1841-1886
STATE OF HER MAJESTY'S COLONIAL POSSESSIONS. 343
233
HONG KONG.
No. 36.
EXTRACT of a DESPATCH from Governor Sir JOHN BOWRING to the Right Honourable H. LABOUCHERE, dated
(No. 125.)
Government Offices, Victoria,
Hong Kong, August 11, 1857.
(Received Nov. 3, 1857.)
I HAVE to apologize for some delay in forwarding the Blue Book, and for its incompleteness in some particulars. The many changes that have taken place among the functionaries, the absence of several heads of departments from the colony, the state of political affairs, which has disturbed to a considerable extent the ordinary resources of the Government, and augmented in various and unanticipated ways the demands upon the public revenue, added to my own somewhat shattered health, will all, I doubt not, induce you to look with indulgence on any shortcomings or defects in the returns I have now the honor to forward.
I must, however, add, with respect to the public service generally, confided as it has been in many important departments to gentlemen new to official life, that I have every reason to be satisfied with their exertions, placed as we have all been in circumstances of almost unprecedented danger and difficulty.
And I think it is a subject of fair and honest congratulation, that, whatever mistakes, if any, have been committed, or whatever censures, deserved or not, have been directed against the Executive authority, we have succeeded in maintaining the public tranquillity, and in carrying the colony through, not alone the ordinary perils which the interruption of friendly relations with the neighbouring province of Kwangtung necessarily brought with it, but through those more mysterious and occult dangers, in the shape of assassinations, poisonings, and incendiarisms, encouraged by large pecuniary premiums, and by appeals to every passion of cupidity, malignity, and hatred to which barbarism could look for allies.
Up to the present moment, I have not drawn for one penny against any Parliamentary grant. We have found in the surplus revenues of former years, and which it was proposed to appropriate to important public works, the means of temporarily providing for the heavy augmentation of charges; but I shall have ere long to avail myself of the promised aid.
The report of the acting colonial secretary does not appear to require many observations from me. I concur generally in his views as to the state of the revenues and expenditure of the colony. I see nothing in our financial position to prevent the colony, under ordinary circumstances, from being a self-supporting colony as regards the whole of its civil establishment. The taxation upon the inhabitants is light indeed, and there is no impost but for a specific service; indeed the Crown revenues make up for the deficiencies of those expenses which ought to be provided for out of the taxes specially levied for the particular services. The police rate, now 10 per cent, on rental, is altogether insufficient to pay the cost of police, jails, &c. The lighting rate has not up to the present time covered the expenditure associated with that department of outlay; and at the present moment the reserved fund which I had intended to be applied solely to public works of utility and importance has been temporarily absorbed by the urgencies of our present position. If Lord Elgin consents to make and enforce these claims upon the Chinese Government on behalf of this island which I should undoubtedly have done had the powers of negotiation remained in my hands, I shall not only be able to repay any amount with which I may be assisted by the
1841-1886
STATE OF HER MAJESTY'S COLONIAL POSSESSIONS. 343
233
HONG KONG.
No. 36.
EXTRACT of a DESPATCH from Governor Sir JOHN BOWRING to the Right
Honourable H. LABOUCHERE, datel
(No. 125.)
Government Offices, Victoria,
Hong Kong, August 11, 1857.
(Received Nov. 3, 1857.)
I HAVE to apologize for some delay in forwarding the Blue Book, and for its incompleteness in some particulars. The many changes that have taken place among the functionaries,the absence of several heads of departments from the colony, the state of political affairs, which has disturbed to a con- siderable extent the ordinary resources of the Government, and augmented in various and unanticipated ways the demands upon the public revenue, added to my own somewhat shattered health, will all, I doubt not, induce you to look with indulgence on any shortcomings or defects in the returns I have now the honor to forward..
I must, however, add, with respect to the public service generally, confided as it has been in many important departments to gentlemen new to official life, that I have every reason to be satisfied with their exertions, placed as we have all been in circumstances of almost unprecedented danger and difficulty.
And I think it is a subject of fair and honest congratulation, that, whatever mistakes, if any, have been committed, or whatever censures, deserved or not, have been directed against the Executive authority, we have succeeded in maintaining the public tranquillity, and in carrying the colony through, not alone the ordinary perils which the interruption of friendly relations with the neighbouring province of Kwangtung necessarily brought with it, but through those more mysterious and occult dangers, in the shape of assassinations, poison- ings, and incendiarisms, encouraged by large pecuniary premiums, and by appeals to every passion of cupidity, malignity, and hatred to which barbarism
could look for allies.
Up to the present moment, I have not drawn for one penny against any Parliamentary grant. We have found in the surplus revenues of former years, and which it was proposed to appropriate to important public works, the means of temporarily providing for the heavy augmentation of charges; but I shall have ere long to avail myself of the promised aid.
The report of the acting colonial secretary does not appear to require many observations from me. I concur generally in his views as to the state of the revenues and expenditure of the colony. I see nothing in our financial position to prevent the colony, under ordinary circumstances, from being a self-supporting colony as regards the whole of its civil establishment. The taxation upon the inhabitants is light indeed, and there is no impost but for a specific service; indeed the Crown revenues make up for the deficiencies of those expenses which ought to be provided for out of the taxes specially levied for the particular services. The police rate, now 10 per cent, on rental, is altogether insufficient to pay the cost of police, jails, &c. The lighting rate has not up to the present time covered the expenditure associated with that department of outlay; and at the present moment the reserved fund which I had intended to be applied solely to public works of utility and importance has been temporarily absorbed by the urgencies of our present position. If Lord Elgin consents to make and enforce these claims upon the Chinese Government on behalf of this island which I should undoubtedly have done had the powers of negotiation remained in my hands, I shall not only be able to repay any amount with which I may be assisted by the
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