374
No. 64.
MY LORD,
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
HONGKONG, 17th March, 1890.
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Your Despatch, No. 8, of the 20th of January which, in accordance with Your Lordship's instructions, I have laid before the Legislative Council.
2. I informed the Council that it would be my duty to move for a Vote for the future Military Contribution to be paid by this Colony without any unnecessary delay, and it is my intention to do so at an early date.
3. I will not fail to inform Your Lordship so soon as the question has been debated and decided.
I have the honour to be,
My Lord,
Your Lordship's most obedient,
humble Servant,
The Right Honourable
No. 82.
Lord KNUTSFORD, G.C.M.G.,
&c.,
&c.
&C.,
F. FLEMING.
#
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
HONGKONG, 1st April, 1890.
MY LORD,
Referring to my despatch, No. 64, of the 17th March, I have the honour to inform Your Lordship that the increased Military Contribution from this Colony, as asked for in Your Lordship's Despatch No. 8 of the 20th of January last, was voted at a meeting of the Legislative Council held on the 26th ultimo.
2. On the receipt of Your Lordship's Despatch, I at once laid it before the Council, stating that, while desirous of giving to every member a reasonable oppor- tunity of perusing the arguments contained in it, it would be necessary for me to move for the vote without any unnecessary delay. In the following week I accord- ingly stated that at the next meeting of Council the vote would be asked for.
3. A few days after I did so, the Un-official Members expressed a desire to see me on the question, in order to intimate to me the course they proposed taking with reference to the vote. I expressed my willingness to see them whenever convenient, and they accordingly had an interview with me. They then informed me that, after having given the question their best consideration, they had arrived at the conclusion not to oppose the vote, provided the Official Members would agree to the substance of certain resolutions which they had prepared and which they submitted to me.
I stated that I felt sure it was the desire of Her Majesty's Government that the vote asked for should be agreed to without any such division of opinion as would require the official votes to be recorded in opposition to those of the Un- official Members, and if I could see my way to bring about an unanimous agreement in the Council, I should be very glad. I went on to say that I could not give an answer to what was asked me without taking time to consider, and that as the