41
The CHAIRMAN explained that it had been discovered recently that the officers in charge of the work were getting on very fast in comparison with the progress made in the past, and it was anticipated that with this extra assistance they would be able to get the thing done by the end of the year.
Approved.
VICTORIA HOSPITAL.
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $676.21 in aid of the vote Public Works. Extraordinary, being a revote of an unexpended balance to meet the balance of the cost of Gas Service for the Victoria Hospital.
The CHAIRMAN said this was one of the legacies of the subscribers to the Jubilee Fund
which the Government had to meet.
Approved.
LAND COURT EXPENSES.
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a
sum of $1,732.50 in aid of the vote. Land Court, New Territory, Personal Emoluments, being equi- valent to Mr. Clementi's half pay as Assistant Registrar General for 6 months from 1st July,
1904.
Half pay for July at $3,600 per
annum —
Half pay from 1st August to 31st December at $3.900 per annum
Exchange Compensation.
Total,
Approved.
LAND COURT APPEAL CASES.
$150.00
812.50
$962.50 770.00
$1,732.50
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $3,000 in aid of the vote miscellaneous services, other miscellaneous services, being payment to Mr. F. B. L. Bowley, Crown Solicitor, for work done in connection with certain Land Court appeal cases.
The CHAIRMAN stated that there had been several long appeal cases in the Supreme Court which had thrown an excessive amount of work on Mr. Bowley. The Secretary of State had approved the vote if the Council agreed to it.
Approved.
GREEN ISLAND LIGHT,
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $9,300 in aid of the rote, Public Works Extra- ordinary for carrying out the work of improving
the Green Island Light:-
New tower
Additional quarters Shifting light from Cape D'Aguilar to Green Island. Contingencies
Total
$5,439.47
2,479.98
500.00 880.55
89,300.00
The CHAIRMAN remarked that this was a work which had been recommended for a long time, and he believed everybody in the Colony was agreed that it would be a very good thing.
Approved.
BOTANICAL.
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to vote a sum of $1,000 in aid of the vote Botanical and Affore- station Department. Other charges, item maintenance of Botanic Gardens, for the pre- paration of the new Garden Nursery near the Albany Nullah and the removal thither of the shrubs and other stock from the Kowloon Nur- sery, the site of which is now required for building purposes.
The CHAIRMAN said the removal of the nursery was necessary as the old ground was going to be sold.
Approved.
TELEGRAMS.
The Officer Administering the Government recommended the Council to a vote a sum of $2,000 in aid of the vote for Telegraph Service -Telegrams sent and received by Government
-under Miscellaneous Services.
The CHAIRMAN stated that there had been a great deal of extra outlay for telegrams, chiefly in connection with the South African emigra- tion scheme.
Approved.
This was all the business.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE DES VEUX ROAD MURDER.
OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
The following correspondence was laid on the table at the meeting of the Legislative Council yesterday:-
I.
(From Governor Sir Henry Blake to the Secretary of State.)
(July 16, 1904. the criminal, who was then immediately behead. ed in our presence.—I have, &c..
BERTRAN GILES,
Vice-Consul.
IV.
the
(From the Acting Colonial Secretary to His Majesty's Acting Consul-General, Canton.)
Colonial Secretary's Office, Government 'House.
Hongkong, 10th May, 1904. SIR-I am directed to acknowledge the Hongkong, 18th June, 19633, SIR-With reference to my despatch of 30th in which you state that Chang Cho-ting was letter No. 138 of the 5th instant receipt of your April, I have the honour to transmit a copy of executed on the 4th inst.. and enclosing a trans- Memorandum giving an epitome of the in-lation of a letter from the Viceroy of the Two formation and evidence in the possession of the Kwangs, in which he apologises for Government. There is reason to believe that violation of British Sovereignty committed at Hung Tsun Kwei was a prominent member of the instigation of Chinese Officials in con- the conspiracy of which the Chinese Authorities nection with the received the first intimation from this Govern-
case of Hung Tsun-fuk. ment. This man left Hongkong on the 31st the Viceroy that this Government accepts his I am to request you to be so good as to inform March. A reward had been offered for his expressions of regret at the circumstance. His capture, dead or alive, and for the purpose of Excellency the Officer Administering the Go. vernment felt satisfied that when the facts were obtaining this reward a Cantonese bad character ceived the crime of enticing to Hongkong a named Cheung Cho Ting appears to have con- made known to His Excellency the Viceroy, he friend in Canton, who bore a likeness to Hung justice, and expects in due course to receive an would use every effort to being the offenders to Tsun Kwei the conspirator, and there murdering assurance that the other persons implicated in him and returning the body to Canton as that the outrage have also undergone suitable of Hung Tsun Kwei and claiming the reward. punishment.-I have, &c.. Memorandum shows the manner in which this scheme was carried out. The action of the Chinese gunboat leaves no doubt that by some authority the gunboat was engaged on the ser- vice of conveying a kidnapped prisoner, or a murdered body from Hongkong, and there is evidence of the direct complicity of Admiral Ho in the violation of British territory.-I have, &c.,
HENRY A. BLAKE. Governor, &c.
