September 27, 1909.]
Legislative Council could make any regulations it wished in the form of a bill.
Hon. Mr. OSBORNE asked if the people affect- ed would be consulted before the regulations were drawn up.
H18 EXCELLENCY replied that he thought he could assure the hon. member on that point.
Hon. Mr. SBORNE asked if the regulations would be shown to the people concerned,
CHINA CVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
the amendment which the General Officer Com- manding has brought forward.
Hon. Mr. STEWART thought the General Officer was mistaken in thinking that the Council would not all wish to support him in this resolution. Speaking for himself, he felt strongly in favour of allowing some remission of duty such as had been suggested. Every- one, he thought, would agree that from HIS XCELLENCY said that they would use an Imperial point of view every enourag- every possible information they could get be-ment ought to be given to make the sol- fore making any regulations.
dier's lot as happy and contented as possible HIS EXCELLENCY said they had had a (hóar, hear)—und he for one was strongly in debate on the subject of amendments brought favour of devising some means for removing the forward by the senior unofficial member, and he burden from them. His difficulty hitherto had expressed his views on the matter very strongly.been that if the soldiers were allowed to import With regard to the first draft of the regulations their liquor absolutely free, it would in made, he should be glad to show them, before a very marked way suggest to the out- they were published in the Gazette, to the un-side public that the price of drinks in official members informally, and to take canteens was probably much loss than their opinion upon them. It was proposed to outside, and it might lead to a practice ex- hold a meeting of the xecutive Council tremely undesirable from the point of view of immediately after this Council meeting conclud-public order, and which he thought the military ed, and if unofficial members would attend that officers ought to try to discourage; that was, meeting he would be pleased to show them the a man taking a large number of his friends regulations approved by the Executive Council, in and entertaining them in a canteen. His Excellency then asked the Hon. Dr. Ho Obviously, if this was donė to a large Kai if he wished to put his amendment to the extent, considerable hardship would fall vote.
on the publicans who paid licences to sell liquor. The method suggested seemed to him to open the way, and he for one would certainly support some such plan as regarded the men After all, he did not see why we should be less generous than other Colonies, and he would be inclined to support it right through. (The Attorney-General: Hear, hear.)
Hon. Dr. Ho KẠI said he understood his colleagues wished it to be put to the vote.
The amendment was then put to the vote, and lost by seven votes to six.
When clause 56 had been submitted, Hon. OLONĖL DARLING said he wished to move an amendment to that clause. They had been told several times during the meeting that this Bill was drafted on the lines of the Hon. COLONEL DARLING said the hon. mem- Singapore Bill, but he understood there were | ber made a mistake when he spoke about enter two clauses in the latter Bill which ex-taining in canteens. In such places no one was empted officers and men of the army and nary allowed to be served except a soldier or a sailor. from paying licences for their canteens or messes. He had been interesting himself on the subject during the last few days, and found that Hongkong was the only Colony that did not make an exemption of that sort. In every one of the others, either a rebate of the duty was made afterwards, or a lump sum was paid by the Colony which was based
on
on
as
He did not refer to the Soldiers' Club, because that was run more on the lines of a social club, and a soldier could take any friends there.
Hon. Mr. STEWART-Do I understand that a soldier cannot take civilians into a canteen ?
Hon. COLONEL DARLING—de cannot. Hon. Mr. STEWART-Then my difficulties are considerably lessened.
HIS EXCELLENCY-I am rather inclined, and always have been, to make some concessions to the naval and military, but I think it is a thing on which I should like to have the opinion of the whole Legislative Council.
agree
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271
Mr. Wei Yuk, Hon. Dr. Ho Kai, the Captain Superintendent of Police, the Registrar- Gener- al, the Attorney-General and the General Officer Commanding,
Remission of part: Hon. Mr. Hewett, the Director of Public Works, the Colonial Trea-
surer.
No remission: The Colonial Secretary. Council then resumed.
The
ATTORNEY-GENERAL-This Bill has been fully debated. Great care has been given to it by the members of the unofficial body, and the fullest possible consideration to the amend- ments and arguments addressed on the Bill has been given by the Council. The matter of col- lecting revenue is urgent, and I would move that the Standing Orders be suspended.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion nas agreed to.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL then moved the third reading of the Bill.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the Bill was read a third time and passed.
BILLS POSTPONED. ·
The following resolutions included in the orders of the day were postponed:-
Second reading of the Bill entitled An Ordin- ance to authorize the Construction and Main- tenance of a Harbour of Refuge upon and over certain portions of the Sea Bed and Foreshore situated upon the Harbour frontage at Taikok- tsui, Mongkoktsui, and Yaumati, Kowloon, in this Colony.
Second reading of the Bill entitled An Ordin- ance to amend the Tramway Ordinance, 1902.
Second reading of the Bill entitled An Ordin- ance to amend the Liquor Licences Ordinance, 1898, and the Liquor Licences Extension Ordinance, 1908, and to repeal the Liquor Licences Amendment Ordinance, 1902.
Committee on the Bill entitled An Ordinance to set apart certain Crown Land to be used as a burial ground for persons professing the Christian Religion, other than members of the Roman Catholic Church.
