324 Jan. 90
cops
Hong Kong.
W... Hkey
952
403
No. 8.
SIR,
Downing Street,
20th January 1890. REFERRING to previous correspondence respecting the fortifications recently erected at Hong Kong and their armament, I have now the honour to address you on the subject of the additional garrison required by those fortifications and on the incidence of its cost; matters to which Her Majesty's Government have given most anxious and careful consideration.
2. You are aware that in 1884 it was arranged that the Colony should construct the works, and that the Imperial Government should provide the armament, of the proposed defences. The cost was then estimated as follows:-
Works | Armament
£ |
55,625 | 37,500
the incidence being 60 per cent. to Colonial, and 40 per cent. to Imperial revenues.
3. This estimate was subsequently increased to--
Works | Armament
£116,000 | £158,910
without including the submarine mining defences, which are estimated to cost-
Works | Submarine mining vessels and stores
£9,017 | £46,500
so that the total cost of the defences and the division of that cost will be as follows:-
Colonial: Construction of Works-Fortifications £116,000
Imperial: Armaments £153,910; Submarine mining buildings, &c. £9,017; vessels and stores £46,500
Total: £325,427
The incidence being 36 per cent. to Colonial and 64 per cent. to Imperial Revenues, as against 60 per cent. to Colonial and 40 per cent. to Imperial revenues contemplated in 1884. It will be observed that in accordance with the original division of charge the Colony ought to repay the £9,017 spent on submarine mining buildings.
4. Since 1865 Hong Kong has paid a military contribution of £20,000 a year in aid of the cost of its garrison; and if you refer to paragraph 14 of the Colonial Office letter of the 25th of April 1863 to Sir Hercules Robinson, who was then in England, you will see that it was then intended that the amount of £20,000 was to "be subject to any revision which the altered circumstances of the Colony may require." It will also be seen from paragraph 15 of the same letter and paragraph 12 of the Duke of Newcastle's despatch, No. 115, of the 5th of September 1863, that Her Majesty's Government, in fixing the amount at £20,000, were desirous "not to press too heavily at first on the Colonial revenues, and thus possibly to retard works of public utility." Sir Hercules Robinson, in replying on the 21st of May 1863, to the letter of the 25th of April, interpreted (paragraph 21)
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E 61697. 110 & 2-1/90. G. 41. Wt. 17400.
E. & S.