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5 I would point out that if the procedure is adopted of crediting the Medical and Educational Departments with the fees they receive. it will be necessary to obtain the sanction of the Secretary of State

The Honourable

The Colonial Secretary

38164

No 202 HỒNG

KONG

I have. &c.

H. R THELIPS,

Auditor

203

2. I am hoping to obtain the concurrence of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury in the proposal that an Inter-Departmental Committee should be appointed to consider the general question of the military contributions of the Eastern colonies, and, pending a decision on this point, I have deferred replying to your Confidential despatches of the 3rd August and the 8th June *

3. I am in entire sympathy with your desire that the question should be settled upon a more equitable and logical basis, and if the proposed Committee is appointed, I shall endeavour to secure the most favourable terms possible for Hong Kong. I am, however, of opinion that the publication of your despatch of the 8th Junet or other correspondence upon the subject would be likely to prove prejudicial to the case of the Colony, and, accordingly. I regret that I cannot agree to the publication of any of the correspondence.

I have, &c.,

SIR.

TREASURY to COLONIAL OFFICE

(Received November 25, 1911. [Answe-ed by No. 206,]

Treasury Chambers, 27th November, 1911 I AM directed by the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury to transmit herewith, to be laid before Mr. Secretary Harcourt, a copy of a letter from the War Office, dated the 6th instant, relative to the assessment to Colonial military contribution of the grant made to Hong Kong by the Imperial Government in respect of the loss of revenue due to the new opium policy.

As Mr. Harcourt is aware, no mention was made, when the amount of the grant was under discussion, of any intention to exempt it from assessment to military contribution in the ordinary course. My Lords accordingly assumed that. like the recent grant in aid of postal expenses, and like the opium revenues whose place it partly takes, the grant would be included in the revenue of the Colony for assess ment, and it was on this basis that they fixed the amount payable. Otherwise they would have felt bound to reduce the amount of the grant by the shortage resulting to Army Votes from the loss of military contribution.

I am accordingly to request that the Secretary of State will take the necessary steps with a view to the inclusion of the grant in the statement of revenue for 1910 and the two following years

I am, &c.,

ROBERT CHALMERS

40452

No. 204.

HONG KONG.

L. HARCOURT.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Received December 18, 1911.)

[lopy of Ardinance to Treasury and War Office, 22 and 23 December, 1911. L.F.J [Ordinance sanctioned, 22 December, 1911. No. 376. L.F.|

(No. 395.)

SIR,

Government House, Hong Kong, 23rd November, 1911. REFERRING to your despatch, No. 250, of the 19th of last August, I have the honour to submit, for the signification of His Majesty's pleasure, the following Ordinance entitled :—

2

An Ordinance to amend the Defence Contribution Ordinance, 1901: No 45

of 1911.

The customary report by the Attorney-General is annexed.

Enclosure in No 202

I have, &c.,

F. D. LUGARD,

Governor, &c

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference:

C.O. 882

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH--NOT TO

S18,

War Office, London, S. W., 6th November, 1911. ADVERTING to those portions of your letter of 23rd April, 1910, and to War Office letter of 18th May, 1910, which relate to the question of the assessment to Colonial military contribution of the grant-in-aid of £9,000 a year made by the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury to the Government of Hong Kong, I am commanded by the Army Council to acquaint you, for their Lordships' informa tion, that the statement of the Colony's revenue for 1910 shows that the grant has not, in fact, been included in the revenue on which the contribution for that year was calculated. The Army Council would be glad to be informed whether the exemption of the grant from assessment is in accordance with their Lordships' views

I am, &c.,

The Secretary,

Treasury, S.W.

36469

(Secret.)

SIR.

No. 203.

E. W. D. WARD.

Downing Street, 30th November, 1911.

HONG KONG.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Confidential despatch of the 4th October,* in which you requested authority to publish correspondence relating to the assessment of the military contribution of Hong Kong.

(L.8.)

Enclosure 1 in No. 204.

HONG KONG.

No. 45 of 1911.

An Ordinance to amend the Defence Contribution Ordinance, 1901.

F. D. LUGARD,

Governor.

[17th November, 1911.]

Be it enacted by the Governor of Hong Kong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:

1. This Ordinance may be cited as "The Defence Contribution Ordinance, Short title. 1901, Amendment Ordinance, 1911," and shall be read and construed as one with the Defence Contribution Ordinance, 1901 (hereinafter called the Principal Ordinance). Any copy of the Principal Ordinance printed after the commencement of this Reprints. Ordinance may be printed with the amendments, additions and alterations required by this Ordinance.

ment of

2. Section 3 of the Principal Ordinance is amended by the addition of the words Amend- following, that is to say :-

"Provided that the charges for working expenses and maintenance of the Section 3 British Section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway and of any railways, Principal telephones or other productive undertakings of a similar character Ordinance

• Nos. 199 and 194.

↑ No. 194.

‡ No. 198.

of the

• No. 200

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