we witness the spectacle that one saw at the Bazaar held by the French Roman Catholic sisters this week, when nearly all the stallholders were ladi-s prominently associated with either the Cathedral or the Union Church? It was a practical illustration of the fact that while in modes of faith we may disagree, in the great concern of charity all may co-operate on the best of terms.
There has been a good deal of public comment on the recent re-introduction of the stocks as a pazishment for criminals in Hongkong. What ever may be said for or against them as an efficacious instrument for striking terror into the hearts of evil-doers, there is no doubt that our Senior Magistrate believes in them, so much so that several new pairs have had to be made of late to meet the police requirements. But if the stucks have come to g'ay, there is one direction in which they could be made more irksome to misdemeanants. The other day I saw three coolies carrying stocks down from the Central to be placed in the low-lying streets where the offenders were to be exposed, while the offenders themselves walked alongside unburdened. Why not make the criminals
bear their own stocks?
The poverty of the house on the first night of the A.D.C.'s performance last week was indeed to be regretted, and obviously had its effect on the players. What the cause was it is impossible to say, as on Saturday the theatre was full to overflowing, riday is a bad night to open on, even though so mail may be going out next day, and the A.DC. would have been wiser to have selected Saturday. The house is bound to be good on a Saturday night in Hongkong, and thus the play gets an encouraging send-off, which was not the case this time. It is not my province to criticise the performance, but I certainly agree with the praise awarded to the local amateurs for their efforts. A little more lung-power was all I could wish them.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
These bracing days we have been enjoying recently have brought walking-parties agaiu into vogne. Especially on Sundays-no doubt to the detriment of ohurch-going-people take the opportunity of getting away into the New Territory or climbing over the heights of the Peak to dip down on the Aberdeen side of the island, Á much-travelled gentleman, well know in Hongkong and Loudon musical | circles, once said in my hearing that there was no spot in the world which had so man, beautiful walks as Hongkong, and that of all these the walk from the summit of the hill to Aberdeen was the most beautiful. It well deserved this desorption. But now unfortunately its glory bas departed. The valley down whose side the path meanders has been made a dumping. ground for rubbish from the Peak, and the rowd of carmon hawks that continually floats ver the locality tells its own' tale.
نے مشوری
I wonder how long it will be before the Jubilee Road will have a commencement of a suitable kind—or, indeed, of any kind at all. At present it begins under the Kennedytown Hos. pital, in a plot of waste-land littered with straw etc, and generally with some piles of refuse burning. This is supposed to be Hongkong's carriage-road! It begins as if it led into a farmyard of a particularly untidy sort. Yet it is undoubtedly a fine and picturesque road after the unsightly starting pointis passed. Presumably that 1 ggard among departments, the P.W.D., is responsible. In Hongkong it would seem to be au appropriate adage Cherchez le P.W.D.!
I notice that eucalyptus saplings have been platnted along the Jubilee Road. I suppose that this is the work of the Botanical and Afforestation Department. If the neighbourhood can escape fever (against
which some
anthorities believe in the efficacy of eucalyptus) there should be in the future some excellent sites along this road. But the proximity of the plague cemetery is not very inviting in one part of it Ierbaps some day the Government will see the advisabil ty of moving the plague burial-ground on to one of the spare islands. It would be a great improvement to Hongkong.
Though the Chinese coolie does Lot exhibit the taste for floriculture that is noticeable among the same class in Japan, the Hongkong coolie is not usually a destructive type where flowers and shrubs are concerned. But there are exceptions, and I regret to notice that somebody has recently been wantonly breaking off large fronds of the beautiful ferns which fringe the pathway up the slopes of Glenealy.
[December 19, 1903.
HONGKONG LEGIS! ATIVE COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Legislative Council was held on the 14th inst. in the Council Chamber.
Present:-
HIS EXCELLENCY THE Officer AdMINIS- TERING THE GOVERNMENT, F: H. MAY, C.M.G. MAJOR-GENERAL VILLIERS HATTON, C.B. (Commanding the Troops).
Hon. A. M. THOMSON (Acting. Colonial Secretary).
Hon.ir HENRY S. BERKELEY, Kt. (Attorney-General).
Hon. L. A. M. JOHNSTON (Acting Colonial Treasurer).
Hou. A. W. BREWIN (Registrar-General) Hon. BASIL R. H. TAYLOR (Harbour Master) Hon. W. CHATHAM (Director of Public Works).
Hon. Sir C. P. CHATER, C.M.G. Hon. Dr. Ho KAI, U.M.G. Hon. WEI A YUK.
