THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 7TH DECEMBER, 1895.
6. With respect to the question of barrack accommodation, the Unofficial Members, as will be seen from their reply, are quite prepared to consider any vote that may be brought forward to defray the cost of such buildings as have not yet been commenced, but they are opposed to voting the moneys required for buildings already erected, as "the ratepayers will very much resent being called upon to "pay for works which, without any reference to them or their representatives, "have been already completed or are nearing completion."
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7. The arguments, advanced by the Unofficial Members regarding the exemption of the municipal items from contributing towards the military expendi- ture, appear to me to be reasonable and worthy of favourable consideration.
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The Right Honourable
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I have the honour to be,
Your Lordship's most obedient,
humble Servant,
WILLIAM ROBINSON,
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, M.P.,
Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State
for the Colonies,
&c.,
Governor.
&C.,
&c.
Enclosure 1.
(Unofficial Members, Legislative Council, to Colonial Secretary.)
23rd August, 1895.
SIR.
We have given our most careful consideration to your letter of the 2nd instant, addressed to the Senior Unofficial Member, in which you transmit the proposal of the late Secretary of State for the Colonies with regard to the military contribution to be paid by the Colony, and would beg to submit certain consider- ations in this connection.
1. The amount fixed by the Secretary of State, viz., 17% on the revenue would of the Colony, with the exception of land sales and the premia on leases, appear to be based on that of the contribution to be paid by Singapore, which is also 17% Permit us, however, to point out a fact, which may have escaped the notice of the Secretary of State, namely, that the revenues of the two Colonies are on a somewhat different basis, for Singapore has a Municipal Council, and so a distinct municipal revenue, which is exempted from the military contribution, while in Hongkong the figures of the municipal, and of the rest of the revenue, are shown together. It does not appear clear to us from the Secretary of State's despatches whether he recognizes the existence of this difference, as he seems to include the municipal revenue of Hongkong in the amount on which the 17% has to be paid. Against this we must protest, and we would beg to lay before him some most important considerations against such a proceeding.
We consider that the municipal revenue of Hongkong should be treated on the same footing as that of Singapore, the more so, because most of the important municipal works of Hongkong have been paid for by means of loans. From many of them we derive a considerable revenue, out of which we have to find the interest on the loans and provide a sinking fund; and it seems hardly reasonable to ask us at the same time to do this, and also to be paying for the military contribution 171% of these revenues.
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