illness
including illness and extreme pressure
of business have prevented
my
drawing
up such a report of the Colony's present position and such
analysis of the
events and transactions affecting it during 1868, as I had hoped to complete before this.
Can no
longer, however, detain
the Blue Book, and, therefore, forward
it in the hope that I
may be able
to send an
explanatory despatch in
time to be printed for circulation with
some of the
more
important Returns
appended to it.
As elucidating the financial position of the Colony I bring to notice the
statement which I laid before the
Legislative Council last September, as
it deals with
a variety of
subjects interesting locally. It is right, however, to remark that since framing
that financial statement I have received instructions from Your Lordship greatly limiting the amount to which the Special License Fund is available for The Police Force.
On the whole I see reason
for congratulation that during a period of unexampled Commercial depression in China this Colony has managed,
so far as its public finances are concerned to emerge from a state of insolvency to one of assured stability, without leaving a single claim
Page 609
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