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7.
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Chinese population, I think no impartial observer can fail to see how favourably Your Excellency's considerate and sympathizing policy towards the Chinese has operated upon the trade of the place!
In alluding to Mr. Johnson's remarks I was able to illustrate what I have all along insisted on, that the interests of the Chinese and of the Foreign traders are not opposed, that, on the contrary, each must share in the general prosperity of the Colony.
I did this by referring to the return of dues, the only revenue tax in this Colony on Foreign Shipping. The sum collected in 1880 was $18,095 as against $15,438 collected in 1879. As this tax is but one cent a ton, the increase in our revenue under this head, of $2,657, indicated an increase of over a quarter of a million tons of Foreign Shipping. Few Colonies can point to such prosperity in the Foreign Shipping trade in a single year.
Your Lordship will see that these references to the financial results of 1880 tend to support the favourable estimates of revenue prepared by Mr. Comachy, when Acting Colonial Treasurer, for the coming year. He anticipates a Colonial revenue of $1,131,860 in the year 1881.