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December 21, 1908.]
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Hongkong Legislative Council was held on Dec. 17th in the Council Chamber.
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, SIR FREDERICK JOHN DEALTRY LUGARD, K.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O.
H. E. MAJOR-GENERAL R. G. BROADWOOD, C. B., A.C.D., (General Officer Commanding).
Hon. Mr. F. H. MAY. C.M.G.. (Colonial Secretary).
Hon. Mr. W. REES DAVIES, K.C., (Attorney. General).
Hon. Mr. A. M. THOMSON (Colonial Trea surer).
Hon. Mr. W. CHATHAM, C.M.G., (Director of Public Works).
Hon. Mr. E. A. IRVING (Registrar- General).
Hon. Mr. F. J. BADELEY, (Capt. Superinten. dent of Police).
Hon. Dr. Ho KAI, M.B., C.M., C.M.G. Hon. Mr. WEI YUK, C.M.G.
Hon. Mr. H. E. POLLOCK, K.C.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
This was agreed to, and Sir Henry Berkeley, K.C.. the Right Reverend Bishop Pozzoni,; and Mr. A. Denison, architect, entered the Chamber.
H18 EXCELLENCY The petition presented on behalf of the Vicar Apostolic of Hougkong; has been read to the Council. We shall be glad to hear you speak in this Council on it.
SIR HENRY BERKELEY -May it please your Excellency and gentlemen of the Legislative Council. appear hy gracious permission of your honourable Body in support of the petition which has been presented by the Right Reverend Bishop Pozzoni on behalf of the Roman Catholic to refer to the petition. The second paragraph community of this colony. I ask your permission
runs as follows :----
• 2. The route of the said Tramway is, your Petitioner is informed, proposed to be as marked in blue lines on the plan instead of the route marked on the said plan in red lines as originally proposed. ̈*
| route as originally proposed and as
Your Excellency will see from that plan the we respect- fully submit. it should continue. That is marked in red. The route as now proposed is delineated in blue. If you follow the blue line you will come to where the line passes up Genealy Valley for a considerable distance. It is carried over the gully on a proposed steel trestle for a viaduct some 50 feet in height. It is the carriage of the tram cars over this steel trestle viaduct that we oppose and it is that The minutes of the last meeting were read, part of the proposed route marked in blue we and confirmed.
Hon. Mr. E. A. HEWETT.
Hon. Mr. H. A. W. SLADE.
Hou, Mr. W. J. GRESSON.
Mr. C. CLEMENTI (Clerk of Councils).
MINUTES.
FINANCIAL MINUTE.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY, by command of His Excellency the Governor, laid on the table Financial Minute, No. 70, and moved that it be
referred to the Finance Committee.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
FINANICAL.
The COLONIAL, SECRETARY, by command of His Excellency the Governor, laid on the table the Report of the Finance Committee (No. 20) and moved its adoption.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
NEW BYE LAWS.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY Sir, I beg to move that the byelaws under section 16 of the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance, 1903, relating to bakehouses, dairies and the import :- tion and inspection of animals, be approved by this Council,
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
terms.
"
THE KING'S BIRTHDAY. His EXCELLENCY-Before we proceed with the business of the day I wish to inform the Council that on the occasion of the King's Birthday I sent a telegram to England as is customary in many colonies in the following On behalf of Colony express loyalty to His Majesty the King anniversary of birthday. Wishing you long life and health. I received by the last mail the following reply from the Secretary of State: "I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your telegram of the 9th instant expressing on behalf of the com- munity of Hongkong their loyalty to His Majesty and their good wishes on the occasion of his birthday. The telegram has been laid before the King and I am commanded by His Majesty to convey to you and to the people of Hongkong His Majesty's sincere thanks for your loyal message which he has received with much pleasure."
THE TRAMWAYS ORDINANCE. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I beg to move that the Council resolve itself into Committee to consider the third order of the day the Bill entitled an Ordinance for authorising the con- struction of a tramway within the Colony of Hongkong. I understand, Sir, that a petition has been presented to the Council in respect of this Bill.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded. The petition signed by the Vicar Apostolic of Hongkong, on behalf of the Roman Catholic community against the proposed route of the projected tramway was read.
Hon. Mr. HEWETT-I beg to move that the petitioners be allowed to appear by Counsel, as prayed.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-Sir, pro forma, I second that motion.
