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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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[December 19, 1895.
Hongkong will gradually have to stop all public | as they wore theu. On the 19th March, 1891, effectively resist the dictation of the War works and improvements; otherwise the more it I said:The proceedings of the Imperial Gov. Office-
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-With regard. improves the colony (raising money to do so)ernment on the question are not characterised the more it will have to pay to the Imperial by reason or equity. I subunit they are arbi-to the statement about the War Office the hon. Government us military contribution. For trary and unjust. In my opinion they are cal-member must be aware that a despatch was these reasons, which I regret to have expressed culated to imperil good government and must laid on the table as far back as 1890 giving full
tend to weaken and impair the allegiance and particulars. so roughly, I beg to second the amendment.
Hon. E. R. BELILIOS-I mean the present Hon. A. McCONACHIE--Your Excellency. alienate the good will towards the mother conn- I beg to rise in support of the amoudmont try of one of the most loyal of Her Majesty's instructions from home. But there surely is no When colonies. There is a distinct breach of faith need to treat the colony so cavalierly as to proposed by the senor unofficial member.
on the part of the War Office, and a glaring spend the money first without reference and a few years ago our military contribution was
then calmly' present the bill for payment. It increased in one hound from £20,000 to £40,000 violation by the Imperial Government of a
solemn agreement of its own framing and deli-is excellent to have a giant's strength but it is per annum, we protested that the amonut was excessive and unfair. We also protested against berately entered into. It might be well for Her tyrannous to use it like a giant. I have put any sum we might be called upon to pay being Majesty's advisers to bear in mind that, as stated forward this suggestion to revert to the payment in sterling in the hope that it may be permitted, fixed in gold, on account of our income being in the Singapore Council the other day, loyalty is
as I regard it as an alternative in every a hardy plant that requires and demands a fair entirely in silver. In answer to our protest. and in order to settle these "roxed questions" field and no favour, and that under injustice sense preferable to accepting the percen- we are made what is termed a fair offer, viz.. loyalty withers. Against such unconstitutional tage proposed and I hope the suggestion will lead to some modification of what? we 171 per cent. on our entire revenue, less preminu doings and such a serious injustice to the tax-
think is an injustice to this colony. With on land sales. The offer is certainly a very fair payers of Hongkong as is now contemplated I
most earnestly and most emphatically protest. these remarks I beg to support the amendment. · and safe one. as I shall shortly prove, for the
His EXCELLENCY-Would any other member home Government, but it is quite the contrary | Possibly the Government could not carry this for this colony and I hope it may never he vote if all the official members voted in accordance like to say anything on the subject? If not I should accepted. If honourable members will kindly with their convictions on this subject, but what-like to make a few remarks in regard to my posi- ever their opinions may be they are allowed no tion in the matter. Whilst I very much regret refer to
3- of the Estimates it will be page
choice in the matter and will be required to vote!! that the Secretary of State has not seen fit to less revenue.
pre- there found that the
as Government directs them." That is what I make any concessions in the direction wished mium on land sales, for 1896, is estimated at
for by the unofficial members, I must regard the then said, and to-day I presume a similar course $2,218,366, and 17! per cent. on that sum
will be followed. My sympathy is with the despatch laid on the table as a definite instruc- makes our contribution S388215, and if we take this latter sum at exchange 21! it will give official members, yet I am glad to find that tion from the Imperial Government, and when I say that, I do not mean merely the your Excellency coincides with our views in the £41,247 16s. 10d. In other words, in answer
matter of the basis on which the 17% per cent. Secretary of State for the Colonies but the to our earnest appeal for some relief we are
It should be levied. To vote as we are now asked three Departments-the Colonial Department, called to pay £1.247 16s. Itd. more.
tha Treasury. upon is perfectly well known at home that the ex- to do will be to sound the death knell of the the War Department, and
future progress and welfare of the rulony of penditure of this colony is bound to go ou increasing, and in consequence more and more Hongkong, and, sir. I profest, and protest must revenue must, in proportion, be raised by emphatically against any such imposition. increased taxation to meet the increasing ex- Hon. E. R. BELntos- Your Excellency, the penditure, and the larger our revenue the more proposed exaction of 175 per cent. of our whole for military contribution to the we will have to contribute to the war chest, |
so iniquitous and and herein is to be found the safety of | Timperial Government is
I am convinged in the offer made, from the home point of view. | absurd--flaughter)—that The military contribution in itself we hold
the belief that no lody of business men could be is more than the colony can afford to pay, but
found in the world to accept the proposal. as if it were not enough a further demand for
Under the circumstances I beg to point out an barrack works is made upon us of one-third of
alternative. When our military contribution $1,338,536, or say 8446,178,66, to be spread over
was fixed at C4000 per annum it was pointed on that it yearly payments of about 44,000 for the next
was to be paid in sterling, and of these sums first when the 1891 ten years. Is there to be no finality to these
high, demands made upon us, and are the large sums
was remitted home, exchange
Now the colony had to pay for building the forts and the amount was about 8254,000. already forgotten - sums so large, that the
the last contribution, paid early this year. colony had to negotiate its first loan in order to reached in nearly 83571,000, an increase of some be able to pay them.
