CO129-023 - Sir John Davis - 1848 [1-3] — Page 101

I did not inform the Committee. I must state that the reason for the answer attributed to him that I did. look in the face these great difficulties, instead of giving the thing up in despair, and that in four years never a by. appended the Mr. Martin, this place to much to any Paper from myself upon opium, indeed of any kind whatever. ary. any There is another assertion, that in Despatches to Her Majesty's Government I compared Hongkong to Carthage and Rome: but if I cannot at once be acquitted of such nonsense, the records of the Foreign and Colonial offices will both prove that not a syllable has ever been mentioned of Rome or Carthage, any Jericho.. wine that that of Babylon Mz Martin "very much regrets that "Sir John Davis did not more directly look in the face the very great difficulties he had "to contend with (at Anughing) instead of "endeavouring by a system of taxation and legislation to raise up the place to what "was expected." It is a satisfaction to me that I have raised more than was expected; increased the Revenue to £31,078; diminished the expenditure (including Civil works) to £50,459; advanced the population to 25,872; and augmented the tonnage to 229,465 - exclusive of Chinese Junks - being reputed. pret-house, Hongkong has become a healthy Colony, the police is perfectly effective, many of the Chinese inhabitants are respectable, and a good road of 24 miles now completely surrounds the Island, much of it through granite rocks. I leave these palpable indications and elements of prosperity, far surpassing those of Singapore at the same period from its commencement, to confute Mr. Martin's hasty opinions committed to paper in 1841, a few weeks after his arrival...