II.
(From the Officer Administering the Goveru- ment to His Majesty's Minister. Peking.)
Government House,
Hongkong, 20th April, 1904. SIR. With refrence to Your Excellency's letter of the 1st of January and to previous cor- respondence. I have the honour to inform you that the murderer of the victim whose body was substituted for that of Hung Tsun-fuk has been duly brought to trial at Canton.
2. His Majesty's Consul-General there has communicated to me a memorandum of condi- tions of settlement of this case signed by the have the honour to inform Your Excellency Viceroy's Foreign Secretary and himself, and I
that these terms are acceptable to this Govern- ment. I have, &c.,
F. H. MAY, Officer Administering the Government.
III.
(From His Majesty's Acting Consul-General, Canton, to the Acting Colonial Secretary.)
His Majesty's Consulate-General,
Canton, 5th May, 1904. SIR,-With referrence to my Despatch No. 120 of April 18th on the Hung Taun-fuk case I have the honour to inform you that Chang Cho-Ting was executed yesterday in presence of two members of the Staff of this Consulate-General. I enclose a copy of Mr. Vice-Consul Giles' report on the subject.
the
I also enclose a translation of a Despatch received from the Viceroy, in which His Excellency apologises for the infringement of Hongkong territory, and thanks the Hongkong Government for the assistance given in the in- vestigation of the whole case.— Ï have, &c.,
C. W. CAMPBELL. Acting Consul-General
(Enclosure to No. 138 of the 5th May, 1904. From Mr. B. Giles to Mr. C. W. Campbell. C.M.G.)
His Majesty's Consulate-General. Canton, 4th May, 1904. SIR-With reference to the case of the mur. der of Hung Tsun-fuk by Chang Cho-ting in Hongkong, I have the honour to report that, in accordance with your instructions, I proceeded this afternoon to the execution ground to be present at the execution of Chang Cho-ting by the Native Authorities. On arriving at the place Mr. Major, who accompanied me, identified
A. M. THOMSON, Acting Colonial Secretary.
V.
From His Majesty's Acting Consul-General, Canton, to the Acting Colonial Secretary.
His Majesty's Consulate-General, Canton, 27th May, 1904. SIR. With reference to your letter of May 10th, the contents of which I communicated to the Viceroy as requested, I have the honour to enclose, for the information of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government of Hongkong, a copy and translation of a Despatch received yesterday. The Imperial Decree therein enclosed appears to me to be satisfac- tory, and I propose to inform the Viceroy that as soon as I receive His Excellency's assurance that the punishments stated have been carried out the Hang Taun-fuk case will be considered closed. I have, &c..
C. W. CAMPBELL,
Acting Consul-General. (Enclosure to No. 157 of the 27th May, 1904. Translation of a Despatch from Viceroy Ts'en to Mr. Campbell.)
Teun-fuk, I have the honour to inform you that SIR. With reference to the case of Hang
I memorialised the Throne, praying that all the officials who had been implicated in the affair should be dealt with, each according to his deserts. On the 17th of May last I received an Imperial Edict, copy of which I herewith transmit for your information.-I have, &c..
(Viceroy's Seal.)
Copy of Imperial Edict.. With reference to the Memorial of Viceroy Tsen, praying for the punishment of the spy who compassed the death of the man he had deceived, thereby violating the territory of Hongkong and received a reward under false pretences; and that of the officials who connived tsung, Senior Lieutenant in charge of the 4th at his offence; we hereby decree that Ho Wei-
Battalion of the 1st Division of the Provincial Admiral's troops; Lin Shan, Senior Lieutenant in charge of the 4th Battalion of the 4th Division under the command of the Colonel stationed at Chih-hsi; Fang Hsing-kuo, Su Ting-chet and Liu Chin-Yueh, Senior Sub- Lieutenants, and the deceased Sergeant Chu Chang are to be cashiered. Ho Chang-ching, Admiral for the Province of Kuangtung, who was guilty of neglect of duty, is to be removed from his post as a warning to others. For the rest, the matter is to be dealt with as suggested by the Viceroy.
VI.
(From His Majesty's Acting Consul-General, Canton, to the Acting Colonial Secretary.)
His Majesty's Consulate-General, Canton, 20th June, 1904. 818. With reference to my letter No. 157 of May 27th I have the honour to enclose a copy and translation of a Despatch from the Viceroy, in which His Excellency states that Admiral Ho has been removed, and that the minor officials
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