CO129-033 - General Stavely - Lieut. Governor - 1850 [5-8] — Page 327

4.

which were not clearly

Leew

by them, and

which, at the first occupation of the island,

the

sanguine spirit of the community

led them consider.

considerably

to overrate

At a meeting of our Committed

it was endeavoured to show that the high Land Rents did actually press heavily

u pow the Chinese inhabitants, and it was suggested that the

would

requisites

calculation

I provd this. The calculation was suade, and it appeared that, in that

that park

average proportions

of the flincer Cownd which paid the very highest Ground-rent, the of this imputed burdon shillings per

: burder was about thirty

Το στιλ annund

house! Pho

conclusion could not be draws, for

as was

then remarked, the crowded, manner in

which Chinese line together, forbids the idea

that

any one person living in such a house could feel the weight of such a tax, or that the tenant or proprietor of such a

}

!

1/

کو

321

house could be prevented by that tax from

realizing good profit on his property. I kn that with some Europeans in the felony Chinese house property

large

is a fourcò

of very

income, and believe such to be the case with Chinese proprietors also; while Shave

no reason to think that amongst any class

of Chineze, whether they be respectable=

the lower order of labouring

shopkcopess.

Coolies, is

house

lodgingstent exorbitant.

rather

But if it were, it plainly rests with the

proprictor to reduce his profit, than with the Government to forego its revenues, which, us Shown above, falls lightly

ever where it falls

the most

A scheme, which I cannot but

characterize

in its mosh

our on

Onecting

as in

my opinier visionary,

· favorable point of

bee w

view, has at

Ruggested and adorcatod,

by two members of our Committen. This scheme is to abolish altogether the Lank)