No. 25.
Treasury to War Office.
Treasury Chambers,
7th February, 1895.
Sir,
The Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury desire me to say, for the information of Mr. Secretary Campbell-Bannerman, in reply to your letter of the 29th ultimo, respecting the apportionment of charge of the new barrack scheme at Hong Kong between this country and the Colony, that the two provisos made in that letter seem to my Lords to be legitimate inferences from their letter to the Colonial Office of 17th ultimo.
FRANCIS MOWATT,
barrack accommodation for the increased garrison, and the fact that in this case the cost of the provision of new sites is included in the total charge to be divided between the Imperial and Colonial Governments instead of being wholly charged to the Colony, in accordance with paragraph 11 of my circular despatch of 30th December last, must not be regarded as a precedent applicable in all future cases.
4. It is intended to provide £10,600 in the Army Estimates for 1895-96 towards the expenditure incurred in these works during this year, and I have to request you to bring the matter before the Legislative Council at an early date, and to propose a supplementary vote of say 50,000 dollars, to cover the Colonial share of this year's expenditure.
5. I should be glad to know whether in your opinion the works should be executed by the War Department, or by the Colonial Public Works Department, but I presume that it will be more convenient that the War Department which has already begun these new buildings should go on with the work.
6. You will be given an opportunity of criticising the plans and estimates of all the new buildings, as you will have learned from the letter to the General Officer Commanding, a copy of which accompanied my despatch, No. 162, of 5th October last, and if you are unable to come to an agreement with the General upon any point, I have to request you to refer the question to me, as the General Officer Commanding has been instructed to refer such points to the War Office, so that I may be in a position to come to an agreement with the Secretary of State for War upon such points of difference.
No. 26.
Colonial Office to War Office.
Downing Street,
16th February, 1895.
Sir,
With reference to your letters of the 20th December last, and the 31st ultimo, I am directed by the Marquis of Ripon to transmit to you, to be laid before Mr. Secretary Campbell-Bannerman, the draft of a despatch which Lord Ripon proposes, with Mr. Campbell-Bannerman's concurrence, to address to the Governor of Hong Kong, regarding the additional barrack accommodation required in that Colony.
A similar letter has been addressed to the Treasury.
R. P. EBDEN,
for Under Secretary of State.
Enclosure in No. 26.
Colonial Office to Governor of Hong Kong,
(Draft.)
Downing Street,
February, 1895.
With reference to my despatch, No. 162, of 5th October last, I have the honour to transmit to you the enclosed amended Schedule of Barrack Services required at Hong Kong, together with an extract from a letter from the War Office to the Treasury, explaining the necessity of adding the provision of a new hospital to the list of services previously put forward.
2. It is proposed that the execution of these works should be spread over 10 years beginning with the current year, and that the cost of the works should be provided in the following manner, viz., that the Colony should in accordance with my circular despatch of 30th December last, devote the value of any military lands and buildings, that may now be surrendered by the War Department, so far as it will extend, in reduction of the gross cost of the scheme including the cost of any new sites that may be required, and that the remainder of the cost should be divided in the proportion of two-thirds to the Imperial Government and one-third to the Colonial Government, that being about the proportion in which the cost of the new fortifications of Hong Kong were divided between the two Governments.
3. This proposal, which is, in my opinion, fair and reasonable, is a special arrangement made in view of the large expenditure involved in providing the necessary
* No. 23.
Enclosure in No. 21.
Nos. 18 and 24.
§ Enclosure in No. 30 of Correspondence relative to Lands at Hong Kong.
No. 27.
War Office to Colonial Office.
War Office, S.W.,
29th March, 1895.
Sir,
With reference to your letter of the 16th ultimo, forwarding a draft of a despatch proposed to be addressed to the Governor of Hong Kong, respecting the additional barrack accommodation required in that Colony, I am directed to acquaint you, for the information of the Marquis of Ripon, that since the War Office letter of the 20th December, 1894, Mr. Secretary Campbell-Bannerman has considered it better to place only £5,000 in the Army Estimates for 1895-96, as the plans would require consideration, and as it would, probably, not prove practicable to expend so much in the first year, as in subsequent years.
2. A corresponding reduction in the amount for the Colony to provide during 1895-96, might also be made, say 25,000 dollars, to be provided instead of 50,000 dollars.
3. In regard to paragraph 3 of the proposed draft, Mr. Campbell-Bannerman thinks that it would be better to omit the word "all" from the penultimate line,
4. In regard to paragraph 5, the scope of this is thought to be too wide. Difficulties might arise, for there should be no question that the War Department should have full power to execute all the works for which they themselves find the money.
5. Mr. Campbell-Bannerman would therefore suggest-first, that the extract from War Office letter to Treasury, of 20th December, 1894, should not be limited to paragraphs 2-6, but should also include paragraphs 1-5; 17;
* Enclosure in No. 30 of Correspondence relative to Lands at Hong Kong.
† No. 24.
‡ No. 18.
§ No. 17.
Page 93