startled by the news than Mr. J. A. da Carvalho, a worthy Portuguese clerk in the Treasury, had been appointed Acting Colonial Treasurer with a seat on the Council. The appointment had, however, to be revoked, as it was found that Mr. Carvalho, being an alien, could not take the oath of allegiance. A similar surprise was sprung upon the Colony on 22nd January, 1880. The Hon. H. B. Gibb left the Colony on that day and, in the ordinary course of events, his seat in the Council would have been given again to Mr. H. Lowcock, who had returned from England; but, to the surprise of the community, Sir John gave the appointment to a Chinese barrister, Mr. Ng Choy (January 22, 1880). These two appointments were interpreted by the English community as attempts to gain the favour of the Portuguese and Chinese sections of the community, to create an anti-English party feeling, and to strengthen personal government. Some years later another vacancy in the Council was filled, in an unobjectionable manner, by giving a seat in the Council to Mr. E. R. Belilios, one of the two leading Indian opium merchants of the Colony, who had favourably distinguished himself as a Director of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank.
A proviso was added (May 23, 1877) to the Companies' Ordinance of 1865, that the amount to which shares may be reduced by subdivision shall in no case be less than one-fourth of the original share. With the approval of Lord Carnarvon the Bill (1 of 1877) was passed (June 21, 1877). This was the only legislative measure of the year 1877. Next year three very brief Ordinances were passed, viz. a Chinese Emigration (Special Licenses) Ordinance (1 of 1878), a Gaol Amendment Ordinance consisting of one paragraph (2 of 1878) and a Markets' Ordinance (3 of 1878). More work was done in the year 1879. Two Opium Excise Ordinances (1 of 1879 and 7 of 1879), an Amendment of the Emigration Ordinance (6 of 1879) and a bulky Merchant Shipping Consolidation Ordinance (8 of 1879) were passed in 1879, but had to be further amended in the year 1880. In the latter year a short Ordinance (6 of 1880), giving the French mail-steamers the status of men-of-war for twelve months.
