Colonial Office
Enclosure
Hongkong, 1882
The Committee by a majority recommend that the First Clerk receive the increase of 35 per cent. on the salary of the office in 1875, in addition to the quarters now occupied by him. The pay of the Fifth Clerk is on motion of the Chairman corrected to $432.
Item 20.-The Police Force.
The salary of the Captain Superintendent is adjusted in accordance with Despatch No. 203. Quarters 1875, $660; 1890, $840.
The Committee recommend that the pay of the First Clerk be increased 35 per cent. to $2,592 and of the Second Clerk by 20 per cent. to $1,584 as the increase granted in 1881 was avowedly to bring the salaries of the offices up to the rate given for many years previous to other First and Second Clerks in other departments, as reported to Secretary of State in Despatch No. 57 of 1881.
Recommended that the pay of the Chief Inspector be $1,560 the personal allowance of $120 being merged.
Item 21.-Gaol.
The pay of the Superintendent, being re-adjusted on the basis of the Despatch No. 203, becomes $1,566 and the personal allowance is merged.
The pay of the Warden is, calculating quarters in 1875, re-adjusted at $1,746.
Item 22.-Fire Brigade.
Agreed to, except that the Committee recommend by a majority that the sum of $1,170 be added as detailed in the Schedule attached to C.S.O. 1781.
Item 23.-Sanitary Board.
The Committee recommend by a majority that the pay of the Superintendent be fixed at $3,600 the personal allowance being merged. Chairman recommends by command that the item for scavenging be increased to $29,000.
Item 24.-Charitable Allowances.
Agreed to.
Item 25.-Transport.
Agreed to.
Item 26.-Miscellaneous Services.
Agreed to.
The vote for other Miscellaneous Services is, by authority of His Excellency, raised to $5,000.
Family Remittances.
If the privilege of remitting is continued to those Officers who already possess it and whose increase of salary does not exceed 14 per cent., an extra sum of $2,000 will have to be added to this vote.
Item 27.-Military Expenditure.
The Committee by a majority recommend that the Military Contribution be reduced by £20,000 or $133,000.
Item 28.-Public Works, Annually Recurrent.
Agreed to.
28th November, 1890.
W. M. DEANE,
Chairman.
To His Excellency
THE OFFICER ADMINISTERING THE GOVERNMENT
AND THE HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
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Addenda by the undersigned Un-official Members to the Preliminary Report of the Select Committee appointed by His Excellency the Administrator to examine into the details of the Estimates for 1891 with a view to the reconsideration of the Salaries Question, the Public Works, and the Military Contribution.
MILITARY CONTRIBUTION.-The Un-Official Members recommend that the vote for £40,000 Sterling Military Contribution for the year 1891 be reduced by £20,000 or to £20,000.
The Council voted an increase of £20,000 Sterling in the Military Contribution to be paid by this Colony to the Imperial Government in respect of the year 1890, upon the assurance that the Garrison maintained in the Colony by the Imperial Government would, during the year 1890, be increased to over 3,000 men, of whom over 2,000 were to be Europeans.
The demand for an increased contribution, contained in the Despatch from the Secretary of State dated 20th January last, was based upon and accompanied by a promise to increase the Garrison, it being considered inadequate, to a strength that would enable a reasonable defence to be made.
The demand for an increased contribution was based solely on account of and in consequence of the proposed increase in the Garrison. It is proved beyond any doubt. There is no gainsaying this fact.
In the Despatch referred to, Lord KNUTSFORD states as follows:----
Para. 5.
The garrison in 1863-4 was estimated at 1,000 of all ranks, and its annual cost at £100,000. In 1885 the garrison numbered 1,445 of all ranks (exclusive of volunteers), "and its cost has risen to about 160,000l. a year, while the Colonial contribution has "remained at 20,000l.”
Para. 6. "The future garrison, including local regulars, but excluding militia and volunteers,
"will be approximately as follows:----
Imperial troops, 2,525 of all ranks.
Local regulars, 493
Para. 7. The cost of this garrison will be about 280,000l. a year and will consequently be "nearly three times as great as was the expense of the garrison in 1863 when the Colonial contribution was fixed. Her Majesty's Government, however, do not propose that the "contribution should now be increased in the same proportion, and will only call upon "the Colony to provide 40,000l. a year for each of the three years 1890-1-2, the Colony bearing in addition the cost of any militia and volunteers which it may raise, and the "contribution to be paid after 1892 being subject to re-consideration during these three years."
Para. 8. "You will remember that Lord DERBY's despatch, No. 213, of the 17th of September, 1884, enclosed with other correspondence a letter from the War Office of the 9th of September, which stated that "Lord Hartington considers that it should also be intimated to the Governor that the present arrangement as to incidence of charge only applies to the works now to be constructed and armed, and that the military contribution paid by the Colony will have to be reconsidered with reference to the increased garrison which may become necessary in consequence of these works, and "to the general defence of the Colony." And in now informing you of the amount "which Her Majesty's Government demand from the Colony as its contribution to the "increased garrison, I desire to draw your attention to the following considerations, "which have been duly weighed before that amount was determined,"
Para. 19. "I will only further point out in reference to the annual payments, what doubtless you will not have failed to notice, that the 40,000l. which the Colony will pay in each "of the next three years is only one seventh of the cost of the garrison, while the remaining six sevenths, 240,000l., will still be borne by the mother country."
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