CO129-027 - Public Offices - 1848 — Page 449

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R. M.Martin, Esq. ports being open to us, no depôt is likely to be formed at Hong Kong for the purpose of carrying on trade. The formation of a colony at Hong Kong, con- taining the most dissolute Chinese, is decidedly a discredit to us, and operates injuriously in our relations with the Chinese government.

18 May 1847.

3910. Is it necessary to maintain the present civil and military expenditure at Hong Kong, as a protection to our China trade ?-By no means, I think. I have addressed a report to Her Majesty's Government on Hong Kong, in July 1844, which I beg to submit to the Committee. I have connected with it a suggestion for the reduction of the governmental establishments there. I believe it is the best means of affording the merchants a prospect of carrying out their views in the island, by reducing the governmental establishments and diminishing the taxation required. (The report was delivered in. Vide Appendix.) The substance of that report is to prove the inefficiency of Hong Kong as a station for a commercial emporium, as a military station, and as a colony; and it contains suggestions for diminishing the expenditure in the different depart- ments. I find that the estimated charge for Hong Kong for one year, 1846, was nearly 500,000. The estimate transmitted to England for civil buildings, roads, and drains, amounts to 135,050 l. for the year ending 31 March 1846. The Ordnance estimate laid before Parliament, dated 16 February 1846, for buildings and barracks, amounts to 124,000. The civil salaries, wages, and contingencies, to 41,000l. The established military pay, provisions and charges for two regiments, about 150,0001. Victualling navy, stores, and advances to the navy, 50,000 7., making the total cost of Hong Kong for one year, 500,000 l., and this irrespective of the share of the cost of a line of battle ship, two frigates, three steamers, two gun brigs, and irrespective of the consular and superintendent of trade charges, amounting to 40,000. The revenue received for the year 1845, was 15,221 . I cannot therefore omit this opportunity of stating, that I consider such an expenditure a waste of the resources of the British treasury, and that a single frigate or steamer at Canton would be more effective for the protection of our trade than any garrison or fleet that we can maintain at Hong Kong.

3911. That expenditure of 500,000 l. was for one year?—Yes.

3912. That will not be continued?-No; but the estimated civil expenditure for 1847-48, for roads, drains, and bridges, is 24,302 l., and for works and build- ings, 4,150, making together, 28,453 7. The total estimate, colonial and consular, 1847-48, is 107,755 7. When it is known that for a small island like that, the Governor costs 7,000l. a year, and the Lieutenant-governor 4,500, and others charges in proportion, it is not to be wondered at that there has been great dissatisfaction on the part of the merchants there at the endeavour to raise a revenue to meet such charges. That expenditure is still going on, and the taxation proportionately increasing. The General's house alone will cost 70,000 dollars; the officers' quarters, 110,000 dollars; the hospital, 187,000 dollars; the barracks, about 250,000 dollars; and forts are also con- structing to protect an island which produces nothing, and which protects nothing.

3913. Are there any means of deriving better results from the colony of Hong Kong I consider that it is due to the merchants who have laid out such a large capital there, to free the place as much as possible from taxation, to grant them their lands in perpetuity, to reduce the rents levied on those lands, and to leave the place perfectly free, giving ample security for life and property. A few years will then determine whether it be possible to produce any commercial results from the place. I have no impression that it will, but I think it is due to the merchants to give the experiment every advantage.

3914. During your residence in China did you visit all the consular stations, and collect materials for a commercial report on China-I visited all the con- sular stations, and the island of Chusan; and I laid before Her Majesty's Govern- ment a full Report, any part of which can be produced before the Committee. My object in doing so was to endeavour to expand our trade with China. I con- sider that by opening other ports, and by getting a commercial station at Nankin, and at the Pei Ho, and other commercial stations in China, we should materially improve our trade, and get freer access to the interior of the country.

3915. Do you think there is any chance of getting a commercial station at Nankin or the Pei Ho-I think it would be worth the consideration of the Government

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Government to open a negotiation with the government of China, to point out R. M. Martin, Esq. that a mistake has been made in the selection of the present occupation, and to offer some equivalent advantages for having some other commercial stations

18 May 1847. opened to us, and generally to revise our treaty, which has been an extremely unfortunate one. It was originally prepared by Mr. Poulett Thompson and Mr. Deacon Hume at the Board of Trade, and sent on shore at Nankin without any alteration whatever; and its provisions were subsequently materially restricted by means of the supplemental treaty, which isolated Hong Kong from all the surrounding ports.

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3916. Do you think that our commerce with China is capable of increase, either as regards exports or imports ?--I think a more free intercourse with China would develope resources that at present we are unacquainted with. think China possesses large quantities of precious metals, which if worked would afford a considerable means of remittance to this country. I understand that sugar might be made an article of commerce and export from China; and if our East India ships were permitted, on proceeding to Amoy and other places, to load with sugar for England, although they have Lascar crews, it would be a means of furnishing return freights to this country irrespective of If those ships were permitted to come to England with sugar, which the existing navigation laws prohibit in consequence of their being manned with Lascars, it would benefit the trade of China. I particularly wish to see the coasting trade carried on more extensively by English vessels.

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3917. Have any other means occurred to you of extending our trade with China; is there any other article that China can send us besides tea and silk? -I have mentioned sugar; hemp is another article. There are various branches of manufactures, though small in amount, that might be extended.

3918. Do not you think that probably the result of our intercourse with China will be something the same as the result of our intercourse with India, namely, that we shall undersell their manufactures and take their raw produce in in- creased quantities in return?-In cotton manufactures we can undersell them all; probably also in some of their silks of a lighter description; but there are commodities of different kinds in China, I have no doubt, with such an immense population, which would be discovered by greater freedom of intercourse.

3919. From your recent intercourse with China, what conclusions have you been led to draw as to the present state of the Chinese empire?-My present impression is, that it is in a state of decadence, and has been so for two or three centuries; that it is extremely loosely held together, and its government exceedingly weak; and that by a proper representation on our part to the authorities at Pekin, we could obtain freedom of intercourse with other parts of China, and freedom of intercourse with the interior; that it would be for the benefit of the Chinese as well as the English that a freedom of intercourse should be established.

3920. Would it, in your opinion, be practicable to open a negotiation for the establishment of a British resident at Pekin -I think so. The Russians at present have an establishment there; we might, I understood, have had it or anything else at the time of the treaty of Nankin, if we had applied for it.

3921. Do you think that the Chinese government would be adverse, on reli- gious grounds, to a more intimate intercourse with Europeans?--I think not; there has been recently an edict granted by the Emperor tolerating Christianity, and ordering the restoration of the temples that were formerly confiscated. Any hostility that might be experienced would be principally from the Tartars, not from the Chinese. In all the northern cities of China we are received in the most friendly manner. The only hostility manifested has been at Canton, and to some extent at Foo Choo Foo, where a Tartai garrison has been es- tablished.

3922. Why are they more hostile to us?-Naturally as being a handful of people holding despotic control over China.

3923. Do the Chinese government feel any indisposition towards this coun- try in consequence of the opium trade?-My impressions upon that subject are very strong with reference to the injurious effects of it nationally. I have made a report thereon to Her Majesty's Government, and with great reluctance refer to the point, because I have the misfortune to differ from several English merchants connected with the opium trade in China; gentlemen of high charac- ter and standing. I do not wish to make use of my position before this Com-

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