December 19, 1895.]
will kindly state now, at this Council table, from whom he derived this information.
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD—I have it from leading members of the community.
The HARBOur Master-Name!
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-I challenge the hon. member to give names.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY--It is needless for me to comment on the manner in which the hon. member has accepted my challenge. I deny most emphatically that I have ever given expression to any such views.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Fegards a Municipal Council I have no belief in | that the possibility of such an institution. community is too small and the conflicting in-he terests of its members too great.
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we are not entitled
463
to have that
The principle applied to us. The first reason gives for feeling that this colony should be treated differently from Singapore is The only thing I do not regret leaving Settlements are only about 20 per cent. of the I leave the colony for a time with regret.] that the municipal. revenues of the Straits is the Sanitary Board as Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-Sir, I also have it hope before I return there will be some im-parison between the two colonies I could not a body, and Ĩ gross revenues, and that for the sake of com- from two Government officials, heads of depart-provement as to the individual members." ments.
I regard as municipal several of the items speci- respectfully submit these remarks are of such a The HARBOUR MASTER-Name!
fied nature that they should not have been included 30 per cent, of the revenue.*
which altogether amount to over Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-If I gave away the in the report on the department, and that they that we sent to the Secretary of State anything I am not aware sources of my information now I would be shut-might well have been left unsaid. Far be it for except what we consider items of municipal ting the door against myself, and would be de me to suggest that your Excellency should revenue; but surely the inclusion, even wrongly, priving myself of getting further information suppress any portion of Departmental reports, of any item under that head does not give the in the future.
as was done by the Government here in 1875. Secretary of State a right-or rather cannot But. sir, I think the ratepayers should not be induce the Secretary of State-to deprive us of. put to the expense of printing gratuitous and the benefits of legitimate exemptions. Sup- irrelevant remarks of the kind I have quoted. posing any item not to be properly included in Again the hon. member failed to get a the amount making up the difference between secouder and the vote was passed.
20 and 30 per cent., it does not militate against the principle that we have a right to ask the Secretary of State to have our local revenue kept purely for local purposes, free from the liability of having to contribute towards the military expenditure. Then, again, the second reason which the Secretary of State gives is that in that colony also the municipalities contribute about $72,000 to the general revenue for police purposes." Now it appears to me that what he means is that Singapore having contributed something towards the general Straits revenue for police expenses in certain localities which the municipality could not well reach, for that they have their municipal re- purposes. Now, in Hongkong, we have en- reune exempted from the calculation for military trusted too much, in fact, entrusted every. thing, to the Government; and therefore we shall not have that exemption. I suppose the moral is that we had better have સ Municipal Council for ourselves, and then if we like to entrust certain municipal duties to the
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The Military Contribution. The vote for 8440,215 for Military Expen- diture was the last item in the Estimates upou which discussion was raised.
Hon. C. P. CHATER--Sir, as the Chairman of the Finance Committee has already informed you this vote was not agreed to by the un- official members. by me, and the reasons for bringing it forward An amendment was proposed
were given at the Finance Committee. I there fore now will again propose the amendment:
That this vote be reduced to
17 per cent. of the general revenue of the colony less the proceeds of land sales and items of municipal revenue. the items of which to be adjusted between the Imperial and the Colonial Govern ments."
Hon. Ho KAI-Sir, I rise to second the amendment of my hon. friend, and in doing so unjust wish to add my emphatic protest against the
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD (resuming)-I would direct the attention of the Council to the Parliamentary report of 1847, more particularly to a paragraph thereof on page 9. The Select Committee of members of Parliament who thon enquired into Hongkong affairs recommended: That a share in the administration of the ordinary and local affairs of the island should be given by some system of Municipal Govern- ment to the British residents." If there was need for a Municipal Council 3 years ago, there is urgent pressing necessity for it now as the Imperial Government have decided to annex 17 per cent. of our municipal taxes in future for Imperial purposes. The Municipal Council of Shanghai is composed of business men, its government is of an exceptionally high order, excelled nowhere in the world, and only very seldom equalled. In its past history Hongkong has had amongst its business men those who have rendered eminently valuable and important public services. I refer to such men as Sir Thomas Sutherland. Mr. Richard Rowett, the late Mr. Bulkely Johnson. Mr. Wm. Keswick, the late Mr. Phineas Ryrie, aud others of whom any community might justly feel proud. Sir, in speaking in this Conncil. shortly after your Excellency's arrival, on the subject of increased representation in the legis lature, I said: The hurried legislation in question undoubtedly caused friction. but we rejoice to find that during the short period your Excellency has been here we have had repeated proofs of your desire to meet the wishes of the public. The colonists therefore with wery reason look forward to good results from our rule, but if I may be allowed to offer a uggestion I think a majority of the unofficial found that we were wrong in our belief. Even also for that reason be included. I do not see
1embers would be a further advantage to the olony. I therefore venture to sincerely hope hat before your Governorship has expired your xcellency will have secured for Hongkong hat our late lamented friend and former overnor Sir John Pope Hennessy obtained r Mauritius, viz., a majority of unofficial embers in the Legislative Council. Mauri. us is not the only British Crown Colony so voured. The other day British Honduras ceived a majority of unofficial members in its gislative assembly. If Manritins and British Induras are so trusted, surely this loyal and >gressive colony is fairly entitled to similar sideration. Should your Excellency not be posed to concede a majority, let the number be official and unofficial members be equal, all the unofficial meinbers elected by the ular voice and not as at present mostly by rernment nomination." I sincerely hope the vernment will reconsider their decision and I lay a copy of the papers on the table. ore cannot be anything in them to conceal, should any mistakes have crept into them sooner they are rectified the better. here being no seconder the vote was passed. e Colonial Surgeon and the Sanitary Board. on. T. H. WHITEHEAD-I beg to reduction of this vote by the sum of $100. so with great reluctance. Notwithstand my old friendship with him, and my high eciation of his long and valued services, I it my duty to direct the attention of the cil to certain remarks in the Colonial eon's report for 1894. They are as ws:-"As a compulsory member of the d words are insufficient to express my dis-
at, in any way, being a part of it.
