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but over Works and other expenses connected with this Department, they have no control,
As I have 010
ard ordered, completed and paid for the Governor being in any ways 6 consulted.
Under the head of Legislation, the Legislation Ordinances were passed during the year 1848, No. 1 providing for the manufacture and storage of Gunpowder within the Colony, and without Victoria, and No. 2 to amend Ordinance No. 13 of 1845, and establish two more Ghaut Serangs annually, according to the requirements of the place. These two Ordinances have been fully reported on in my Despatches Nos. 73 and 74 of the 15 September last. Those Rules of Court, providing for the execution of writs of Capias on persons out of Hongkong, and the other for the employment and remuneration of Interpreters to the Supreme Court, were submitted and passed within the year, and have been since approved of by Your Lordship.
Population.
7. The Population Return for 1848 amounts to 21,514, exclusive of Koops; and when compared with that for 1847, we find the following results:
1847 1848 Increase Decrease Europeans 603 642 39 Portuguese 264 321 57 Indians and Malays 539 213 326 Chinese 22,466 20,338 2,128 Total 23,872 21,514 2,454I have abundly had occasion to observe to Your Lordship that a large proportion of the Chinese residing in Hongkong are migratory, and that they resort to the Colony in proportion to the amount of labour that is required for the erection of buildings, the construction of roads, and other works – public and private.
The decrease therefore of 2,128 Chinese in 1848, is to be