PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :---
། ། ། ། ། ། mwimminC.O. 885
4 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
( 48 )
Mr. Dorry here answered that not only was he a legally elected representative, but that he had obtained more votes than any other of the 12 elected members.
At last I was enabled to address a few earnest words to the House, and spoke particularly about taxes and the advantages which might have been obtained by the new Constitution, and I alluded to the promises which had personally been made to the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos. Finally, I again requested them to elect a chairman, but the different members were so excited, and spoke so much and so loudly amongst each other, that hardly anything was intelligible.
Mr. R. Stoldi and his companions, however, loudly stated that they demanded their old Rathmänner again; and as to taxes that they were totally unnecessary, as sufficient money was assured to the island by the play tables till 1871, and, as Mr. R. Friedrick added, when that was ended a new contract must be at once made till 1890, when 3,000l. per annum must be obtained instead of 1,200/.
The above being the general tone of the Assembly, and so much confusion in speech, I considered it advisable to adjourn the house.
To His Excellency the Governor,
MADAM,
&c.
&c.
Enclosure No. 5.
I have, &c.,
(Signed)
K. N. MICHELS.
Town Clerk.
Government House, Heligoland, 15th January 1868.
I CONSIDER it necessary to address the following communication to you on the subject of the play-tables in Heligoland.
If the Government of this Colony permits the continuance of your establishment until the end of your present contract in 1871, it is only with a view of saving the property of the public creditors of the laland, amongst whom there are a large number of widows and orphans,
At the same time I must distinctly inform you that the permission to continue the play-tables can for the present only be accorded for the current year, viz, 1868, and then only on the following conditions :-
Firstly, that you engage yourself not to pay a single shilling of the rent into the hands of the Colonial Treasurer, but that the whole of the rent be paid into the hands of the Town Clerk, as a deposit, awaiting the orders of this Government; and that the first half of the rent be so paid in the middle of June, and the remainder the end of September.
Secondly, that on your side you will now fully understand that the smallest breach of the above conditions will entail the immediate cessation of your establishment.
Finally, I regret to have to remark, that through your agent bere having permitted himself to be talked over by some of the officials of the island, a considerable portion of your rent for 1867 was handed over to the Island Treasurer, and was of course immediately swallowed up in "general expenditure."
This behaviour on the part of your agent was in direct contradiction to the agreement entered into I feel it, therefore, to be my duty to warn with and the directions received from this Government. you that only the strictest attention to the terms of this communication will ensure the temporary continuance of your establishment for the current year,
Frau Doctorin Biermann,
Cassel.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
FITZ MAXSE,
Lieutenant-Colonel, &c.
Enclosure No. 6.
LIST OF PUBLIC CREDITORS OF HELIGOLAND PAID OFF DURING 1865-67.
1865.
C. Meyer
Marke
6,500 0
H. Ebrichs
"
"
Maria Nickels
3,500 0 50
體
"
R. P. Hansen, Nro.
25 0
19
#
10,075 0
1866.
Maria Nickels
100 0
Ehrich Rickmers
100
0
判
Jacob O. Friederichs
300
0
"
H. & M. Block
50 0
F1
Madame Biermann
Paul Volkera
P. A. Jaspers
P. S. Botter
Clans Stoldt, Nro.
མན༴ནཟ ༤དྡྷནྟཱ
2,500 0
n
2,500 0 5,798 0 1,200
12,548 0
1867,
N. P. Block
5,500 0
5,000 0
H
C. Boymann
2,000 0
Martha Hiekens
1,000 0
Madame Biermann
2,500 0
"
Total reduction of island debt during the above three years
16,000 0
38,623 0
Maxʊ. In 1865 the island debt amounted to 124,264 marka.
Paid off during 1865-67 -
Present amount of debt
38,628 "
85,641 marks.
FITZ MAXSE,
Lieutenant-Colonel, &c.
SIR,
( 49 )
No. 13.
COLONIAL OFFICE to TREASURY.
Downing Street, 10th February 1868.
I AM directed by the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos to transmit to you, for the consideration of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, a copy of a correspondence between this office and the Admiralty respecting the lawless practice of salvage and wrecking which obtains at Heligoland and the adjacent coasts by the Heligolanders and the resort to the island of a very large number of English fishing-smacks giving rise to serious disturbances between the fishermen and Heligolanders, proceedings which Her Majesty's Government are bound to restrain, but which cannot be done so long as the Governor has no sufficient force at his disposal to maintain order and the due observance of the laws.
Their Lordships will perceive by the correspondence which is enclosed that the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty have stated that the only mode in which they can give any assistance would be by making Heligoland a coastguard station, and this would appear to be the most feasible and economical mode of providing for the exigency of the case. The Secretary of State concurs entirely in this opinion.
The estimated expense for the proposed establishment per annum, including the first supply of stores and a wooden boathouse, is 589/. 148. 2d.; but before taking any steps in the matter the Board of Admiralty desire to be informed whether the expense would be borne by this Department.
The Duke of Buckingham desires me to remark that the Government of Heligoland, as the Lords of the Treasury are aware, cannot be carried on without assistance from Parliament, and that for the last two years since the inauguration of representative government it has been found necessary to increase the parliamentary grant, which now amounts to 1,100%, a sum of 1371. on account of ground rents (for 1866) being the only fixed local revenue. The incidental revenue for that year amounted to 1,9787., of which 1,3631. is derived from the play-tables, and out of that source the present Governor has paid annual sums in reduction of the island debt, for which this rent and the House is practically the security, the amount so paid up to 1866 being 7607., still leaving a debt of 6,371, and unless the gambling lease were to be prolonged it will be necessary that the whole rent thereof shall be applied in reduction of the debt.
I am to add that, owing to the state of the island, it was found necessary by Mr. Cardwell to send a man-of-war there in 1866; two men-of-war were despatched to the island last year, and it was found necessary that a detachment of marines should be left on the island for about twelve weeks.
The costs of these measures, although not figuring in the parliamentary estimates of the expense of the Government, cannot be overlooked, and there is too much reason to expect that more frequent visits will have to be made in future as the island becomes more frequented by fishing-smacks and other visitors were nothing done to maintain order on the spot, thus entailing extra cost to the public on that account besides the inconvenience of detaching men-of-war for such a service.
The cost therefore of the proposed coastguard establishment must necessarily be paid in the first instance from imperial funds, and the only question is, whether it should be borne on naval or colonial estimates.
འ
His Grace inclines to the opinion that this small additional expense might be added to the estimate for coastguard services, but he would be glad if their lordships would consider this point, and if they should not decide upon placing it in the parliamentary estimate for Heligoland that they would communicate with the Admiralty on the Bubject.
The Duke of Buckingham desires me to inform the Lords of the Treasury that the representative institutions which were granted to Heligoland in 1864 have been found wholly unsuitable to the character and disposition of the inhabitants, and that by the latest advices received from the Governor, his Grace has learnt that the Combined Court which has the control over the imposition of taxes and the appropriation of the public money, has refused to assent to any imposition of taxes, and their conduct for some time past has been of such a nature as to prevent the orderly administration of the Government.
Her Majesty's Government have therefore determined that a simpler form of govern- ment shall be established in Heligoland, and that the power of legislation shall be vested
• Not printed.
39492.
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