22
Revenue, more particularly
particular
P
acts
regards
one
item on which I
may
have to separately address Your Lordship, always-
remaining
in the same
healthy condition as it-
has been of late.
I have the honour to be, My Lord,
Your Lordship's Most obedient
Humble Servant,
Fern ing
Enclosure 1.
0.
8317
Rec'd 1 MAY 30
• Evolutions by the Unofficial Members
of the Legislative Council of Hongkong
The first resolution is:- That this Council, while recognising the justice and fairness of the demand made upon the Colony for an addition to the Military Contribution, desires to place upon record the fact that the vote authorising the additional payment has been passed by the unanimous voice of the Members, Official and Unofficial, in the belief that the proposed increase in the strength of the troops stationed here is essentially necessary for the safety of the Colony and with the full assurance that the force mentioned in the appendix to the Secretary of State's despatch of the 20th January, 1890, 3,018 men of all ranks, of whom 2,525 are to be Europeans, will be present in the Colony within the year, and will be retained here.”
The second resolution is:- "It is the unanimous hope of this Council that as the additional moneys voted have been asked for and granted as the Colony's contribution to an increased garrison and principally, if not entirely, because of the proposed increase, no demand will be made by the Imperial Government for the payment therefor until the strength of the garrison has actually been raised to the full extent of the figures in the Secretary of State's despatch, and that, if any additional payment is demanded before that point has been reached, it should be proportional to such increase as shall from time to time be made in the force stationed in the Colony."
295
27th March, 1890.
The third resolution is:-
"That in the opinion of this Council the attention of the Secretary of State should be directed to the fact, to which no reference is made in Lord Knutsford's despatch of the 20th January, 1890, that the Military Departments are in the occupation of rather more than 337 acres of land in this Colony, of which 84 acres are in the City of Victoria; that these 84 acres are situate in the very centre of the town and are, at the very lowest, of the value of Three millions of Dollars, representing a revenue in the shape of Crown Rents and Taxes of $30,000 a year lost to the Colony, and that this being so it is earnestly hoped that no further demand will be made on the Colony in respect of Barrack Expenditure, referred to in paras. 2, 21, and 22 of the despatch above-mentioned, at all events unless the land in the centre of the town be given up by the Military Authorities, as has been suggested, in exchange for other sites nearer the batteries."
The fourth resolution is:-
"That His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government be requested to forward a copy of these Resolutions to the Secretary of State with a view to their being laid before Her Majesty's Government."