377
No. 93
25
HONGKONG.
REPORT ON THE BLUE BOOK AND DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS FOR 1892.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor, on the 17th July, 1893.
1.-TAXATION.
(1) The Assessed Rates were raised by Government Notification No. 299 to 10% %% in a portion of the Hill District and to 82% in Yaumati, Kowloon Point, and Hunghom.
(2) A new Scale of Fees and percentages to be taken in the Supreme Court, to come into force on 1st January, 1893, was approved by the Legislative Council on the 30th November, 1892.
(3) An alteration in the Scale of Fees to be levied in Distraints for Rents was made under Ordi- nance 15 of 1892.
2. REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE.
The Revenue amounted to $2,236,933.37, or excluding premiums from Land Sales and Water Account to $2,032,244.10; and the Expenditure amounted to $2,342,837.26, including Extraordinary Works; excluding these, to $1,882,474.49.
Year.
The Revenue and Expenditure for the past five years have been :-
Revenue. Premia from Land.
Ordinary Expenditure.
1888,...$1,557,300.03 $160,688.64 $1,461,459.64
Extraordinary Expenditure, including Defensive Works.
Water Account. Water Account.
Receipts. Expenditure.
$530,870.03
1889,... 1,823,549.13
154,725.60
1,459,167.16
374,551,63
•
1890,... 1,995,220.47
16,638.80
1,517,843.05
397,507.42
1891,... 1,907,054.43
51,761.47
1,868,073.26
514,526.39
$66,486.61
1892,... 2,032,244.10
121,828,84
1,882,474.49 377,502.34
82,860.43
$66,486.61 82,860.43
3.-LOCAL REVENUES.
The Chinese inhabitants contributed in 1892, by voluntary assessment among them- selves, to the pay of the District Watchmen,..
and received from the Government for the same object a grant-in-aid of
4.-ASSETS AND LIABILITIES.
On the 31st December, 1892, the assets of the Colony exceeded its liabilities by. The surplus assets in:-
$ 191,512.29 (a)
.$ 631,374.08 (b)
$ 360,649.76
.$ 505,109.87 .$ 309,732.25
1886 the liabilities exceeded the assets by 1887 the surplus assets were
1888
Do.
1889
Do.
1890
Do.
1891
Do.
$ 231,177.51
(c) 1892
Do.
$ 35,105.87
5.-PUBLIC DEBT.
Amount of Sinking Fund, £42,758 78. 7d.
$7,430.17
2,000.00
.....$35,105.87
No new loan was raised.
Amount of present Loan, £200,000.
6. MILITARY EXPENDITURE.
The Military Expenditure (inclusive of the Volunteer Corps) defrayed by the Colony during the last seven years has been as follows:-
1886,
1887.....
1888.
1889,
1890,
1891
}
1892.
1
Military Contribution, exclusive of
Defensive Works, and
inclusive of Volunteer Corps.
$124,561.68
$128,815.63
$134.594,68
Defensive Works.
$217,901.45 $258,444.28
$ 62,115.90
Defensive Works.
£39,230. 0.0
£43,710. 7.6
£10,036. 4.0
$ 63,753.73
£9,678.14.5
$123,616.96
$ 5,082.92
£
832, 1.1
$421,002.01 (@) $269,005.27
$ 20,005.45
•
$134,261.12
£3,102. 1.7
(a) In the years 1886-91, the liabilities on Bist December did not include salaries and local Departmental charges for the mouth of December. (b) A loan of £200,000 having been raised during 1887 to be paid off on the 1st of March, 1907.
(c) In 1892 there were 13 monthly payments.
(d) The Military Contribution was doubled from 1st January, 1890, and the arrears for 1890 were paid in 1891.