We would, therefore, beg your Excellency to supply us with copies of these Estimates, when the subject will again receive our most careful and earnest attention.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient, humble Servant,
C. P. CHATER.
(Governor to Senior Unofficial Member, Legislative Council.)
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 19th November, 1896.
In reply to your letter of the 17th instant, have the honour to forward herewith copies of the Draft Estimates for 1897.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
WILLIAM ROBINSON,
Governor.
(Senior Unofficial Member, Legislative Council, to Governor.)
HONGKONG, 27th November, 1896.
With reference to your Excellency's despatches, Nos. 1386 and 1410, of the 12th and 19th instant respectively, I have the honour to inform you that the draft Estimates for 1897 were duly forwarded to the Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council for their perusal. The question of the abolition of the Gap Rock Lighthouse Rate was again discussed by them at a meeting held on the 25th instant, all being present, with the exception of Mr. BELL-IRVING, who had left the Colony. We are unanimous in considering that it is expedient for your Excellency to redeem the pledge given by your predecessor to the effect that this special rate should cease as soon as the cost of the Lighthouse had been defrayed.
As regards the covering of the deficit in the revenue resultant on its abolition, Messrs. Ho KAI, BELILIOS, WEI YUK and myself are of opinion that a fixed charge of 24 cents per ton should in future be imposed as light dues on all shipping entering the harbour, and in this we are joined by Mr. BELL-IRVING, who addressed a letter to me on the subject immediately before his departure. Mr. WHITEHEAD does not concur in this proposal, and is addressing your Excellency directly on the subject.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
C. P. CHATER.
His Excellency Sir WILLIAM ROBINSON, K.C.M.G., &c., &c., &c.
RECD
C.O.
No. 348
33
06
1464
JAN 97
PAPERS RESPECTING THE ABOLITION OF THE SPECIAL GAP ROCK LIGHTHOUSE RATE.
(In continuation of Sessional Paper No. 37 of 1896.)
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor.
(Honourable T. H. Whitehead to the Governor.)
HONGKONG, 2nd December, 1896.
I have the honour to address your Excellency with reference to your communication to the unofficial members of Council, made through the senior member, on the subject of the Gap Rock Light Dues, under date the 12th November. Mr. CHATER in his letter in reply, dated the 27th ultimo, has informed you of my intention to do so, and of my dissent from the opinions expressed by him on behalf of his other colleagues in the Council on the subject in question. I dissent so strongly, both as to the procedure adopted by your Excellency in bringing the matter before the members of Council privately, and on the merits of the question, and I deem it of such importance to the public, that I propose to now publish the whole correspondence, and to refer the subject to the Secretary of State.
I take leave to call your Excellency's attention in the first place to the fact that although the letter of the Chamber of Commerce, calling the attention of the Government to the fact that the time had arrived for the abolition of the Gap Rock Light Dues, was dated the 31st July last, it was not until the 12th ultimo that any step appears to have been taken with a view to the consideration of the question. I note in the second place that it was not until the 19th November that the Estimates for the year 1897 were circulated to members, and that they contain no suggestion of any intention on the part of the Government to relieve the trade of the Colony of the burden imposed on shipping for a special purpose long since accomplished, or any proposals for any alternative measure. I beg most respectfully to submit that the delay in the preparation and publication of the Estimates, and especially the delay in taking action on the Chamber of Commerce letter of the 31st July, is most injurious to the public interests, and prevents any proper and adequate consideration of the important questions involved, either by the responsible members of the Council or by the public who are directly interested. The Estimates will be laid upon the Council table to-morrow for the first time, and will then only become known to the community generally. I understand that they must be passed before the end of the month, and there is now no time left for their proper and effective consideration. I feel it my duty to formally protest against the holding back of the Estimates until the very last month in the year.
I beg further most respectfully to protest against the method recently adopted by the Government of privately consulting the unofficial members of Council on matters of importance.
Sir WM. ROBINSON, K.C.M.G.,
Governor, Hongkong,