80
the
by their presence, inasmuch as the commercial development of the place would then be no longer "obstructed by the retention in the most eligible and valuable sites for commercial purposes, as Military Reserves." If there were let to the public, would derive great convenience, and an annual revenue would accrue to the Colony estimated at not less than £10,000 a year.
11.
To sum up the whole question then, it will be seen that throughout the entire correspondence which has been published, His Grace the Duke of Newcastle justifies the demand solely upon the ground that the presence of Her Majesty's Forces is necessary for "the security of the inhabitants and the trade of Hongkong." In opposition to this view, the local government, the Legislative Council, the Chamber of Commerce, and the entire British Community have now deliberately recorded their opinions, founded on local experience, that the presence of troops here is unnecessary for any purely local object, and it rests with Her Majesty's Government to decide what weight should be given to these local representations.