CO882-(1-2) — Page 456

CONFIDENTIAL.

Military Contributions from the Colonies, with especial reference to the Three Crown Colonies, Ceylon, the Mauritius, and Hong Kong: and more particularly to Hong Kong.

THE Committee of the House of Commons which reported in 1861 divided the Colonies into-

1. Colonies Proper, in which were included Ceylon and Mauritius.

2. Military garrisons, in which was included Hong Kong.

And they recommended-

1st. As to Ceylon :--

"That the expense of the troops in Ceylon should be in a greater degree borne by the Colonial Treasury."

2ndly. As to the Mauritius :—

It is included in the general words of the 10th Resolution-

"With respect to the dependencies properly called 'Colonies,' and to which any recommendations hereinafter to be made as to the mode or cost of Colonial defence exclusively relate, the practical application of such recommendations, both as to time and place, must necessarily be left to the discretion of Her Majesty's Government, having regard to the local resources of each dependency, to its dangers from external attack, and to the general exigencies of the Empire. With this reservation, it appears to your Committee that the responsibility and cost of the military defence of such dependencies ought mainly to devolve upon themselves."

3rdly. As to Hong Kong:-

It is included in the 9th Resolution, which recommends that, as to the second class of dependencies above defined, the responsibility and main cost of their defence properly devolves on the Imperial Government.

The Duke of Newcastle determined to call upon Caylon, which has hitherto paid about half of the whole expenditure, vis., 100,000%, out of 200,000%, to pay "at once an increased proportion of that expenditure, and eventually" the whole, which it is estimated may be reduced to 170,0001.:

Upon Mauritius, to pay 45,0001. a-year out of 145,000, being an increase of 13,0007. over what is now paid by the Colony:-and upon Hong Kong, to pay 20,0001. a-year out of about 100,0002.

As might be expected, these decisions have given rise to remonstrance

in every case—and as the Duke's decisions were prospective, I have had

to deal with those remonstrances.

In each case I have declined to give

In the case of Ceylon I had.

C. Mac Carthy, who assured carrying the contemplated arg sioned unavoidable delay; and of his grant influenon in the succession to Bir H. Robinson, Ceylon is still a Crown Colony, sity, be imposed by the aet that serious opposition may be been time for that opposition are a majority of the Council, i voted by that Body.

[381]

bata Goyorner, Sir

culty in

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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Reference :-

C.O.882

2 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-—NOT TO

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