145
No.
1
90.
HONGKONG.
DESPATCH RESPECTING INCREASED MILITARY CONTRIBUTION.
Presented to the Legislative Council, by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government.
Hong Kong.
SIR,
No. 8.
Downing Street,
20th January 1890.
REFERRING to previous correspondence respecting the fortificatious recently erected at Hong Kong and their armainent, I have now the honour to address you on the subject of the additional garrison required by those fortifications and on the incidence of its cost; matters to which Her Majesty's Government have given most anxious and careful consideration.
2. You are aware that in 1884 it was arranged that the Colony should con- struct the works, and that the Imperial Government should provide the armament, of the proposed defences. The cost was then estimated as follows:-
Works.... Armament
£
..55,625 ..37,500
the incidence being 60 per cent. to Colonial, and 40 per cent. to Imperial, revenues.
3. This estimate was subsequently increased to-
Works Armament
£ .116,000
.153,910
without including the submarine mining defences, which are estimated to cost-
Works.........
Submarine mining vessels and stores....
£
..9.017
..16.500
so that the total cost of the defences and the division of that cost will be as follows:
Colonial.
Construction of Works-Fortifications...
L ......116,000
Imperial.
Armaments
£ ...153,910
Submarine mining buildings, &c....................
..9,017
vessels and stores..
})
27
..46,500
-209,427
Total.....
.325,427
The incidence being 36 per cent. to Colonial and 64 per cent. to Imperial Revenues, as against 60 per cent. to Colonial and 40 per cent. to Imperial revenues contem- plated in 1884. It will be observed that in accordance with the original division of charge the Colony ought to repay the 9,0177. spent on submarine mining buildings.
4. Since 1865 Hong Kong has paid a military contribution of 20,000l. a year in aid of the cost of its garrison; and if you refer to paragraph 14 of the Colonial Office letter of the 25th of April 1863 to Sir Hercules Robinson, who was then in England, you will see that it was then intended that the amount of 20,000l. was