1841-1886
253
.
STATE OF HER MAJESTY'S COLONIAL POSSESSIONS.
115.
Crown when their opinions had been formally conveyed to the Government. Elaborate speeches were frequently made to be reproduced in the scurrilous newspapers of the colony; nor was Mr. Anstey's example without influence on other official members, for the Chief Magistrate generally followed in Mr. Anstey's footsteps, and on more than one occasion (and without the slightest previous communication) vituperated the Government in strong terms. I have referred to the proceedings of the Surveyor General in reference to the Bowring Praya Ordinance, in which, without any previous advice to me, he followed the example of Mr. Anstey, and voted against the very ordinance he had prepared and recommended. It appears to me absolutely necessary that the powers of the Legislative Council should be better understood, and that the disposition so strongly manifested to encroach upon the functions of the executive should be checked by some authoritative opinion of Her Majesty's Government, on which subject I beg to refer specially to my despatch, No. 116, of 30th August 1858, enclosing Dr. Bridges' views of the matter.
28. The appointment of an Auditor General in the colony as a distinct officer has undoubtedly been of great benefit, and Mr. Rennie has discharged his duties with thorough efficiency; but as the Auditor General is equally the servant of the diplomatic and colonial departments, receiving half of his salary from each, some new arrangement will be necessitated by the removal of the Superintendency from Hong Kong. There will be an advantage to the colony from the absolute separation of the colonial from the diplomatic and consular accounts, and no doubt some such arrangement will have to be made by Her Majesty's Treasury.
29. I must mention here that two other colonial officers receive pay from the funds voted by Parliament to the Superintendency, namely, the Attorney General, who has 250l. a year for his services as adviser to the Chief Superintendent, and 200l. to the Surveyor General for his trouble in revising estimates, preparing plans, or rendering other services connected with his department in the consular ports. This want will have to be provided for, I imagine, independently of the Colonial Surveyor.
30. Provision will have to be made for the loss of the services of gentlemen of the Commissariat who have been employed by the Colonial Treasurer. Within a few days we have had notice that two of these gentlemen are about to leave.
31. It is undoubtedly desirable that some additional accommodation should be provided for the Harbour Master, but the plan suggested two years ago appeared to me, on the representations of the Acting Surveyor General, Mr. Walker, so objectionable, and necessitated so large a sacrifice of valuable Government property, that I directed the stoppage of the works, and think the subject must be reconsidered in connection with the Praya; meanwhile, though the offices of the Harbour Master are not in all respects what could be wished, they are very tolerably convenient, and the situation in all respects commodious.
32. The Colonial Secretary refers to the importance of obtaining a greater supply of water for the city. I agree with him that it is a very useful object, but I do not think the ordinary revenue of the colony can be properly or judiciously applied in furnishing capital for construction of water-works. Such undertakings are not ordinarily, nor can they in my judgment be wisely, entered upon from the yearly public revenues. If a joint stock company cannot be formed—respecting which there may be some doubt—the means might be furnished by the issue of bonds, whose interest would be secured by a water rate. There would be some advantage in the existence of such securities as capital is often overflowing here, and it is sometimes difficult to invest it at even 5 per cent. interest. The large houses have refused to receive deposits on such terms. It is certainly no obligation of the Government to furnish individuals with water any more than any other necessary of life, and, as undertakings such as water companies must partake of the character of commercial speculations and involve great responsibilities, I am strongly of opinion that our annual income is not fairly applicable to such speculations. I am quite willing that the Government should give appropriate facilities for an important public object, but the objections to a Government building Sailors' Homes, or engaging the ordinary sources of revenue in supplying the pecuniary means for costly undertakings of uncertain result are, in my mind, unanswerable. It is said we have recognised the principle in establishing a lighting rate, but there is no analogy. No great outlay of capital is involved in the erection of lamp-posts and the providing lamps. It is a far different question when a Government undertakes to provide water for the inhabitants of a large city, that undertaking implies a large expenditure of capital. Mr. Cleverly's estimate of outlay is 25,000, but after this expenditure there may be difficulty in collecting a water rate from the Chinese population, who have been in the habit of supplying themselves from the tanks or the multitudinous streams in the