No. 1.
Speech of His Excellency the Governor at the opening of the Session of the Legislative Council of Hongkong,
3rd December, 1884.
HONOURABLE GENTLEMEN OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,
I have much pleasure in opening this Session, and in inviting your co-operation in its labours and duties.
2. Full information with regard to the Financial position of the Colony at the present time will be laid before you in the Report of the Colonial Secretary and Auditor General. The political and other complications which have now for a considerable period affected generally this quarter of the globe and especially the neighbouring Empire of China, have exercised an injurious influence on trade and commerce, and consequently on the resources of this community. It is, however, believed that this depression will prove to be only temporary, and that the restor- ation of peace will restore the elasticity of the public revenue. Meanwhile, it will be necessary to practise a prudent economy. A list of the Public Works proposed and commenced will be submitted for your consideration; and I request, that you will report which of those works should, in your opinion, be pushed on and which postponed. Your local knowledge and experience will prove of practical advantage in enabling my Government to arrive at a sound decision on this point. It may become expedient, moreover, to revise the Estimates for 1885.
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3. In opening the last Session, I informed you that the necessity of strength- ening the Military Defences of this important Naval and Military Station and great mart of commerce had been urgently represented to the Imperial Government. Without referring to the value of the other and manifold interests, both Imperial and Colonial, which are at stake here, I reminded you that Official Statistics show that the tonnage of the shipping entered at the Port of Hongkong in the year 1883, exceeded five millions of tons; that is, it exceeded the tonnage of the shipping entered at the Port of London in 1843, the year in which Hongkong was annexed to the British Crown. At the present day, the shipping of Hongkong exceeds that of all Ports in the United Kingdom with the exception of London and Liverpool. The value of the property of every kind in this community is estimated at not less than twenty millions sterling; and this is without taking into account the Naval and Military Arsenals, Stores, and Barracks. The Imperial Government has determined to proceed with the completion of the four principal Forts which are deemed by the Military Authorities to be necessary for the protection from hostile attack of this City, with its harbour and shipping
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