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། ། ། ། །

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

سلة سياسيا

19

Short title

No. vi

of 1899.

Reprints.

Amend ment of Section 3 of the

principal Ordinance.

221

SIR,

26

No. 22.

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE

(Received January 2, 1900.)

[Ordinance sanctioned, January 11, 1900. No. 11. L.F.]

[Copy enclosure to War Office and Treasury, January 11, 1900. L.F.]

(No. 445.)

Government House, Singapore, 3rd December, 1899. WITH reference to your despatch, No. 273 of the 18th September,* I have the "An Ordinance to amend honour to forward Ordinance No. XXI. of 1899, entitled

The Defence Contribution Ordinance, 1899.'"

2

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

I have, &c..

Enclosure 1 in No. 22.

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

ORDINANCE No. XXI. OF 1899.

C. B H. MITCHELL

An Ordinance to amend " The Defence Contribution Ordinance 1899."

(L.S)

C. B. H. Mitchell,

Governor and Commander-in-Chief.

[28th November, 1899.]

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

1 This Ordinance may be cited as " The Defence Contribution Ordinance 1899 No. II." and shall be read and construed as one with the Defence Contribution Ordi nance 1899 (hereinafter called the principal Ordinance). Any copy of the principal Ordinance printed after the commencement of this Ordinance may be printed with the amendments additions and alterations required by this Ordinance.

2. Section three of the principal Ordinance is amended by the addition of the words following that is to say:-

"Provided that the charges for working expenses and maintenance of any railways telephones or other productive undertakings of a similar character which may hereafter be established and for interest and sinking fund on any sums borrowed for the construction of such railways telephones or undertakings shall be deducted from the gross receipts of such railways telephones or undertakings respectively and the percentage struck on the net receipts only if any in each case."

40311

SIR,

27

No. 23.

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

THE ACTING GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 10 December, 1900.)

(No. 439.)

Government House, Singapore, 16th November, 1900. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of your despatch, No. 278, of the 14th September,* on the subject of Christmas Island.

2. Sir John Murray has been here, and has gone on to the Island. I hope to

see him again on his return, when I may have something further to report.

3. I am sending you Mr. Clayton's report on the Island by a separate despatch.

It is long, and requires considerable labour in copying.

4. Sir J. Murray desires to have on the Island a skilled scientific officer, whose task it would be to prepare a magnificent monograph on the Island.

5. I believe the Medical Officer he has sent there would not be the person he would select for the task.

6. I am unwilling to make such an officer the Magistrate, because he would not know Chinese, or necessarily be able to fulfil the duties required of a Magistrate. 7. There will be funds enough to pay both for a Magistrate and a scientific officer, but I think it is not fair to expect Government to pay the whole cost, and I should be prepared, if you assent, to pay half the expenses of the scientific officer, leaving the Company to pay the rest.

8. A house is being prepared for the Magistrate, and as soon as it is ready

I will send one conversant with Chinese. Meantime, if there is undue delay, I would send a Magistrate for a flying visit.

9. I have written paragraph 7 in the expectation that you will be able to arrange with the War Office that no part of the revenue arising from Christmas Island will be chargeable for the military contribution of Singapore. Christmas Island lies 800 miles away, and has no garrison.

40311

No. 24..

I have, &c.,

J. A. SWETTENHAM.

Reference :-

C.O. 882

9ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE

BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

Passed this 28th day of November, 1899.

E. G. BROADrick,

Clerk of Councils.

Enclosure 2 in No. 22.

Report on ORDINANCE No. XXI. of 1899.

An Ordinance to amend " The Defence Contribution Ordinance 1899."

1. This Ordinance was passed by direction of the Secretary of State.

2. It provides that in estimating the gross revenue of the Colony for the pur- pose of the defence contribution only the net receipts from railways, telephones, &c., shall be taken into account, after deducting working expenses, expenses of main- tenance, and charge for interest and sinking fund on borrowed capital.

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

W. R. COLLYER,

Attorney-General.

Attorney-General's Chambers,

Singapore.

2nd December, 1899.

SIR,

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

COLONIAL OFFICE to WAR OFFICE AND TREASURY. [Answered by Nos. 26 and 25.]

Downing Street, 20th December, 1900.

I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Chamberlain to request you to inform [Mr. Secretary Brodrick] [the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury] that a despatcht has been received from the Officer Administering the Government of the Straits Settlements, in which he suggests that the revenue derived from Christmas Island, which has recently been annexed to the Colony, should not be included in the general revenue of the Straits Settlements for the purpose of calculating the military contri- bution.

2. I am to point out that the Island lies 800 miles away from Singapore, and has no garrison; and I am to add that it is not anticipated that the receipts from the Island will, on the average, largely, if at all, exceed the expenses of its adminis tration.

3.

Mr. Chamberlain would be glad if [Mr. Brodrick] [their Lordships] could see [his] [their] way to meeting the Acting Governor's wishes.

I am, &c.,

C. P. LUCAS.

• No. 19,

• 29861: not printed.

↑ No. 23.

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