Tue Legislative Council of Hongkong was prorogued on the 23rd of last month when the Acting-Governor delivered himself of a speech as long as a President's Message. It, however, serves the purpose of enumerating the Ordinances which have been passed during an unusually long session in which matters of great importance were discussed and settled. Some of these are of more than local importance; for instance, the Opium Ordinance and matters relating to the Colonial trade, while in the debates on the Health Ordinance and its provisions we may peradventure find some light that may serve for our own guidance in such matters. We are bound to say that the Council has done a great deal of work during last session; some of it rather difficult work, as it dealt with private interests, and invaded those most. sacred of all things in owners' eyes, the rights of property. The prolongation of the Session was mainly due to the discussion of what the Acting-Governor calls the long pending question the "Public Health Ordinance." The Opium Ordinance is, he says, working well and fully realising the anticipations of the Government in improving the friendly relations with the Chinese, while in we ways injuring the interests of the honest dealer. No friction or inconvenience to the Hongkong people has occurred and the Commissioner of Customs says that smuggling has been effectually stopped. Some time ago complaints were made that the Customs had greatly raised the duties on certain articles which are largely consumed in the Colony, such as salt fish, and we presume it is to s of the Chinese that the ting-Governor refers when he says his representations have been met in a friendly and accommodating spirit i collectorate. We st it is so and that all the expectations of the Hor government will be realised.
Among the measures relating to com-which have been passed by the Council is an ord the law of Joint Stock Companies has been amended and improved by the introduction into the Colony of the provisions of certain Imperial Statutes. Ordinance has been passed to enable the Government to take steps to suppress the Triad and other secret societies. The necessity for this Ordinance was made apparent to the Government by the Commission which was appointed to enquire into Secret Societies, which showed that these existed to a large extent in Hongkong, that they exercised great power, not only for their own benefit. but to the prejudice of the Colouyby the help they extended tocriminals. "This, with the whipping Ordinance should do good. Another Ordinance has been passed for the protection of adopted daughters and young girls, and in reference to it the Acting-Governor says that there are at present no less than 205 young girls, who are under the protection of the Registrar-General, most of whom, if not all, would have been brought up to a life of shame and immorality had it not been for the intervention of the authorities. The Acting-Governor expresses hope that the manner in which this Ordinance has been worked will have removed the fears with which it was at first viewed by the Chinese, and show them that the only object the Government had in view was to put an end to a shameful traffic and to protect those who cannot protect themselves. here are other social or domestic measures which have been passed, showing, with those we have cited, that the attention and time of the Council has been greatly given to these questions, on the efficient settlement of which so much of the well-being and health of a colony like Hongkong depends. While we are by no means inclined to stint our approbation of the manner in which the Council discharged its functions last Session, an extra meed of praise is due to the firmness with which General Cameron stuck to his colours, and so procured the passage of the Public Health Bill. Even at the last moment the unofficial members of the Council continued their opposition to the Ordinance, by voting mace against the third "eadliog even after the Government had agreed to the adoption of a clause suspending the operation of the measure until Her jesty's pleasure shall be known. The ion to the third reading was based on the Ordinance or its principal clauses having been solely passed by the votes ofofticial members. The fears of the unofficial members and of the property holders will we trust be proved groundless, The commercial and financial position of the Colony seems to be in a satisfactory condition. There is a large increase in the tonnage of shipping visiting the port; the population grows larger and building and reclamation operations con tinue and are being planed, and this pleasant state of affairs the Acting-Governor expects to continue, The Revenue bids fair to more than equal the estimates of it; the premiums on land sales which were expected to amount to $45,000 reached $81,717 in the first eight mouths of the year, which is significant of the manner in which building is either going on or being planned. The Acting-Governor is very well pleased with the results of the long Session, with the progress which is being made in such matters as extending the sewers and education, The completion of the great water supply scheme is near at land, the Tytam turnel being now open throughout, and the defences are so well advanced that when the guns arrive the forts under construction can be finished in a short time. We trust the guns will be satisfactory, and that the completed defences will prove that General Gordon was mistaken when he said the Colony could not be defended, Almost the final act of the Council in last Session was to vote $25,000 towards the celebration and commemoration of Her Majesty's Jubilee.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.