1841-1886
STATE OF HER MAJESTY'S COLONIAL POSSESSIONS. 305
149
From United States of America. From Great Britain, Ships. Tons. Ships. Tons. In 1849 39 16,938 16 9,087 In 1850 65 31,213 90 37,809 Increase in 1850. 26 14,275 74 28,722The number of vessels from India in 1849 and 1850 was, respectively, 127, measuring 61,747 tons, and 125 of the burthen of 63,128 tons, thereby showing a decrease of two vessels, but an increase of 1,381 tons in 1850.
Of the shipping arrived in Hong Kong during the past year, the Harbour Master's Returns, appended to the Blue Book, under the head of “Imports and Exports," show that 160 vessels imported, and 121 exported, goods into and from the colony. From the same returns it appears, that treasure to the value of 6,071,183 dollars, equivalent to 1,264,829l. 15s. 10d., has been shipped here for India, the greater part of this amount being, no doubt, in return for opium sold in China.
I may here add, that in 1850 sixteen vessels were registered in the colony measuring 3,399 tons, two of which measuring, conjointly, 225 tons, were built at Hong Kong.
With respect to the native trade of the colony, I beg to enclose a memorandum prepared by the Assistant Chinese Secretary.
Crown Lands.
12. The fixed revenue derivable from Crown lands for the year ended 31st December 1850, was as follows:-
£. s. d. Mercantile firms 5,440 0 4 Private individuals 4,298 18 11 Chinese 1,554 13 2 Total £11,293 12 5Which amount, when contrasted with the years 1848 and 1849, gives a trifling increase during two years of £1l. 17s. 6d. I think, therefore, that our annual fixed revenue under this head for years to come may be fairly estimated at about 11,000l.
Police.
13. I consider that our police force is perfectly competent for the prevention of crime within the precincts of Victoria, where its service is mainly required. I attach a Return, drawn up by Mr. Superintendent May, showing the number of felony cases coming under the cognizance of the police from 1847 to 1850 inclusive, from which it will be perceived that felonies have fallen from 856 cases in 1849 to 674 during the last year.
I likewise forward several Returns, showing the criminal cases tried in the Supreme Court, and the causes brought before and decided by the chief magistrate and the Court of Petty Sessions, respectively, during the past year, as well as a Return of the number of civil cases tried by the Chief Justice, and actions commenced within the same period.
14. On the whole, my Lord, I have no hesitation in reporting the state of this colony to be satisfactory. The native population is certainly on the increase, and from the police returns it would seem that crime is on the decrease. This may be attributed to the arrival here during the past year of a number of artisans and tradesmen from Canton, who have been, in a great measure, induced to resort to the colony by reason of the trade which is now carried on between it and California. The Chinese inhabitants have also become more accustomed to our institutions. Hong Kong, as I have already reported in separate Despatches on this subject, will not, in my opinion, ever be the port of trade, which on its first formation it was expected to become; and I think it not impossible that three or four of our larger British commercial establishments will be at no distant period broken up, as from competition and