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14191

No. 9

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

(Received June 5, 1899)

[t'ng yg ut cuiusure to War Dhilice and Treasury, đưm 14, 4899.j

Answered by No. 11.]

(No 184) SIR,

Government House, Singapore, 12th May, 1899.

have the honour REFERRING to my despatch No. 166 of the 3rd instant,* to forward Ordinance No VI of 1899, entitled "An Ordinance to repeal and re-enact with amendments The Defence Contribution Ordinances, 1896 and 1898.''

.

2 I also enclose a copy of the Attorney-General's report on the Ordinance.

Enclosure 1 in No 9

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

I have, &c.,

ORDINANCE No. VI OF 1899.

C. BH MITCHELL.

AN ORDINANCE to repeal and re enact with amendments "The Defence Contribution

(LS)

Ordinances 1896 and 1×98.”

CBH MITCHELL,

[25th April, 1899.]

6.

every

Percentage

The said percentage shall be paid monthly on or about the last day of month in each year into the Imperial Treasury chest in the Colony on account of payable Her Majesty's Government.

monthly.

7. The Defence Contribution Ordinance 1896 and The Defence Contri Repeal. bution Ordinance Amendment Ordinance 1898" are hereby repealed.

Passed this 25th day of April. 1899.

E. G. BROADRICK,

Clerk of Councils.

Ordinance IV. of 1896. Ordinance VIII. of 1898.

Enclosure 2 in No. 9. REPORT ON ORDINANCE VI. OF 1899 AN ORDINANCE to repeal and re-enact with amendments

Ordinances, 1896 and 1898."

The Defence Contribution

1 The object of this Ordinance is to substitute a general charge of 20 per cent. of the Colonial Revenue, in full discharge of all liabilities of the Colony in respect of defence contribution, for the charge hitherto made of 17 per cent., which did not include the liability of the Colony with respect to military works and buildings, allowances, and other charges.

2. This alteration in law has been already approved by the Secretary of State. 3. The form of the Ordinance has been adopted for convenience sake. Instead of a second amending Ordinance, it has been thought advisable to repeal the two previous enactments and to re-enact them with the required amendments in an Ordinance

4

I am of opinion that this Ordinance may properly receive the Royal Assent

W. R. COLLYER,

Attorney-General's Chambers,

Attorney-General.

Governor and Commander-in-Chief.

Whereas it is expedient to repeal and re-enact with amendments" The Defence Contribution Ordinances 1896 and 1898 ":

It is hereby enacted by the Governor of the Straits Settlements with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof as follows:-

1.

1899."

This Ordinance may be cited as "The Defence Contribution Ordinance,

Short title.

Yearly ap-

2. A sum equivalent to twenty per centum of the Colonial Revenues shall be propriation appropriated yearly to the Imperial Government as a contribution for the defence for defence of the Colony. of Colony. Definition

of

3. The Colonial Revenues for the purposes of this Ordinance shall include the gross receipts by the Colony from all sources of revenue but shall not include the Colonial proceeds of land sales and premia on leases or statutory land grants.

Revenues."

4. In the first instance the said percentage shall be calculated on the estimated Percentage revenue of the year and shall be paid at that rate subject however to revision and

adjustment in the manner following that is to say :—

bow calen-

lated.

What ex pens

are

5.

(1) After the close of any year for which payment shall have been made according to this Ordinance when the actual revenue shall have been ascertained if there shall prove to have been an excess of receipts over the estimate a further payment of twenty per centum of such excess receipts shall be made.

(2) If there shall prove to have been a deficiency of receipts compared with the estimate a deduction equivalent to twenty per centum of such deficiency shall be made from the next payment or payments due for the defence contribution.

The said percentage shall be deemed to be a fixed contribution payable by the Colony in full return for the annual cost of the Imperial Garrison including all include in capital expenditure required for military lands and buildings and the cost of main- tenance of all military works and buildings and the cost of lodgings in lieu of barracks and all other military charges whatsoever provided that in no year shall the sum paid by way of percentage exceed the cost of the garrison for that year.

percentage.

• No. 7.

15183

SIR,

Singapore, 11th May, 1899.

No. 10.

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

WAR OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received June 14, 1899.)

War Office, London, S.W., 13th June, 1899. WITH reference to your letters of the 2nd and 23rd ultimo, 8670 and 12301/99,* relating to the method of payment of the military contribution of the Straits Settlements on the receipts of a proposed telephone system, I am directed by the Secretary of State for War to transmit, for the information of Mr. Chamberlain, a copy of a letter that has been addressed to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury on the subject.

SIR,

I am, &c.,

Enclosure in No. 10.

G. FLEETWOOD WILSON.

War Office, 13th June, 1899.

I AM directed by the Secretary of State for War to acknowledge your letters of the 6th and 25th ultimo, in which you request that the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury may be favoured with the observations of the Secretary of State for War on the proposal made by the Colonial Office in a letter of the 2nd ultimo, that with reference to the contemplated establishment of a public telephone system in Penang the receipts of this and other new commercial undertakings commenced by the Colonial Government should, for the purpose of the colonial military contribution, be taken at their net and not their gross amount.