Hon, C. W. DICKSON. Hon. GERSHOM STEWART,
Mr. R. F. JOHNSTON (Acting Clerk of Councils).
NEW MEMBER.
Villiers His Excellency Major-Ge eral Hatton, C.B, Commanding the Forces, took the formal oath of office and assumed his seat as a member of the Council.
FINANCIAL.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table the report of the Finance Committee (No. 12) and moved its adoption.
The ACTING COLONIAL TREASURER second- ed, and the motion was agreed to.
DAIRIES.
This particular neighbourhood seems to have
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on its due proportion of the Colonial police force on patrol duty day and night, but the evil-doers the able and moved the approval of the follow- seem to be more alert than the limbs of the ing additional bye-law made by the Sanitary law. A walk from the Robinson Road level up
Board under Sub-section 19 of Section 16 of the the slope which marks the be inning of Conduit Public Health and Buildings Ordinance, 1903 : Road will supply some evidence of this. The -"The following bye-law shall be added to the authorities, not without need, place a three-be-laws contained in the Schedule to the "Dairies": barried iron railing along the riglit-huud side | Ordinance under the heading of the slope; but for the greater length oaly the 10. No receptacle used for the reception or top bar now remains. The lower ails have storage of milk in any dairy shall be used for apparently been unscrewed (like lengths of any other purpose whatsoever." gaspipes) and removed section by section. Very soon, unless a look-out is kept for the thieves, no trace of this railing will remain.
It is surprising how few games the Chinese children have, rue, oue may see a crowd of nondescripts at Happy Valley some Sundays emulating the H.K.F.C. as they wildly follow a bounding indiarubber ball that is kicked about any way, and occasionally they essay cricket with improvised bat and wickets. ut of games of their own they have a great lack. I have seen them playing at a sort of peg-top and a pitch- and-toss. These are exceptions, however. The only game that appears to be held in general favour among them is shuttlec.ck without the battlelore, the place of the latter being supplied by the foot, with the insole of which the shuttle cock is kicke 1 info th air from one player to the other. Even "grown-ups" indulge in the pastime by times, and a good player is always sure to get an admiring crowd of spectators, uo matter what the time or place.
The spell of warmer weather after unusually early winter cold here is curiously paralleled by what we read in the latest home papers of the weather there a month ago, when a period of bigher temperatures succeeded cold. But there was some reason for the change there; indeed it was a regular phenomenon of the approach of winter at honic, and in old England it used to be known as "All Hallows Summer." Perhaps some of my readers who were present at Mr. Hannibal Williams's recital at the City Hall last week will recall the allusion in King Henry IV., for does not Prince Henry, when bidding good-bye to Falstaff, say, "Farewell. thou latter spring! Farewell, All-ballora sum- mer "? There is no equally picturesque name to apply to the change of weather here.
BANYAN.
Mr. V. A. Caesar Hawkins has been appointed Manager of the Yokohama, branch of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank.
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS second- ed, and the motion was agreed to.
TYPHOON SHELTER.
Не said-
Hon. GERSHOM Stewart iu pursuance of notice given moved:-"That, in the opinion of the Council, it is advisable to increase if possible the means of shelter for cargo boats and sampans during the typhoon season.' Your Excellency,-At a recent meeting of the Council when a member moved the adjournment with the idea of getting an answer to a question, His Excellency our then Governor said that if a member wished to ventilate any question it would be more suitable if he did so by bring- ing forward & definite resolution, and it is on that raling that I beg to bring forward the resolution which stands in my name to-day. I think the subject of which it treats is one of general interest. I think that, probably in an indefinite sort of way, most people will say they agreo with it. I have brought it forward in the hope that it may be raised from the position of a pious opinion which everybody accepts and does not say anything about, so that active steps may be taken for bringing about a very much needed improvement in the Harbour. In the course of late years we have been so busy with the plague that we have had no time to think about anything else. Our money and our time havo been speut entirely on that and on other very greal projects which have emerged. It is a fact we might bear in mind that the Harbour is after all the reasou of our existence here, and from the Harbour we either directly or indirectly all of as, draw our subsistence. We aro now in the position-the happy abundant revenue, position-of having an I regret amount of it comes from what I cannot form a somewhat eril soarce, help bat
but I think the best thing we cau opium; do to square the matter with our consciences is to see that we spend that money to the best advantage. Doctors and the Sanitary Board nud shoregoing p.ople generally have been fairly well looked after, and I now put in a
to sug that & very large
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