C
1841-1886
OF HER MAJESTY'S COLONIAL POSSESSIONS,
307
25
than many inhabitants of southern Europe, whilst in North China they are as fair as Europeans generally. I may also add, that I place no reliance on the returns given of mortality amongst the Chinese, and still less on the contents of the singular column headed "Mortality out of the Colony," which is described as amounting to 864 deaths last year. There can possibly be no sensible meaning attached to such a return, which is evidently absurd, and I have directed its omission in future, though it appears to have formed one of the regular annual returns here for a series of years.
43. Of the remaining Ordinances passed last year, to which I have not specially adverted, the most important, as affecting the social condition of the population, are the Ordinances for Maintenance of Order and Cleanliness (No. 8), since amended, and the "Ordinance for Suppression of Piracy" (No. 9). The latter constitutes a very excellent Court to try, without intervention of a jury, certain classes of piracy cases, whenever the Attorney General sees reason to prefer proceeding in the new Court, i.e., during vacation, or to prevent delay leading to loss of evidence or tampering with witnesses.
44. The Court is to consist of the Chief Justice (President), the Senior Naval Officer, the Judge of the Summary Court, and two others to be named from time to time by the Governor. The most valuable portion of the Ordinance, however, is that which enacts new penalties for confederation of every kind and degree with pirates, &c., offences over which by a recent Ordinance the Supreme Court has now equal and similar jurisdiction. The new Court has not yet been constituted, though, without having the least reason to find fault with the administration of justice in piracy cases before the Supreme Court, I hope soon to call the former into existence, because in certain contingencies its aid might be valuable.
45. No Ordinance, however, that was passed last year, or indeed for many years, caused so much opposition and gave rise to so much debate as that for imposing Stamp Duties (No. 12). It had, nevertheless, become evident that the annual income of the Colony was unequal to its expenditure, especially as the Mint, to which I shall presently advert, had consumed almost all the surplus capital of the Colony. I had foreseen, and reported during the first week of my arrival here, that the legitimate expenses of the Colony, unaided by any Customs Revenue, and increased by the double burden of the Mint, if unsuccessful, and the annual military contribution, would probably end in reducing the Colony to bankruptcy, an event which may be said to have taken place last year, when I was obliged on my own responsibility to borrow 80,000 dollars from one of the banks at 8 per cent. interest, for the purpose of meeting the ordinary expenses of Government.
46. The stoppage of useful public works, such as supplying the town with water, drainage, making of roads, and supplying adequate hospital accommodation, aided by one fortunate land sale, have put the Government in a position to meet the most urgent demands, but the arrears of the military contribution since the 1st of last September remain unpaid. More recently, the destruction caused by typhoons, of the great public work of the city, viz., the sea wall which protects the Praya, or main thoroughfare of the city along the harbour, and on the strength of which depends the security of the fine range of buildings extending for miles along the Praya, has completely disabled the Colony, if held liable for its restoration, from meeting the liabilities imposed by Her Majesty's Government, that is to say, it is disabled from meeting them if it attempts to discharge the ordinary duties of a Government to the community.
47. In my Despatch No. 361, of the 11th ultimo, I had the honour to furnish your Grace with convincing proofs that the permanent ordinary revenue of the Colony has certainly not increased for several years, and that, although it had apparently risen from 120,000l. in 1863 to 160,000l. in 1866, the increase, so far from leaving any balance available to meet fresh burdens, was wholly imaginary, and occasioned by a difference in the mode of keeping the postal accounts, as well as by an increase in the police and other rates which are annually leviable for special objects, and are not available for other purposes. In fact, I proved that, having regard to these considerations, there was actually less available revenue in 1866 by nearly 10,000l. than in 1863.
