2
only with the mouth of May 18446, this rendering 1845 the first integral year for which a return has been made. The heaviest items of expense the Police Establishments, and the Sudicial
are
Department, together amounting to nearly half of the entire Civil charges of the Colony .
I have already in my Despatch No: 35 of the 13th.
"the 13th Instant; suggested
one
la reduction
in the Surveyor General's Department, and, as opportunities other retrenchments may hereafter be effected .
occur
In the same Despatch, I have reported that while the sum voted in Parliament for the public service in China, (including the Consular Establishments) for
year 1845-46 was
£80,000, the actual
the
charges has been £64, 543. after deducting the Revenue raised in this Colony.
*
The Civil Expenditure on account Public Works of Public Works during 1845 has been ₤26,800,
224
while that under the Ordnance Department
appears as £57,007. Both of these are of course only temporary charges, incidental to anusly established Colony.
The progress of buildings and improvements, public and private, during the last eighteen months has been truly surprising, and could not have taken place except for the ready command of the cheap and efficient labour of the Chinese The execution of the buildings is such as can be rarely met with in any Colony. A good road now estends within five miles of the circumference of the island, 18 miles being completed out of 23, and another road crosses the island from Victoria to Stanley. The excellent contour Survey of Hongkong made by the Engineer Department leaves nothing to be desired on that point.
The drainage of the Town, so important
while
ove