previously on my first arrival the~ ascertained figures of the Past and the course of present events led to the same conclusion as that which I had
previously expressed viz. that the Colony was fast approaching the time when
there would be "neither cash in the Treasury nor available funds in the hands of the Crown Agents?
6. I however see no reason for despondency. Such a state of things mainly denotes that some remedy must be devised. I had from the first expected to find the pecuniary condition of the Colony less prosperous than was generally supposed in England. There the large amounts realised by the sale of the principal lands of the Colony and the great wealth of the local Commercial Community had led to a slight popular confusion between the permanent revenue of the Government as such and the general prosperity of Hong Kong as a centre of Commerce.
Having been under that impression I therefore took the opportunity when visiting Singapore "en route" for China this year to inquire into the working of the Stamp Act there, which I found produced a large revenue with comparatively little inconvenience to the Public. I early made up my mind that an adequate resource might be found in a similar measure.