1841-1886
STATE OF HER MAJESTY'S COLONIAL POSSESSIONS.
265
149
HONG KONG.
No. 21.
Copy of DESPATCH from Governor Sir HERCULES G. R. ROBINSON to his Grace
the Duke of NEWCASTLE.
(No. 86.)
MY LORD DUKE,
Government Offices, Victoria,
Hong Kong, July 3, 1860.
I HAVE the honour to forward the Blue Book of Hong Kong for the year 1859, together with a report on the contents of it, prepared by the Colonial Secretary.
2. The finances of the island are in a sound and satisfactory condition. The colony is self-supporting, and the present year commenced with an excess of assets over liabilities of nearly 43,000l. The ordinary revenue of the island, exclusive of the sale of Crown lands, may be estimated at 70,000l. It is derived chiefly from three sources;— 1st, rents of lands, houses, and markets; 2dly, licences, of which those for the sale of spirits and opium are the most remunerative; and, 3dly, a police and lighting rate, being a tax upon houses for the maintenance of the police throughout the island, and for lighting the city of Victoria. The ordinary expenditure, exclusive of public works, may be calculated at about 50,000l.; thus leaving about 20,000l. available each year for extraordinary expenditure and public works.
3. The only public works of any magnitude that now remain to be carried out are the new gaol, and the water supply for Victoria. The former is now being urged forward with all despatch, and the latter is to be commenced forthwith. The cost of these undertakings will amount together to about 60,000l, which will be met by the balance at present in hand, and by the annual surplus revenue, as the works will extend over several years.
4. The Registrar General's returns which accompany the Blue Book afford much curious and interesting information in reference to the population, which on the 1st January last was estimated at-
Males Females TOTAL 62,204 24,737 86,941Of this number 30,837 were found to be living on the water in 3,786 boats, and the remainder, 56,104, on shore, in 4,261 houses, making a total of 8,047 tenements. The population consists of Chinese and foreigners in the following proportion:-
Boats Houses Total population Chinese 30,837 55,280 86,117 Other than Chinese 1,661 824 Total 3,786 4,261 8,047The other than Chinese are composed of-
European and American ... 1,358 Goa, Manilla, Indians, and others of mixed blood ... 303 Aliens; chiefly seamen and temporary residents ... ...In these returns the military stationed in the island, and the crews of the ships of war, and the merchant ships in the harbour, are not included.
The 4,261 houses are classified as-
Males Females Total European 755 270 1,034 Chinese 3,537 724 4,261 Total 4,292 994 5,295and the European houses consist of 163 public buildings, and 561 private dwellings, shops, and offices.
The boat population of over 30,000 are put down as living chiefly in "sampans" and fish-boats, which together numbered 3,110 in the harbour and bays of Hong Kong on the 1st January last. This is a feature peculiarly Chinese; every boat of every grade...