230
Office
on a
account of the Hongkong
Military Contribution, without receiving special instructions
on
each occasion:
I shall endeavour to keep the Agents
in funds to
carry
out Your Lordship's
instructions. I may however, observe that
the
new
Regulation entails practically
coming into
force during the first year of its coming into force five Quarterly payments within 366
days.
as hitherto the delays necessary for
remittance of Bills,
even
though sent
immediately on the expiration of a Quarter, together with the time required to mature those Bills, consumed on an
average three months. so that as
appears
from the letter (8 March) of the Crown Agents they would probably not have
paid till the end of March the £5000 due
for the Quarter ended 31st of December.
During 1869, and
366
days
as I have above remarked, they will
now pay the contribution for the last Quarter of 1868, and also for the 4 quarters of 1869
Nevertheless in the present state of the finances, and unless projected Public Works could be carried out,
the
case may
be, I see no
grounds to expect that it will be more rapidly than is
inconvenient from having to provide as it
above explained
were the extra £5000, as
I have the honor to be,
My Lord,
Your Lordship's most obedient,
humble servant,
Rutherford
Alcock
Governor.