I have received representations of the prospects of Hong Kong from various sources, but the prosperity of the colony can be best judged by the trade returns.
I therefore, not without some hesitation, submit the trade returns for the year 1855. The total value of imports and exports is not very different from that of 1854, except in one particular - Land Revenue, which shows a falling off of £12,000.
Perhaps the Collector of Revenue may be able to account for this decrease. But if it arises, as one is tempted to suspect, from eligible land having become scarcer, then we have to expect a permanent diminution of income, and our calculations may prove delusive indeed.
Recent events, affecting only the last two months of the year, cannot have had any serious influence. I hope this matter will be at once investigated as far as possible when you have seen this. In the meantime, I will, if you please, examine further into the subject with the assistance of former returns.
I think the decrease is mainly due to the fact that there were some very large sales of land for building sites in 1855.
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Here is the revised response in HTML format as requested:I have receivd representations of the prospects of Hong Kong from various sources, but the prosperity of the colony can be best judged by the trade returns.
I therefore, not without some hesitation, submit the trade returns for the year 1855. The total value of imports and exports is not very different from that of 1854, except in one particular - Land Revenue, which shows a falling off of £12,000.
Perhaps the Collector of Revenue may be able to account for this decrease. But if it arises, as one is tempted to suspect, from eligible land having become scarcer, then we have to expect a permanent diminution of income, and our calculations may prove delusive indeed.
Recent events, affecting only the last two months of the year, cannot have had any serious influence. I hope this matter will be at once investigated as far as possible when you have seen this. In the meantime, I will, if you please, examine further into the subject with the assistance of former returns. I think the decrease is mainly due to the fact that there were some very large sales of land for building sites in 1855.
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