8117,000 Had exchange remained stationary we should have been content to go on paying the £10,000, as we then agreed with our eyes open, but the sudden decline in silver and the consequent angrientation of our military con-lowing result - tribution caused an outery and an agitation to | got the payment fixed in silver. The result of the movement is that, under the proposed arrange- ment to pay 171⁄2 per cent, of our whole revenue, we are now called upon to hand over 8988,000, we have ever sum actually larger than
The COLONIAL SECRETARY—I do not wish to interrupt. but I must call attention to the standing rules and orders—“A member may not read his speech."
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Hou. A. MCCONACHIE-- I am not reading my speech, but there are so many figures to quote that I must refer to my notes to give them cor- rectly. In the charge upon our public debt will be found a strong argument why all munici pal rates should be excluded from the 174 per
before. We have asked for bread cent. contribution. At page 7 of the Estimates paid we find that for 1896 we have to pay no less a
and the Imperial Government offer us a stoue. sum than $131,552.64 for interest and sinking Under the circumstances will it not be advisable fund during next year, and as the sinking fund
to revert to our old system of paying the con- from the un- is only charged for six months I presume this tribution in gold? ("No, no,” sum will be greatly increased in the following officials.) By adopting this course we should year. 17 per cent. on $131,533 is equal to
not only avoid the last increase of $17,000 in $23,021.77, and this other sum would interest
pay
the amount, but we should retain two con- and sinking fund ou S550,000, and by that sum
tingencies in our favour-namely, the possibility our debt is increased by our military contribu-
of a rise in exchange and that of an increase in tion, and all future public works will be in our revenue. Both of these contingencies I at creased in like proportion. Is it therefore all events regardļas highly probable of realiza surprising that we are alarmed and protest ?
tion, in the natural course of events, and No, and we mean to continue to protest, as those in a few years we might even be in the smarting under a feeling of injustice alone know position of having only $254,000 to pay, as how and until we gain that fair treatment, which
in 1891. On the other hand, if we adopt is our due and which in the end I feel sure will
the method suggested of making the contribu- not be denied us. All we ask for are terms the
tion a percentage on our revenue, we may by- same as have been offered to Singapore, and and-hye be expected to hand over half a million surely that is not too much.
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD –Sir, in the Finance
Committee a few of the arguments that could be brought forward I attempted to adduce. Three or four years ago, when the contribution for military purposes was increased from €20,000 to £40,000, the Imperial Government then re- quired that the colony should pay the £20,000 increase before the increase in the garrison was made, although the increase of the garrison was beld forth as the excuse for the increase of the contribution. The remarks I then made are very brief, and as applicable to the case to-day
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This is part of a great Imperial question, the details of which are perhaps not fully known tỏ - us. I have laid on the table all the correspondence I have had with the Secre- tary of State. Nothing has been suppressed. Everything I have written has been laid on the table, and I have pleaded the cause of the colony to the best of my ability. (Applause). I must ask you, however disagreeable to the hon. member for the Chamber of Commerce, to pass the amount included in the estimates until this question of percentage is absolutely de- I have listened with great finitely settled. interest to the speeches made and I have heard what has transpired in the Finance Committee, and I shall have a great deal of pleasure in forwarding a report of the debate and the alternative suggestion made by Mr. Belilios to the Secretary of State, and also, if you wish it, any further expression of your views you may But I must ask you now to desire me to send.
vote the amount put to the Council.
The amendment was then put with the fol-
AYES.
Hon. A. McConachie Hon. T, H. Whitehead Hou. 1. R. Belilios Hon. Ho Kai Hon.
P. Chater
Now. The Acting Captain Super-
intendent of Police
The Harbour Master The Director of Public
Works
The Acting Colonial Trea-
surer
The Attorney-General The Colonial Secretary The original question was then put and carried; the unofficial members voted in a body against it.
all
Hon. C. P. CHATER--Your Excellency, this vote now being passed, I beg to give notice that it is the intention of the unofficial members at early date to hand your Excellency a memorandum to be forwarded by your Ex- cellency to the Right Hon. the Secretary of State for the Colonies placing our case before him and asking him for a favourable considera tion.
His EXCELLENCY-I shall be very glad to do so
Council resumed.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-Sir, no change of dollars yearly to the War Office as our con-
having been made in Committee, notwithstand tribution towards the military expenses.
member for the Chamber of Commerce and hi think we are within our rights in asking to being the numerous amendments moved by the ho alluked to revert to the system of paying in gold, since the percentage proposed emanated references to the statements of irresponsib from the Straits Settlements and not from chatterers- Hongkong. With regard to the demand made upon the colony for money already spent in barracks, &c., I think it is unreasonable for the War Office to come down upon us for a vote without any previous intimation of the manner in which it was to be applied. It is unfor- tunately only too true that we are powerless to
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-Sir, I must pr test against that remark.
His EXCELLENCY-Do you mean what pe ple outside the Council have told you?
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD—I mean leadi members of the community and two heads departments.