CO129-016 - Sir John Davis - 1846 [1-6] — Page 227

arise,

- income of about £ 12000, connot be expected rapidly to increase, as most of the available spots at present in demand have been. disposed of. With the progress of the Colony a further demand may probably calling for building sites in the neighbouchoul of the Town, but the rates at which allotments were at first sold must not be expected for the future.

.

The Police Assessment, which is estimated to yield about £2,000 per annum, must be expected to become more productive

of tenements ..

with the increase

Next to the Crown Leases, the

Licenses and Excise Farms (as that for

Opium) " are the most productive sources

of

1 Revenue, and like those at Singapore should increase with the progress of the place.

It will be an early object with me

Expenditure

to

01

carry out

223

- out the proposed Ordinance for a duty Wines, Spirits, and Permented Liquors, but

the chief difficulty attending the execution of this project is the total absence of a Custom House Establishment in the free Port of Hongkong ; and it therefore may be apprehended that the machinery expresity necessary for the collection of the Far, will tend to render its net-produce. comparatively small :

.

reason

Upon the whole, there is fair to anticipate that the fired Revenue may raised to about £30,000. per

annum,

and

be

that when the expenses incidental to the first formation of the Colony have been depayed, the annual recripts will be found. rearly equal to the annual Civil Desbursements

The comparative Expenditure for

1845 exhibits

ar

increase beyond

apparent increase

1844, which is mainly owing to the Colonial Establishment having regularly

commenced

to

only