September 4, 1909.]
HONGKONG.
The Dutch Squadron left Hongkong on Thursday night shortly after 5 p.m. for Amoy.
Mr. Shelton Hooper left yesterday by the Tenyo-Maru on a short trip.
The Chinese boat population of the Colony of Hongkong was estimated for 1908 to be 44,940.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Hongkong Legislative Council was held on the 1st inst, in the Council Chamber.
The following were present:
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, SIR JOHN DEALTRY LUGARD,
Dr. Amos P. Wilder had a conference with | FREDERICK President Taft at the White House, Washing-K.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.Q. ton, on the 26th inst.
For stealing two shutters, the property of Messrs. Falconer & Co., Mr. F. A. Hazeland at the Magistracy on Sept. 2 sentenced a native to three weeks' imprisonment with hard labour.
The hearing of the summonses against Mrs, Meyer of the Colonial Hotel and two com pradores for selling brandy not of the nature demanded was concluded at the Magistracy on Sept. 1. Mr. Hazeland reserved his decision. An old beggar, who has been banished from the Colony on several occasions, but who always returns, was charged before Mr. F: A. Hazeland at the Magistracy on Sept. 1 with being a rogue and a vagabond, and was sent to prison for a month.
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According to the annual report of the Principal Civil Medical Officer of Hongkong the death rate last year was 27.55 per 1,000 as against 22.12 in 1907. For the non-Chinese community only (including the Army and Navy) the death-rate was 14.78 per 1,000, as compared with 15.46 per 1,000 in 1907.
Mr. J. R. Wood presided over a meeting of Justices of the Peace held at the Magistracy on the 30th ult., and there were also present Messrs. F. J. Badeley and C. D. Melbourne. The business was to consider an application from Mr. E. A. Kennedy for the transfer to him from Mr. A. E. Gagnon of the publican's licence to sell by retail intoxicating liquors on premises No. 2, Pak Shui Wan, Shaukiwan Road, under the sign of "The Belle View Hotel." The application was adjourned until the 10th ultimo.
Detective Murphy made a smart find on the 2nd inst. when he boarded the Kongmoon river steamer Tak Hing in search of arms. Among the packages which he investigated was the trunk of a Chinese recently returned from America. This box, he discovered, contained a false bottom, and beneath this, carefully placed in grooves, he found a rifle, two bullet moulds and 400 rounds of ammunition. The defendant appeared before Mr. J. R. Wood at the Magis- tracy later, and informed his Worship that he was ignorant of the law. As he took such pains to evade it, however, his Worship imposed a fine of $200.
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Dr. Atkinson, P. C. M. O., in his annual report mentions that there were 26 cases of typhoid among Europeans in the Colony last year. Five occurred among other non-Chinese races, and only seven among Chinese. The total number of cases, 38, compares with 73 in 1907, and 66 in 1906. Ten of the cases were imported. The source of infection, and one which is always present, the report states, is probably, in the majority of cases, in native grown vegetables which are manured with diluted human excreta. Raw vegetables, salads, &c., from Chinese sources should therefore never be eaton. Oysters also should be looked upon with suspicion and not eaten raw.
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The story of a long-standing dispute was told to Mr. F. A. Hazeland at the Magistracy on Sept. 2nd when five Chinese from Shek O were prosecuted for fighting and creating a disturb-
ance.
The defendants, a widow and her daughter, and another widow and son and daughter, own plots of land adjoining each other, and although these plots were marked out as far back as two years ago, the defendants continue to encroach on each other's property, and to gather each other's crops. On the occasion of each dispute the police are called to settle matters, but they have been troubled so much of late by the parties that Inspector Collett decided to put an end to the bickering and with this object in view placed all the landholders before the Magistrate. His Wor ship yesterday bound each defendant over in the sum of $100 to keep the peace for six months.
Hon. Mr. A. M. THOMSON (Acting Colonial Secretary).
Hon. Mr.C.MI.MESSER (Colonial Treasurer). Hon. Mr. P. N. H. JONES (Acting Director of Public Works).
Hon. Mr. A. W. BREWIN (Registrar-General) Hon. Mr. F. J. BADELEY (Capt. Superinten. dent of Police).
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Hon. Dr. Ho KAI M.B., C.M.G. Hon. Mr. E., OSBORNE Hon. Mr. E. A. HEWETT. Hon. Mr. MURRAY STEWART. Hon. Mr. WEI YUK, C.M.G. Mr. C. CLEMENTI (Clerk of Councils).
MINUTES.
The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed.