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built as projected, there will be an invasion of the privacy of the occupiers of these houses. Such an invasion can only be guarded against by closing windows which would, in a climate such as this, be impracticable in summer. 'The result. would be if the tram is built as projected a serious depreciation in the value of the property. That must weigh with the members of the committee as well as the disturbance of the quietude which has for many years reigned in the precincts of the Cathedral. emphasise the fact that this petition is made Sir, I would
on behalf of a large number of persons, over 7,000 persons in this community. It may be The prayer of the petition is that the proposed regarded, therefore, as a petition largely signed.
route of the said tramway as marked in blue lines on the said plan be not approved by this committee. We do not
presume to suggest that the route marked in red be approved. We do not presume to say how you should act. We only respectfully press the point that the route marked in blue with reference to the tram passing over
a trestle bridge near the Cathedral should not be allowed. If
you turn to the Bill you will find that this matter is dealt with in clause three, construction and route of the railway. It is as follows :— (Quotes). We don't wish the tramway to be constructed in abordance with the pla. which has been published. We desire it to be altered and not to be approved so far as they show the route in blue line... Sir. the committee will observe by the wording of the proviso that it was contemplated there might be deviation from the plau deposited. (Quotes). This will not necessitate any redrawing of the they must be altered-they must be altered u plans and if your Excellency expresses the desire accordance with the opinion of the committee, I now propose with your permission to call the Bishop before you.
ask the Committee to reject. It is probably within the personal knowledge of members of this Committee that great noise is occasioned by trains or trams passing over a bridge, and the longer the bridge and the higher steel trestle
increased vibration. The route marked in red the viaduct the greater the noise caused by the would carry the line all the way on solid ground. There would be no vibration to speak of and there would be little or no noise, nothing at all events that could be legitimately complained of. Part of it would pass the Cathedral and the | keep in the quietness they have so long enjoyed. buildings which the Bishop desires to protect and
It could occupy very small space superficially and it could be adequately protected from the danger of people falling over it by railings which need not be in any way an offence to artistic feeling. and might be of such an ornamental character as to adorn the Gardens. The third paragraph of the petition. Sir, states that the Cathedral of the Immaculate Concep tion is the principal place of worship of the Routan Catholic community of Hongkong and ix situated On the east side of the Public Gardens. The fourth paragraph is that divine service
* other religions observances take dral.
place daily in the Cathe I ask permission to emphasise the word daily. On that point you will hear the evidence of the Bishop, who will speak more in detail observances for which in the highest degree it is to the nature of these religious essential to have quietness. The fifth paragraph essential to the lus and reverend performance of of the petition says as much. It proceeds: It is
such services and observances that there should be at snch times an absolute absence of noise in such Cathedral and in the immediate neigh-i bourhood thereof.
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In addition I am instructed to mention a maiter that was omitted from the petition, and that is that immediately adjoining the Cathedral is a mission school where persons are trained for the priesthood. The noises, if noises there will be, and I think there will, is a matter upon which the committee can make up its mind after hear- ing Mr. Denison, but it requires uo evidence to convince them that cars passing over a viadnet of this kind must make a most distracting noise, and that in the opinion of the committee must prove dislocating to the teaching in the school. Further, Sir, I am instructed to call the atten- tion of your houourable body to this fact which has been omitted from the petition: It seems that in proximity to the Cathedral and to this proposed viaduct there are a number of houses occupied by tenants of the mission. If the
close to and slightly above these houses with the tramway passes along this viaduct it will pass
result that the interiors of these houses will be
in full view of people passing in the train. The trams, as I have just mentioned, not only run by day but by night, so that if the tram line is
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Bishop Pozzoni was then sworn and examined by Sir Henry Berkeley.
What is your name? -Domenico Pozzoni. What office do you hold -The title is Bishop of Timor and the office is Vicur Apostolic of Hongkong,
The principal church of the Roman Catholic Community is situated?-- About fifty feet above Caine Road west of the Public Gardens.
Is it correctly shown in the plaus ---- Yes. When did you come here ?--In 1885. Where was the Cathedral at that time ?--It was then in Wellington Street.
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When was it removed from
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Wellington Street? --About 18 months after my arrival in Hongkong.
Why was it removed from Wellington Street? -Because the place became so noisy that our Catholic services could not be carried with the necessary peace and quietude, especially such services as holy mass and most especially the confessional. Just now at the Cathedral when coolies
are making noises outside we are obliged to send an assistant out- side to stop them.
on
How long is it since the Cathedral was in its present site?-Services began in July 1886.
Twenty-two years ago?--Yes.
During that time have you enjoyed quietude? Yes.
Nothing to interrupt or disturb your services except occasional raucous voiced coolies to whom you promptly despatched an assistant?—Yes.
Have you a mission school ?—Yes. Where is it? Near the Cathedral tower. What kind of a school is it?-It is for those who desire to become missionary priests, and the curriculum includes theology and philosophy.
Quietude is required for such study ?—Yes. Do the Church Body own some house near?— Yes.
Are they occupied by tenants?
Yes. Examined by the DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:
In what part of the Cathedral is the confes- sional held-Sometimes near the altar and sometimes near the door. Sometimes all over the Cathedral.
Are they conducted in that part of the build- ing nearest the tramway ?-If there are crowds they go near to the door. If there is not a crowd they go near the altar.
As a rule they are conducted at the other end of the Cathedral ?-We have no particular place. Some like to make their confession near the door, and the priest has to go to the door with
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