move
As
His EXCELLENCY What was that? I did not quite hear.
Hon. Ho Kar---Against the unfair and un- reasonable exaction that is sought to be imposed on the colony, that is to say, 17 per cent. on all revenue, including municipal rates, for the pur- poses of military contribution. When we heard at first the proposal to accept 174 per cent. of the colony's rereune R our military con- tribution We thought that the 174 per cent. would be levied rather glad, because we
municipal portion of the colony's revenue, as on the general revenue only, not including the in the case of Singapore. We were very minch disappointed when we received the despatch of the Right Hon. the Secretary of State and
were
that the home authorities had charged the 17 then we hoped that it was only by an oversight
the colony instead of making an exception of per cent. on the whole of the gross revenue of the municipal portion of it. united letter to the Secretary of State, and that We addressed a letter met with your Excellency's kind support, and it was hoped that as we had your support he would see the matter from our point of view: from him. refusing to make the exception but instead of that we have received a despatch
which we asked for. He has given certain rea- sons in this despatch to support the conclusions despatch he says that he trusts that on he has arrived at, and in the last part of the further consideration the members of the Legislative Council will agree that this formis a fair and reasonable settlement of the question; but since we received this despatchi have and over again, and considered the subject well and thoroughly, over we certainly could not agree that it formed anything like a reasonable with, I may state that I do believe that the or fair settlement of the question. To begin
| period, the end of the nineteenth century, would Secretary of State, as well as every man at this
agree that in principle it is wrong at any time revonue, which ought to be appllel for purely to levy contributions from any purely local local purposes, to levy contributious for Im- perial purposes or for anything of side of local needs. I do not think the Secretary of State would dispute that principle at all: but while he considers on the one hand that Singapore is entitled to the exemption of its municipal revenue from the calculation of 17 per cent., he on the other hand, taking into his considera- tion matters of minor importance, argues
Government we shall be treated like the Straits Settlements and have the municipal revenue exempted. I do not think this is a cogent reason why we should not be placed on a par with the Straits Settlements. The third and last reason stated by the Secretary of State in his
despatch is that the Straits Settlements, being nearly fifty times larger than this colony, are more difficult and more expensive to govern, while the general revenue is only about three times that of Hongkong: and Hongkong being very much more populous in propor. tion to arca and more easily governed, there- fore we must pay a larger amount of military contribution, and our municipal revenue will
kong is a smaller place and more populous- any reason in that at all. Just because Hong-
just because wo have a smaller area and also a fifty times more populous in proportion-and
more perfect system of water supply and drain- age and all that sort of thing-though we have to borrow money and incur large debts to pay for all this-and just because we have a splendid Central Market bringing in a very large amount
have our municipal revenue laid under the con- of interest on the capital we expended for that reason aloue we should contribute more and
tribution.
His EXCELLENCY-But we have a far larger military and naval force in Hongkong than in the Straits.
Hon. Ho KAI-Yes, but for Imperial pur- poses. I quite agree that if the colony produces a million or two million dollars more revenue than we get now, it is still fair that we should have to pay 174 per cent. of it. That might increase to two or three lakhis--I should be glad million dollars as its 173 per cent. (Laughter and if the time would come for Hongkong to pay a
have to borrow and spend, whether on the sani- applause). But what I say is that the more we
tary department or the water supply or new colony, we shall require a larger amount of roads or anything else for the good of the money, and we must borrow the money and pay interest on the loans unless we happen to have surplus onough to defray everything. Now, we cannot do that in future without some of the works returning to us some amount of interest or profit; but this return will be insufficient to meet interest on the loans and sinking fund as well as the 17 per cent. military contribu- tion. So the effect of that policy will be that
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