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POINTS FOR CONSIDERATION
6. SUPREME COURT.
Average expense of salaries, contingencies, special disbursements, amounting to £8,500 or £10,000.
This establishment is upon a scale quite unsuited to a position like Hong Kong. Governor Davis said he expected the fees and fines would defray the charges of the department; they will not exceed £500 or £600 a-year.
With a few exceptions the civil and criminal business of the court has consisted of petty cases, which would be decided by the smallest bench of magistrates, or in many instances by a single police magistrate in England.
The formation of a bench of unpaid magistrates to act in ordinary criminal matters with the chief magistrate for chairman, and as a court of request for sums under £100 with the Colonial Secretary (a bar- rister) as chairman, would be an ample minor judicature for Hong Kong.
The Recorder at Singapore might have Hong Kong placed within his jurisdiction, and circuit made quarterly or half-yearly, as necessity arose, in the large monthly mail steam-packets.
The chief population at Singapore is Chinese.
Our merchants in Canton have long been in the habit of settling their differences by arbitration.
7. POLICE FORCE.
Police Superintendent, and Chief Magistrate, £9,000 to £10,000
a-year.
A bench of
The expense and management of this force ought to be transferred entirely to the inhabitants assessed to a police rate. unpaid magistrates, aided by the chief magistrate and Colonial Secretary would of course aid in supervising the police. It is supposed there are 1,000,000 dollars invested in buildings liable to assessment. Many of these were constructed in the hope that Hong Kong would become a commercial emporium; and now that these ideas are proved to have been visionary, the value of this sunken property has been and will be considerably deteriorated; indeed it is rumoured that some houses will be left uninhabited.
Estimating the assessable property so high as 800,000 dollars at 5 per cent., this would yield about £8000 a-year, for which a large police may be maintained. Time, however, can alone determine whether any police will prevent burglary, robbery, and piracy in Hong Kong. Judging from past experience the countless ladrones of China having numerous and almost untraceable and inaccessible haunts on the sur- rounding islands and the main land, will ever render property insecure in Hong Kong; and now that incendiaries are at work, and they are organising in bands with fire-arms, it is very probable life itself will be held in constant jeopardy and alarm.
8. HARBOUR-MASTER, AND MARINE MAGISTRATE DEPARTMENT. Average expense, about £2,000 a-year.
So long as there was a large fleet, with transports and other vessels
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rendezvous in Hong Kong during the war, the duties of this depart- ment were onerous and well performed. But now, when very few ships resort to Hong Kong, and the majority merely "look in for orders," the maintenance of an establishment on this scale is unnecessary. The duties of marine magistrate ought, as in other colonies, to be performed by the usual police and magisterial authority. The present harbour- master and marine magistrate has worked hard for nearly four years, and would make a useful officer at the Cape of Good Hope or Australia. His assistant is well acquainted with Hong Kong, Canton, and the neighbourhood, and if made harbour-master, with an efficient boat's crew, the charges might be reduced one-third their present amount.
9. REGISTRAR GENERAL.
Establishment about
£1500 per annum. This department is perfectly unnecessary, The registration of the Chinese inhabitants is a measure of police, and by that department it ought to be performed. The yearly census of the fixed inhabitants may be made in one week by the police superintendent; registration has not checked in the slightest degree, the resort of all descriptions of lawless vagabonds, thieves, and pirates, from the contiguous main land; neither has it tended to aid in the discovery of criminals or of stolen property, notwithstanding the large expenditure for police.
No fee is levied on registration. This £1500 a-year department ought not to have been created*.
Salary
10. COLONIAL SURGEON.
Contingencies, ordinary and extraordinary
Averaging per annum
£600
200
£800
The diminution of the Government establishments would require the abolition of this office.
The present and late colonial surgeons at Hong Kong, dearly earned their salaries, visiting the numerous sick in a burning sun, and at all hours.
The former surgeon resigned from ill health, being unable to sustain the requisite labour in such a climate; the persent excellent man is also much deteriorated in health, and deserves removal to some healthy colony.
Salary Contingencies
11. COLONIAL CHAPLAIN..
£700 50
£750
* Within the last month this very department has been confirmed by the Secre- tary for the Colonies, and gazetted; although the above remarks have been in the Colonial Office for several months.-R. M. M. March 10, 1846,
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