CO882-(8-9) — Page 477

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 882

9PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

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On Section 5. Mr BURKINSHAW Sand Sir, in this clause I have amendments to propose I think it is more convenient to propose them en bloe, instead of putting each amendment separately I move in the third line, to omit the words Imperial Defence of the Colony ", to omit the word garrison and substitute therefor

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"

provided" and required in the fourth line of the clause, and to delete the word " all the following words in the last two lines and to substitute therefor the words being such a proportion of the cost incurred by the Imperial Government as can be deemed necessary for the purposes of the Colony only exclusive of such cost as is incurred by the Imperial Government having created or hereafter creating or using Singapore as an Imperial coaling station or as an Imperial Navy docking station or as a base of operations of the Imperial Navy, provided that in no year shall the sum paid by way of percentage exceed the cost of the garrison for that year'

יד

When afterwards we come to the preamble, it is my intention to move that an addition be made to the preamble which recites the present position with regard to the willingness and ability of this Council to contribute to the cost of the defences of the Colony The preamble, when it is proposed. will, I think, explain itself, and I would suggest that the further consideration of these amendments stand over until the time arrives for proposing the amendment to the preamble and that they then be taken both together.

The GOVERNOR I think I have clear instructions from home to pass the Bill with the amendments sent out from home to amend the actual Bill now in existence. My instructions are clear, and I think it is my duty to put before you that the question is practically to accept the twenty per cent. on the same basis as the seven teen and a half per cent was conveyed to the Imperial Government, or to reject it I do not consider that a free hand is given me to amend the Bill in the direction indicated by the Honourable member. Many would no doubt, concur with the Honourable member that the Bill should be very definite and very clear, but I think that the time for considering that was when we passed the seventeen and-a-half per cent.

If I remember rightly, when I sent home the original Bill, it contained the very words conveyed in the first part of the Honourable member's amendment-

defence of the Colony as the object of the contribution That was sent back with directions to amend it. The Council, on full consideration, passed the Bill as it stands: the alternative now is simply to accept the twenty per cent in lieu of all demands that were made by the previous Bill outside of the seventeen and-a-half per cent or to reject it. It seems to me that the issue is put before me with sufficient clearness for the guiding of this Council. Therefore. I suggest to the Honourable member that it would be better that his amendments should be put to the vote. would serve no object whatsoever to delay the Bill in order to propose an amendment to the preamble, of which I have already had an indication from the Honourable member The Home Government evidently think that the Bill we have already passed is a clear Bill for a specific purpose, and it is out of my power to make any alterations in that Bill We must accept it or reject it altogether. That is my view

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Mr BURKINSHAW : Then, without waiting till the preamble is reached, I propose that my amendments he made to Section 5 I gave my reasons, shortly, at the last meeting of the Council, for fixing a limit beyond which we should never be asked to pay the limit of twenty per cent, of our revenue on the grounds that paying, even as we do now, about twenty per cent., the prosperity of the Colony is seriously affected and prejudiced. It is more than we can afford to pay, with due regard to the interests of the Colony, and we ought to indicate now, clearly, that if we are to pay twenty per cent of our revenue, it is to be the final and permanent limit of the amount to be exacted from us.

The GOVERNOR: As between man and man, I think that the words of the Bill are already sufficiently definite when the correspondence is taken into consideration, and, of course, the Honourable member knows that whatever Bill we pass can have no effect on any possible decision that may be come to by the Home Government after- wards I think that the present limitation is sufficiently definite. It strikes me that the understanding is clear enough that this twenty per cent. does all that the Honourable member in his amendment contemplates that it shall do. But the Home Government, after full consideration, have decided the form the Bill is to take, and I. therefore, think that we shall be running no danger in passing the Bill as it is. Of course every Honourable member is free to act as he pleases, but we must not forget the constitution of the Colony.

Mr. MURRAY: Sir, in seconding the amendment of my Honourable friend, I do so simply to place on record that the Unofficial Members of this Council have never

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departed from the view that they have strongly held that the Colony was asked for more than it can properly afford to pay. Were we to give way in the present instance, when we have an opportunity for discussing this question, without again protesting against any additional charge in future, it might be taken as acquiescence, and it is purely on that ground that I strongly support the amendments of my honourable friend. I agree, to a certain extent, with what has fallen from Your Excellency, that what has already taken place in the correspondence and in this Council will show that we are not prepared. in future, to make any further provision for the defence of the Colony,

On the amendments being put, Mr BERKINSHAW called for a division, when the members voted

Aye.

No.

The Colonial Engineer.

Auditor-General

Mr. Bogaardt

Mr. Allinson

Mr. Murray-

Colonial Treasurer.

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Dr Lim Boon Keng.

Colonial Secretary.

Mr Burkinshaw

Officer Commanding the Troops Governor.

The amendments were, therefore, lost, and the section was passed. Sections 6 and 7 were agreed to.

On the preamble being put

Mr. BURKINSHAW moved that it be amended by adding at the end thereof

And whereas inasmuch as the Colony does not maintain its own military forces nor supply its own armaments it is deemed advisable that the Colony shall pay a contribution to the Imperial Government towards the cost incurred by the Imperial Government in supplying the defence of the Colony, and the armaments of the Colony and in establishing and maintaining the forts of the Colony such contribution to be such a proportion of such cost as can be provided by the Colony paying to the Imperial Government one-fifth part of the annual revenue of the Colony:

And whereas the said contribution is intended to be for such defences as are from time to time necessary for the purposes of the Colony only and not for such as are necessitated by the Imperial Government having created or hereafter creating or using Singapore as an Imperial Coaling Station or as an Imperial Navy docking or repairing station or as a base of operations of the Imperial Navy:

A

And whereas it is intended that the said contribution shall as far as possible be a fixed and unchangeable contribution by the Colony to the Imperial Government so long as the Imperial Government shall maintain in the Colony Imperial forces and defences the total cost whereof in any year shall not be less than the amount of the said contribution for the same year."

On the amendment being put, Mr. Burkinshaw asked for a division, when the members voted

Aye.

Mr. Bogaardt.

Mr. Allinson.

Mr. Murray.

Dr. Lim Boon Keng. Mr. Burkinshaw.

No.

The Colonial Engineer.

The Auditor-General.

The Colonial Treasurer.

The Colonial Secretary.

The Officer Commanding the Troops. The Governor.

The amendment was, therefore, lost, and the preamble and title were passed. The COLONIAL Secretary moved to report progress.

Mr. BURKINSHAW: Considering the small majority by which this Bill has been carried, and considering the great importance, in the view of the Unofficial Members, of the amendments in regard to what they consider the true position of the matter, propose as an amendment that the further consideration of this Bill in Committee may be adjourned until the meeting of the Council to be held on the 25th of April or the first meeting after that date.

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The COLONIAL Secretary said that, for reasons already stated on behalf of the Government, he should oppose the amendment.

The GOVERNOR: As I said before my instructions to pass this Bill are definite, but I have not the least desire to press the Council beyond what I consider absolutely necessary, and if it is the general wish of the Unofficial Members that the Secretary of State shall have another opportunity for reconsidering what he has already, in