་ །
-FINANCIAL MINUTE.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY, by command of His Excellency the Governor, laid on the table Financial Minute No. 39, and moved that it be referred to the Finance Committee.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
A
FINANCIAL.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY, by command of His Excellency the Governor, laid on the table the report of the Finance Committee (No. 13) and moved its adoption.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
LIQUOR LICENCES.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY announced that it was not intended to proceed at the present meeting with the resolution under section 6 of the Liquor Licences Extension Ordinance, 1908.-
.! MAGISTERIAL FINES.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY replied-In the former case Mr J. R. Wood inflicted a fine of $25.00 for street gambling on the 27th August. The police reported that gambling in this par- ticular locality was persistent and that they had been unable hitherto to make arrests. In the latter case Mr. F. A. Hazeland ini- posed
a fine
of $12.00 on
a Japanese on the 27th August for being drunk and disorderly and for a common assault. The Magistrate took into consideration the very drunken condition of the man and the fact that he was quite ignorant of what he was doing. The Magistrate considered the fine inflicted quite sufficient under the circumstances.
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a short time. The clause was intended to give power to the Government to make regula- tions, not with a view to prohibiting spitt- ing, but to controlling it in certain public places. I may observe that it was not my intention that these regulations in the circumstances should be either harsh or drastic. But I had it in mind that they should prohibit the habit in the market, where food is exposed for sale, except in such receptacles provided; and also that any procedure under the regulation, should be by way of summons and confined to aggravated cases. That only European police should be allowed to arrest persons, and then in cases where a previous warning had been disregarded; and that newcomers just arrived in the Colony should not be made amenable. Since the Bill has passed the Council
Chinese members of the Council have th
ap-
proached me and told me it is their intention to inaugurate an anti-spitting committee for the total suppression of the habit by education and persuasive means. They told me that some eighty of the leading members of the Chinese Community had volunteered to support this association, and to conduct it with energy, and earnestness, and success. I have always said in this Council, gentlemen, since I have been here that in my opinion methods of co-operation are in every way to be preferred to methods of coercion. (Hear, hear.) I welcome, therefore, most cordially the initiative taken by members of the Chinese community with a view to checking the habit. Co-operation and coercion cannot exist side by side, therefore the Bill before you to-day suggests the repeal of the clause which should give power to the Government to make regulations to prohibit spitting. I recommend it to you, trusting entirely to the pledge or promise of the leading members of the Chinese community that they will do, to use their own words, every thing in their power with earnestness and with energy, and I wish them in every way success. (Applause.)
The Bill was read a first time.
- OPIUM CONSOLIDATION ORDINANCE. The COLONIAL SECRETARY moved the second reading of the Bill entitled An Ordinance to amend and consolidate the Laws relating to Opium and its Compounds
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded.
Hon. Mr. STEWART asked-“ Is it a fact that, as stated in the newspapers, a coolie was fined $25 at the Police Court for playing a dice game in the street, and that, in the same Court on the same day, fines amounting HON. Mr. STEWART Your Excellency; to less than half that amount were imposed in Inasmuch as the principle of this Bill appears the case of a conviction for being drunk and to be the elementary business one of mak- disorderly in Morrison Hill Road, anding as clear as possible the terms of a prospec unprovokedly assaulting and, wounding Mr. tive contract, no unofficial member is likely Blowey by striking him several times on the to oppose it. The only comment I have to head with a heavy stick?"
make is upon the Government's failure to apply it thoroughly when dealing with the case of this particular contract a couple of months ago. A couple of months ago this principle was advanced throughout in the debates on the second and third readings of the Bill closing the opium divans. The ples of urgency was based upon it. Unofficial members were in- formed that there was pressing need for passing that Bill promptly, because until its provisions in final form were made known, the terms for the new farm advertised, and the tenders got in, the Colonial Treasurer could not possibly tell what the loss on closing the divans would amount to, the Secretary of State could not say what proportion he was prepared to bear, and the work of preparing the Estimates could not be proceeded with. Before all things, it was said to be necessary that the details of the new conditions under which henceforward the Farm will be held should be left in no uncertainty. The import- ance of this was put forward as a reason for declining to accept an amendment providing a suspensory clause. A suspensory clause was objected to as opening a chink through which doubt might conceivably creep in. Stress Was, laid upon the difficulties liable to be engender- ed by indeterminate conditions. The condi tions had to be beyond doubt, and they had to be advertised without delay. They were adver- tised immediately after the Bill passed and for many weeks subsequently. The assumption was that everything had been done to make the position clear. It therefore came as a surprise to find that all the time the regulations embodi ed in this Bill were in process of incubation. We now learn that until they are
are a factory it is impossible to proceed, in a manner, with the business of negotiating.
MAGISTRATES AND CRIMINAL LAW - AMENDMENT ORDINANCE.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY moved the first reading of a Bill entitled An Ordinance to amend the Magistrates and Criminal Law
Amendment Ordinance, 1909.
The COLONEL TREASURER seconded. HIS EXCELLENCY-Gentlemen, the memor- andum which is attached to the Bill which it is proposed now to read for the first time gives more or less fully the object which we have in introducing this Bill. You will remember that the clause which it is now proposed to repeal met with some opposition in this Council at the time the Bill was passed, but no alternative was offered which should have any prospect of checking the insanitary and disease-producing habit which it was the object of that clause to combat. It was suggested that notices should be posted and that spittoons should be provided. Both those steps have been taken, but I think I may say, however effective measures, of that sort are likely to be when first instituted, they almost inevitably become a dead letter in the course of
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