N... Fal transmitter of No. 5.

24659

BI

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

IC.O. 882

9

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON!Page 481

Zi

I am to inform you that Lord Lansdowne has given careful consideration to the proposal made by Mr Chamberlain, as it involves the extension of a principle lutherto admitted only in the case of receipts from railways. As their Lordships are aware, this question was dealt with by the Inter departmental Committee on Colonial Military Contributions in their report of 27th March. 1897, whose recommendations received the sanction of the Government In the last paragraph of this report it was laid down that the proposal to deal with net and not gross receipts was to apply only to receipts from railways, and was not to be extended to receipts from “ other public undertakings which are altogether different in character and productiveness.'

Lord Lansdowne is convinced that there was no intention on the part of the Committee to exclude all other industrial undertakings from the principle applied to railways, as there are many classes of State enterprise which it would be extremely impolitic to restrict, and whose development would be seriously checked if their gross He is, therefore, receipts were subject to assessment for the military contribution.

disposed to agree in principle with Mr. Chamberlain's view that in the case of new undertakings off the nature referred to, which do not differ in character and pro- ductiveness from railways, the assessment should be on the net receipts, but he would suggest that each case, as it arises, should be considered on its merits by the various Departments concerned

As regards the particular case now raised, viz. the establishment of a public telephone system in Penang. Lord Lansdowne agrees with Mr Chamberlain that for the purpose of assessing the military contribution the net receipts only should be

taken into account

21

23rd ultimo,* with their enclosures, relative to the proposal from the Government of the Straits Settlements with reference to the contemplated establishment of a public telephone system in Penang, viz., that for the purpose of the Colonial military contribution the receipts of this undertaking should be taken at their net, and not their gross, amount.

I am to state that, in the particular case now in question, my Lords concur in the proposal of the Colonial Government being accepted.

As regards the suggestion of the Secretary of State that for the future a similar arrangement should be adopted in the case of other new undertakings, such as rail- ways, tramways, gas, or electric lighting or other productive works, my Lords are not indisposed to agree to the application of the same principle where the new commer. cial undertakings referred to are not different in character and productiveness from railways; but they are of opinion that each case, as it arises, should be considered on its merits by the three Departments concerned before Her Majesty's Government commits itself to the calculation of the percentage on net, instead of gross, receipts.

16156

I am, &c.,

FRANCIS MOWATT.

The Secretary to

the Treasury

14191

I am. &c.

FRANK T MARZIALS

No. 13.

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR.

(Sent 24th June, 1999.)

TELEGRAM.

In reply to your telegram of 8th April,† His Majesty's Government agrees to military contribution based on net receipts.-CHAMBERLAIN.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 882

SIR.

(No. 174.)

No 11

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR

Downing Street, 14 June, 1899. I HAVE the honour to inform you that Her Majesty will not be advised to exercise her powers of disallowance with respect to the Ordinance, No. 6 of 1899, of the Legislature of the Straits Settlements, entitled "An Ordinance to repeal and re enact with amendments The Defence Contribution Ordinances, 1896 and 1898.'' a transcript of which accompanied your despatch No. 184, of the 12th ultimo.*

"

2. I have also to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No 166, of the 3rd ultimo, and I request that you will inform the Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council that I have received their protest against the Defence Contri- bution Bill and have to refer them to my despatch, No. 120, of the 28th April last. which I would ask you to lay before the Council if this has not already been done.

15156

•

No. 12.

I have, &c.,

J. CHAMBERLAIN

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

TREASURY to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received 23 June, 1899.)

[Answered by No. 16.]

Treasury Chambers, 22nd June, 1899

SIR.

I AM directed by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to request you to inform Mr. Secretary Chamberlain that they have carefully con- sidered, in communication with the War Department, your letters of the 2nd and

+ No. 3.

• No. 9.

† No. 7.

10610

SIR,

No. 14.

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

TREASURY to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received June 28, 1899.) [Answered by No. 16.]

Treasury Chambers, 27 June, 1899.

I AM directed by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 14th instant enclosing a copy of Straits Settlements Ordinance No. 6 of 1899, entitled " An Ordinance to repeal and re-enact with amendments The Defence Contribution Ordinances 1896 and 1898.' "

C

My Lords observe, in Clause 5, the phrase " and all other military charges whatsoever," which did not appear in the corresponding clause of the Ordinance of 1896; and I am to inquire whether Mr. Secretary Chamberlain can explain what is the exact significance of the added words.

As stated in the letter from this Department of the 6th June, 1898,§ the increase of contribution should not affect the liability of the Colonial Government to provide, free of charge, any available Colonial military land required for sites for military works; and my Lords suggest that a proviso to this effect should be inserted in any further Ordinance that may have to be enacted by the Governor and Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements.

No. 4 and transmitter of No. 5.

24658

† No. 1.

I am, &c.,

FRANCIS MOWATT.

Transmitting copy of the enclosure in No. 9. Enclosure in No. 17.

B !