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CORRESPONDENCE
Soon after my arrival in this island, I observed that there had been a large and unnecessary expenditure of the public money here, which had been greatly facilitated by the power of arresting portions of the Chinese indemnity money, in its transit to the home exchequer.
*Perceiving that the disbursement was daily augmenting*, I felt it to be my duty, even at the hazard of losing, what much covet, the confidence and support of your Lordship, to state openly my opinions to my superiors, and to substantiate them by facts, relative to the true nature and value of Hong Kong, and to its necessary concomitant—the British position and prospects in China.
The reports, minutes, and papers, written in support of these opinions were transmitted either to your Lordship, to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, or to the Lords of the Treasury, and as I un- derstood they were producing some effect at home, by suggesting various inquiries, and causing a check to be put upon the expenditure here, I resolved, although my health and constitution have been much impaired by this climate, to await the result of those inquiries, and the correction of errors which time and circumstances generally induce.
Having, however, recently ascertained that Governor Davis is pro- posing for
your Lordship's sanction a further expenditure of half a mil- Tion of dollars for civil works here†, irrespective of the, I think, entirely unnecessary extent of outlay incurred, and projected in the military and ordnance departments; believing that Her Majesty's Government must be under great misapprehension relative to Hong Kong, and to our affairs and position in China; and understanding that it is intended to evacuate Chusan in February or March next, without any attempt at negotiation for the retention of that most valuable and importaut island (worthy of being an Anglo-Chinese colony), I applied to Governor Davis for six months' leave of absence, on public grounds, in order that I might bring the whole subject under a complete and unbiassed investi- gation, and thus, if possible, timely correct what are deemed primary errors of national importance.
In order to place the question on high grounds, I offered to give up all my salary; to incur my own expenses to England; to continue my bonds of pecuniary security to the Crown ; and to forfeit my commission in Her Majesty's service, should my application for leave of absence be disapproved of at home.
The Governor refused the leave sought, on the plea that I was not dying and requiring change of climate; a decision, as shown in the accompanying correspondence, contrary to the obvious meaning of the Governor's instructions (chap. iv. p. 25), and which, if thus interpreted,
• Governor Davis declared that he was "determined to spend as much as possible of the Chinese indemnity money, in its transit to England; because, after that supply ceased, the grants voted by Parliament would be jejune indeed.” The necessity of the expenditure was a subordinate consideration. The leading idea of many governors is to create a favourable impression of having made great progress in public works, roads, &c. This used to be frequently done by grants from the home exchequer, and, as in the case of Hong Kong, totally unrequired by local circumstances.
+ I only ascertained this on my return from visiting the northern Consulates in June, 1845, and immediately took steps to try and check this utter waste of the public money,
ON RESIGNATION.
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would make every colonial servant of the crown an exile for life, or subject to the caprice, favouritism, or vindictiveness of any colonial governor.
The yet unsettled state of the British affairs in China; the very short time intervening for their imperatively-required better arrangement, previous to the evacuation of Chusan, when our expenditure of every description ought to undergo the most careful revision and retrench- ment; the desire to prevent the contemplated expenditure of half a million dollars for civil works, and of other unnecessary projected out- lays; a conscientious belief that, as a sworn servant of the Crown, I am bound to lay all the information I have collected here, before Her Majesty's Ministers, and that can only effectually do so, without further loss of time, in person; have compelled me to adopt the only alternative in my power, namely, to place in the hands of Governor Davis my resignation as Her Majesty's Treasurer for the Colonial, Consular, and Diplomatic services in China, in order that I may at once bring the whole matter under the full and fair consideration of your Lordship, and be on the spot in case of necessity for reference.
I will not advert to myself, personally, to any treatment which I have experienced, or to any misinterpretation of my motives and con- But I do confi- duct; these are points of comparatively little moment. dently hope that the newness and vast importance of our position in China; the still partial blending of colonial, diplomatic, and commercial affairs here; the possible imperfections of individual judgment, arising from natural causes and various interests; and the advantages conse- quently derivable to the State, from a minute examination and exposi- tion of our affairs in the most distant, most complex, yet least under- stood settlement and relations of the British Crown, may induce your Lordship to grant, under the peculiar circumstances of the case, and onf public grounds, a court of inquiry, previous to the acceptance by my Sovereign of the responsible commission with which Her Majesty was graciously pleased to invest me.
Sir,
I have, &c.,
Inclosure 3 in No. XV.
R. M. MARTIN,
To his Excellency J. F. Davis, Governor of Hong Kong.
H. M. Treasury, Hong Kong, June 18, 1845.
In my recent Minute on the British Position and Prospects in China," I ventured to indicate, according to the best of my judgment, the mistakes committed during our past negotiations with the Chinese authorities, to demonstrate the apparent defects of our present policy, and to point out in some respects the course which it seems advisable to pursue previous to the evacuation of Chusan in February next.
Having devoted twenty years to an investigation of our colonial and commercial relations, I believe that my opinions thereon receive some attention at home: and that when Her Majesty's Government,
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