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HONGKONG JOTTINGS.
3rd July.
The Chief Justice has not been long with us, but the Colonial Office List makes us familiar with his put. services and en'les us to feel that the honour of knighthood conferied upon Mr Pig tt by His Majesty the King is a deserved mark of appreciation. Sir Francis was employed by the Foreign Office on special service in 1887; he subsequently became legal adviser to the Prime Minister of Japan; then Secretary to Sir Charles Russell (when he held office as Attorney General) during the Bebring Sea arbitration; and afterwards was successively procurator-general and Chief Justice at Mauri tius until his appointment to Hongkong. Sir Francis is known to the legal fraternity also as author of "Foreign Judgments," "Services out and of the Jurisdiction," "Extraterritoriality
Lag of Tots." It is quite in accordance with precedent that appointment to the Chief Justice- ship of Hongkong should be followed by knight- hood. 1 do not know whether every holder of the office has entered upon his duties a plain "Mr.
and left it a knight, but it has certainly been so in the majority of cases.
The conferment of the Imperial Service Order on Mr. A. Seth, the Registrar of the Supreme Court, is also an honour which the community will regard as well-merited. Mr. Seth has been in the public service of Hongkong since 1868, when he was appointed mindustani interpreter at the Magistracy. Entering the Colonial Secretary's office as third clerk in 1872 he had risen to Clerk of Councils and Chief Clerk by 1881. Since then he has filled various offices with oredit to himself and satisfaction to the Govern- ment. Called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn, in 1893, he was appointed deputy-registrar and appraiser of the Supreme Court in 1895, and about a year ago encceeded to the higher position. The Imperial Service Order is no cheap distinction. Only three other old public of servants of this Colony are Compani s the Order, namely Mr. Charles Ford, late Superintendent of the Botanical and Afforesta- tion Department; Mr. Bruce shepherd, land officer; and Captain Rumsey, R.N., late Harbour Master. The Hongkong community have also learnt with satisfaction of the conferment of this honour on Mr. James Scott, the Consul General at Canton, who has spent thirty-two years in the Consular service in China. I need hardly say that since he has been at Canton, Mr Scott has rendered signal service to British commercial interests and he is one of the most popular officials in the Consular service.
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There is never any complaint to be made respecting the P. & O. mail service to the Far East; it works with the greatest regularity. The last English mail reached Hongkong in 26 days, and I suppose we may in future look forward to the English mail arriving here on a Wednesday as a regular thing. Four new mail steamers of 8,0:10 tons, required chiefly for the accelerated mail service between India and China, are ex- pected to be at work at an early date. will probably enable the P. & O. Company to recover some of their lost passenger traffic. I note also that two new cargo steamers of 10,000 tous-named the Poona the Peshawur are now on the Eastern run. Englishmen in the East will cordially welcome these signs of enterprise on the part of the P. & O. Company.
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This
A Singapore contemporary mentions a sim- ple but extremely useful invention to which I have pleasure in drawing the attention of house keepers here. It is a contrivance which can be attached to a wardrobe te keep its contents dry. "It is called the Hollen Kringer and con- sists of two short lengths of gas piping so fixed that they pass through the wardrobe, one end projecting through the top, the other through the side, to which end is attached a metal funnel under which a lamp stands. lamp warms the pipes and radiates through the wardrobe, and although sufficient to dry all clothes placed therein, is not enough to sings any artiole coming in contact with the piping." These contrivances ought to sell in Hongkong
like hot cakes.
The heat from the
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
At the conclusion of the Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday His Excellency the Governor expressed the hope that it would not be necessary to call the Council together again until the Estimates are ready.
he Est male8
[July 10, 1905,t
There must be something on file to show tha the creditors authorised the petition.
Mr. Goldring on behalf of the debtor opposed this,
Mr. Bowley produced written authority from the principals and then said th st one partner had not been seen since the 8th June by any of his He ap- are usully laid before the Council in September. clients who had been looking for him. It may be inferred from this that the negotia-plied for a receiving or ler. tions at Peking in reference to the Kowloon- Canton railway are not expected to be concluded for a few months yet. At the previous meeting of the Council His Excellency stated that before any agreement with the Chinese Government is made binding on that of this Colony, it would be submitted to the Council.
BANYAN,
SUPREME COURT.
Friday, 30th June.
IN BANKRUPTCY.
Mr. Bowley-You have no right to appear, not having given me two days' notice.
not.
Mr. Goldring-I am only objecting to the form of the petition. The petition must be signed by the petitioning creditors, which it is The compradores have signed this. Mr. Bowley-The rule which my friend h s cited does not apply to proceedings of this Court.
His Lordship held that it did.
Mr. Bowley showed that four of the signatures were those of principals, and asked leare to amend the petition by striking out the other sixteen mes.
Mr. Goldring objected to this, saying that if BEFORE SIR, F. T PIGGOTT (CHIEF JUSTICE). His Lordship held that the petition was bad,
YIN FOOK EXAKTE WONG HIP TONG.
