Page:Europe in China.djvu/550

532 the Secretary of State, suggesting that the number of unofficial Members be raised to four or five. Next year (August 8, 1881) another unofficial Member was accordingly added (E. R. Belilios). The old complaint of insufficient time being allowed to unofficial Members, to examine the Estimates, was once more brought forward (August 31, 1880), and it was further arranged that, if any general discussion were thought desirable, it might be raised on the motion to go into Committee. The question of a proper system for reporting the debates in Council was also raised (August 23, 1881) by the unofficial Member who suggested the employment of an official short-hand reporter. Sir John promised to take the matter into consideration, but no such appointment was made. Another much needed suggestion was made by the Acting Chief Justice who moved (June 13, 1881) that the repeal, amendment and consolidation of a large number of the Ordinances in force in the Colony had become a work of urgent necessity. Sir John stated that he had placed the matter some time ago into the hands of the Attorney General, and steps would soon be taken to revise and consolidate the Ordinances.

As regards judicial matters, the admission to the local bar (May 18, 1877) of the first Chinaman (Ng Choy) who had adopted the law as his profession, deserves special mention. The admission to the bar of Mr. J. J. Francis (April 16, 1877) added new zest to the local displays of forensic eloquence. On the other hand, the departure from the Colony of the Chief Justice, Sir John Smale (April 11, 1881), and of the Queen's Counsel, Mr. Th. C. Hayllar (January 23, 1882) who had repeatedly served as Attorney General and Puisne Judge, deprived the Colony of two of its brightest legal luminaries. Among the cases tried in Court during this period, the interest of the community was specially attracted by the trial of two engineers of the coast steamer Yesso who were convicted (January 29, 1878) of manslaughter on account of the explosion of a boiler: by the Kate Waters case, in which three Malays were convicted and sentenced to death (May 13, 1879) having murdered their