Third reading of the Bill entitled An Or- dinance to amend the Malicious Damage Ordinance, 1855.
Third reading of the Bill entitled An Or- dinance to relieve the Governor-in-Council of certain duties.
HIS EXCELLENCY-Council will now adjourn sinc die.
THUNDERSTORM FATALITIES.
The short but severe thunderstorm which passed over the Colony on Tuesday afternoon did considerable damage to property as well as persons. causing injury or death to a number of A coolie while shovelling coal on a cargo boat at Yaumati was struck by lightning, severely died almost instantly. The burned, and same flash of lightning struck another coolie. engaged on the same work, and he fell to the ground unconscious, but recovered shortly afterwards. On the praya at West Point another native was struck dead. A driver on one of the
car was ascending to the Peak, while a soldier at Mt. Austin Barracks was knocked down, but uninjured.
only on the understanding that they are not to sell liquor to civilians ontside. That is to safe-Peak cars had his hand severely burnt as the guard against a soldier going into à canteen, buying a bottle of whisky, and handing it to a friend outside.
the proportion of the average amount of duty they would pay, and that was divided up according to rank afterwards. He thought that the Committee would perhaps take into consid- eration the fact that soldiers had to go where they were sent. It would be rather hard lines The COLONIAL SECRETARY-My opinion is the men who camo here to know that in all Imperial matters. the Imperial that they were the only soldiers serving Government should pay. No particular burden abroad liable to such duties. They were should be thrown on this Colony.
We pay drawing vero little
money-he did them a large military contribution per annum. not suppose any of them were making over 8/- a HON. Mr. HEWETT-Unnecessarily large. week and they had no opportunities of making The COLONIAL SECRETARY-If the soldier fortunes or getting away if they did not like does not get enough pay to keep himself in the place. Civilians who did not care for proper circumstances the Imperial Government Hongkong could leave by any steamer, but should raise it. That is nothing to do with us. the soldier had to stay. It was the same Hon. COLONEL DARLING-Ï don't way with the officers, but their case with that. was not as bad as that of the men, Hon. Mr. OSBORNE-I quite agree that mili- they could afford it. But all military tary and naval canteens should be exempt but and naval officers had to pay income tax at home, whereas people in this Colony, whether official or non-official, paid no income tax at all. Again, the mere fact of troops being quartered in a place resulted in a great deal of money being spent on food, forage, and other supplies. A great deal of War Depart- ment money was spent in this Colony, Hon. Mr. HEWETT-I think the proposal put and it all helped trade. He knew every forward by the General Officer Commanding body's sympathy was the other way, but he certainly must command our sympathy, but I must say that it seemed to him there were good for one consider that all liquor consumed in reasons why the soldiers should get off. The Hongkong should pay full duty, and I shall amendment he proposed was that, "The vote accordingly. probable average amount of duty payable HIS EXCELLENCY-I should like to have the on liquors consumed by officers, non-com-general opinion of members of this Council as missioned officers, petty officers and men of the to whether exemption, whole or part, should be army and navy in N.C.O. messes, institutes and made or not on intoxicating liquors consumed canteens should be determined by a mixed by the naval and military services. committee of three civilians nominated by His should say, let them pay their duties in Excellency the Governor, and three officers the ordinary way as everyone else does, nominated by the General Officer Commanding, and make a rebate afterwards. That gets and the sum thus arrived at should be paid over the difficulty of people going into monthly to the military or naval authorities for canteens. There are three alternatives: whether distribution among the men."
HIS EXCELLENCY-Any rebate or concession to be made to the military or naval services can be best made under such a system as the Com- manding Officer suggests. I should like to have the opinion of each individual member of the Council as to what the feeling is with regard to
Hon. COLONEL DARLING-They are not allowed to have whisky in canteens.
i
I
the whole military duties should be remitted or refunded; secondly, whether part should be; and thirdly, whether none should he..
These alternatives were put to the vote, the result being as follows
Remission of whole: Hon. Mr. Stewart, Hon. Mr. Osborne, Hon. Mr. Gresson, Hon.
Miss Webster, while bathing at Peitaiho, the China Times of 10th inst. says, got out of her depth, and being seized by current or tide, found herself in difficulties. Mrs. Rowland Wade, who was also bathing, went to her assistance, and the cries of both ladies brought to their aid the Rev. A. Bryson and Mr. Vliegenthat, while Mr. Sly, who was walking on the beach, also entered the water and swam in his clothes and boots to assist the ladies. Mr. Sly first reached them, and then Mr. Bryson and Mr. Vliegenthat came up. Miss Webster had sunk twice, and was unconscious, and Mrs. Wade was pluckily holding her up and keeping her head out of water. Mr. Bryson relieved her of this task, and took Miss Webs- ter ashore, while Mr. Vliegenthart and Mr. Sly, assisted Mrs. Wade to land, Mrs. Rowland Wade, however, was the chief heroine of the incident, it being to her prompt efforts in the first instance that Miss Webster owes the pre- servation of her life, and it is said that already steps have been taken to obtain for Mrs Wade the medal of the Royal Humane Society.
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