I do not anticipate any such difficulties, constituted as the Legislative Council of Hong Kong is at present; but the principle appears to me to be unsound and if established might under a more popular form of Legislature be productive of much inconvenience which has of late been adopted in Hong Kong after much consideration.
The addition at the foot of Annual Estimates of the probable Expenditure during the year under the authority of all Permanent Appropriations, such as Water Works &c. and the Civil List-Pensions, with a bind to show at a glance the total probable Expenditure of the Colony under every head, but to take a vote in the Annual Appropriation Ordinance for sums only for such as have not already been specifically Appropriated by Legislative Authority. I should be glad to be informed if it is considered sufficient that this class of Expenditure should be appropriated annually.