Page:Europe in China.djvu/549

Rh was passed and thenceforth annually re-enacted. A Naturalization Ordinance (4 of 1880), giving a European resident (E. J. Eitel) the privileges of a British subject within the Colony but not elsewhere, having been approved by the Queen, was in subsequent years followed by an annual batch of such Ordinances, as Chinese residents now began to attribute great value to such naturalization, limited as it is. A few more Ordinances were passed in the year 1881, dealing with Macao Extradition (1 of 1881), the Census (2 of 1881), the naturalization of Chinese (5 to 10 of 1881), banishment and conditional pardons (12 of 1881) and a fresh Amendment of the Companies' Ordinance (14 of 1881). Finally, in January, 1882, a Tramway Ordinance (1 of 1882) provided for liberty to establish tramways all along from Westpoint to Shaukiwan and from St. John's Place to Victoria Gap.

But although the legislative work done by the Council during this period produced comparatively little fruit, there was much in the way of leaves and the leaves were prickly. The Council meetings were not frequent but lengthy, the attention of the Members being largely occupied by Sir John with exhaustive laudations of the financial, commercial and industrial progress of the Colony. Frequently also the time of the Council was monopolized by polemical debates on assumed local race prejudices, on the proper treatment of Chinese criminals and on the general principles of Sir John's policy. Instead of making the most of those points on which all were agreed, these discussions only served to bring into prominence, and to widen year by year, the breach which the Governor had created in the relations existing between him and the European community. As to the constitution of the Council, the Hon. Ph. Ryrie (February 26, 1880) brought forward the question whether the Governor would recommend an addition to the number of unofficial Members, on the ground that the proportion of three unofficial to five official Members (beside the Governor) was unsatisfactory. Sir John stated that he had already made the same recommendation to