In this case Mr. R. Harding appeared for the petitioning creditor, and applied for a receiving order. The defendant, who had carried on business at 269, Des Voeux Road, owed his The a promissory note. client $2,000 on debtor had suspended payment, and had attemp- ted to defeat and delay his creditors by leav- ing the Colony.
His Lordship-How do you show that attempted to defeat and delay bis creditors!
Mr. HardingIt is for him to show what his intention was.
His Lordship- Did he leave the Colony since the petition?
Mr. Harding-Certainly.
His Lordship-Then it would not be an act of bankruptcy. The act of bankruptcy must be committed before, so as to be a ground for the petition. I do not see sufficient in the affidavit at present. The second ground is that he suspended payment?
Mr. Harding-He gave verbal notice. His Lordship-The affidarit does not show that.
Mr. Harding-I have the petitioning creditor, and can put him in the box.
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His Lordship—I can quite understand petitioning creditor being put in the box to prove what is set out in the petition hut not to supplement it.
The application was not granted.
His Lordship--If you want to have leave to ameod you can have it now.
Mr. Hardiug-I shall have to reserve the petition.
RE THE CHING HOP FIRM.
In application No. 32 Mr. P. W. Goldring appeared for the petitioning creditor, the case being the Ching Hop firm exparte Leung Sing Wo. The petitioning creditor not being in Court. His Lordship proceeded to application No. 35, the Ching Hop firm exparte Siemssen & Co. and others. In this case Mr. F. B. L. Bowley appeared for the petitioning creditors. An interim receiving order had been granted
at a previous application, in respect of applica- tion No. 32.
Mr. Goldring stated that though he had appeared for the petitioning creditor in No. 32, he appeared for the debtor in No. 35, and opposed the receiving order.
Mr. Bowley stated that the petitioning creditors in No. 35, for whom he appeared, were 20 in number, and their claims aggregated
$107,264.13. The debtor firm had carried on Notice had business at 183, Wing Lok S reet.
re-service was necessary.
His Lordship notwithstanding Mr. Goldring's objection allowed the amendment.
Mr. Bowley called a witness who proved, to His Lordship's satisfaction, that the debtor had committed acts of bankruptcy. Mr. Bowley then again applied for a receiving order.
Mr. Goldring further objected to this on the ground that as an interim receiving order had been granted in No. 32, a receiving order could only be granted in No. 32. On behalf of the defendant, and with reference to costs, be would state that his friend had taken wholly un- necessary proceedings, the property being protected by the interim receiving order.
His Lordship said it was clear there would have to be a consolidation, and Mr. Goldring could, when this was before the Court, proceed with his argument in this direction. His Lord. straightened out. ship would fix a date, and then all would be
This was agreed to, the case being adjourned, Mr. Goldring stated that his former client, 32, had the petitioning creditor in No. instructed Mr. C. E. H. Beavis to appear for him when the case came on, while he (Mr. Goldring) would appear for the debtor.
His Lordship assented.
PUBLIC EXAMINATION,
Colin McCreary, petitioning debtor, was examined-I am assistant to Watkins, Limited, the chemists. I am indebted to the extent of a little over a thousand dollars. I filed my petition last year when I found I was unable Two creditors pressed to pay my debts.
My salary at me, one being a Mr. Crapnell. present is $125 per month. I got in difficulty by taking a house, and the expensive cost of living at Hongkong. The rent was $100 a month. That was in January. 1904. I had been in the
am a
Colony a few months previously. I married man In November last year I borrowed $300 and give a promissory note for $480. It was for twelve months. My wife's mother I have offered a com-
and sister lived with me.
have shares in an ice company which are worth- position to my creditors of 25 per cent cash. I
They cannot be sold. The examination was closed.
loss
Monday, 3rd July.
IN SUMMARY JURISDICTION. BEFORE MR. A. G. WISE (PUISNE JUDGE).
LEUNG TAK V. TRT YEE CHUN WA FIRM.
In this action Mr. R. A. Hariing arpeared
been given of the suspension of payment of the firm's debts, the principal partner had absented for the plaintiff and Mr. P. W. Goldring for himself from the place of business, and, might be added, a steamer belonging to the firm had been mortgaged for $1.500 which would have been fraudulent if a receiving order had been made.
His Lordship - Are these proceedings authorised by the principals ?
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Mr. Bowley A petition can be made by a person having knowledge of the facts.
His Lordship-It must be presented by a creditor. Suppose the compradores acted with- out the knowledge of the principals? I quit understand the position of compradores, but there must be some sanction from the principals.
the defendant. It was a claim for $267.53 and costs, balance due on account of gunny bags supplied.
His Honour-The amount has been paid into Court.
Mr. Goldring-The amount was paid in to stay the proceedings. There was to be a cross action.
His Honour -You have admitted liability.
Mr. Goldring-No, My Lord.
your
His Honour-It was because you were going to bring a cross action, which you have not done.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.