48. The argument, therefore, in favour of some increase of taxation, was irresistible, and I think was wholly unanswered by those who memorialized against the Stamp Ordinance, which is the only measure that in a free port like this could have been imposed without striking a blow at the root of the prosperity of the Colony, a tax, moreover, the fairest of all in its incidence, and the most lightly borne, as it is self-adjusting
*C
1841-1886
OF HER MAJESTY'S COLONIAL POSSESSIONS,
307
25
than many inhabitants of southern Europe, whilst in North China they are as fair as Europeans generally. I may also add, that I place no reliance on the returns given of mortality amongst the Chinese, and still less on the contents of the singular column headed Mortality out of the Colony," which is described as amounting to 864 deaths last year. There can possibly be no sensible meaning attached to such a return, which is evidently absurd, and I have directed its omission in future, though it appears to have formed one of the regular annual returns here for a series of years.
43. Of the remaining Ordinances passed last year, to which I have not specially adverted, the most important, as affecting the social condition of the population, are the Ordinances for Maintenance of Order and Cleanliness (No. 8.), since amended, and the "Ordinance for Suppression of Piracy." (No. 9.) The latter constitutes a very excellent Court to try, without intervention of a jury, certain classes of piracy cases, whenever the Attorney General sees reason to prefer proceeding in the new Court, i. e., during vacation, or to prevent delay leading to loss of evidence or tampering with witnesses.
44. The Court is to consist of the Chief Justice (President), the Senior Naval Officer, the Judge of the Summary Court, and two others to be named from time to time by the Governor. The most valuable portion of the Ordinance, however, is that which enacts new penalties for confederation of every kind and degree with pirates, &c., offences over which by a recent Ordinance the Supreme Court has now equal and similar jurisdiction. The new Court has not yet been consituted, though, without having the least reason to find fault with the administration of justice in piracy cases before the Supreme Court, I hope soon to call the former into existence, because in certain contingencies its aid might
be valuable.
45. No Ordinance, however, that was passed last year, or indeed for many years, caused so much opposition and gave rise to so much debate as that for imposing Stamp Duties. (No. 12.) It had, nevertheless, become evident that the annual income of the Colony was unequal to its expenditure, especially as the Mint, to which I shall presently advert, had consumed almost all the surplus capital of the Colony. I had foreseen, and reported during the first week of my arrival here, that the legitimate expenses of the Colony, unaided by any Customs Revenue, and increased by the double burthen of the Mint, if unsuccessful, and the annual military contribution, would probably end_in reducing the Colony to bankruptcy, an event which may be said to have taken place last year, when I was obliged on my own responsibility to borrow 80,000 dollars from one of the banks at 8 per cent. interest, for the purpose of meeting the ordinary expenses of Government.
46. The stoppage of useful public works, such as supplying the town with water, drainage, making of roads, and supplying adequate hospital accommodation, aided by one fortunate land sale, have put the Government in a position to meet the most urgent demands, but the arrears of the military contribution since the 1st of last September remain unpaid. More recently, the destruction caused by typhoons, of the great public work of the city, viz., the sea wall which protects the praya, or main thoroughfare of the city along the harbour, and on the strength of which depends the security of the fine range of buildings extending for miles along the praya, has completely disabled the Colony, if held liable for its restoration, from mecting the liabilities imposed by Her Majesty's Government, that is to say, it is disabled from meeting them if it attempts to discharge the ordinary duties of a Government to the community.
47. In my Despatch No. 361., of the 11th ultimo, I had the honour to furnish your Grace with convincing proofs that the permanent ordinary revenue of the Colony has certainly not increased for several years, and that, although it had apparently risen from 120,000/. in 1863 to 160,000l. in 1866, the increase, so far from leaving any balance available to meet fresh burdens, was wholly imaginary, and occasioned by a difference in the mode of keeping the postal accounts, as well as by an increase in the police and other rates which are annually leviable for special objects, and are not available for other purposes. In fact, I proved that, having regard to these considerations, there was actually less available revenue in 1866 by nearly 10,0007. than in 1863.
48. The argument, therefore, in favour of some increase of taxation, was irresistible, and I think was wholly unanswered by those who memorialized against the Stamp Ordinance, which is the only measure that in a free port like this could have been imposed without striking a blow at the root of the prosperity of the Colony, a tax, more- the fairest of all in its incidence, and the most lightly borne, as it is self-adjusting
over,
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.