Mr. Piddes
154
Sir J. Anderson
Please see Sir R. Chalmers
reply
attached.
now write to Treas. officially saying that
as no mention was made of the payment of M11. Cont.
on these grants of three fixed sums,
it did not
occur to the S. of S. that they could possibly be
regarded as ordinary revenue and that one fifth
of
the amounts would be demanded back by way of
Military Cont. That nothing was said to the Colony
on the point in announcing the amounts of the
Grants 4 and that the Colony has also assumed that
these Grants would not be liable to Mil. Cont.
In these ciros. the S. of S. regrets that he cannot
now invite the Colony to pay Mil. Cont. on the
Grants made or promised, but he is willing that in
connexion with possible further Grants referred
to in Treas. letter 8640, the possibility of
such further Grants having not yet been mentioned
to H.K.. in accordance with a wish expressed
privately by Sir G. Murray, last par. of our letter
to Treas. on 5447 the question of Mil. Cont. on
the Grants as a whole should be considered in con-
at are refnited
nexion with such further Grants to make up the full
A
half of the direct loss of Opium rev.
(I may point out that if Treas. have to maxe up
the full half of Opium rev, lost, it is logical that
since
Mil. Cont. should be paid on such half
the Colony formerly paid Mil. Cont. on the amount
of
revenue now lost. But 1 t is quite impossible to
make them pay Cont. on the Grants of fixed amount
already made or promised without stipulation as to
Mil. Cont. ).
AFC
13/12
ofconsor
Br. 16
abonce
La 16.12