Members came in dissatisfied with financial position & prospects and requested to postpone the increase of salaries for further consideration as required in preparing Memorial.
I gather from the proceedings of the Debate in Council, reported in the Supplement to the Hongkong Daily Press of 25th March last, that the suggestion to reconsider the question of paying the increased salaries was made "in consequence of the enhanced Military Contribution still demanded by the Imperial Government".
I am unable to admit that the decision on the Military Contribution forms any valid ground for postponing the grant of the increased salaries, since those salaries were voted on Estimates for the current year, at the same time that the increased Military Contribution was considered.