No. 12.
HONGKONG.
DESPATCH RESPECTING DIRECT TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HONGKONG AND SINGAPORE.
Presented to the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government.
Colonel The Right Honourable Fred. Stanley, M.P., to the Officer Administering the Government of Hongkong.
127
HONGKONG,
No. 5.
SIR,
DOWNING STREET,
13th January, 1886.
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Sir G. BowEN's despatch No. 366, of the 23rd of September last, urging that the desirability of providing direct telegraphic communication between Hongkong and Singapore should not be lost sight of by Her Majesty's Government.
2. My predecessor, in his despatch No. 115 of 1st May last, stated that the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury were not prepared to recommend Parliament to grant any subsidy for the purpose, and while, after careful consideration, I fully recognise the advantage, in a great degree political and commercial as well as military, of a direct cable to Hongkong, and am willing that the proposal should be further considered, I am not satisfied that the Imperial interests involved would justify the large annual outlay from Imperial funds necessary to provide even the half of the subsidy, amounting to twenty thousand pounds (£20,000), which the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company would require for laying and maintaining the proposed cable.
3. I am not aware whether more favourable terms can be secured from this or any other Telegraph Company, but before inviting the Departments of Her Majesty's Government to consider the scheme afresh, I desire to learn whether the Hongkong Government would be prepared to contribute a substantial portion, say one-fourth, or one-third of the required subsidy.
4. I am communicating with the Governor of the Straits Settlements, and also with the India Office, in order to ascertain whether the Straits Government and the Government of India would be prepared to contribute a proportion of the subsidy.
The Officer Administering the Government of
HONGKONG.
I have, &c.,
FRED. STANLEY.