information required by their Lordships as early as possible. I have accordingly to request
from you at your convenience a Statement of the Expenditure which you have actually
incurred for the Colony of Hong Kong with the best estimate in your power of the expense which you will be compelled to incur for the first good of that Colony up to the 1st March next; in order that the Sanction of Parliament may be obtained to it. I would also request you to supply me with an Estimate of the probable Contingent Expenditure of the year ending 1 April 1865 in
Hong Kong in order that it may be submitted to Parliament with the Schedule of Establishments Enclosed in my Despatch of the 30 August.
With regard to the Establishments connected with the Offices of Supt. of the Trade in China, & Governor of Hong Kong, the Lords of the Treasury remark that it might be possible to reduce the expense by uniting the offices of the Secretaries of the two Departments. I have informed their Lordships in answer to this suggestion that I apprehend such a union might lead to confusion - but that as you had been directed to effect any retrenchments in the public
Expenditure which might appear to you compatible with the
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