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THE GOVERNOR AND JUSTICES OF THE
PEACE OF HONGKONG ABOUT POLICE AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS.
January-March, 1851.
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
by a Memorandum of the amount of Taxes levied for VICTORIA, HONGKONG, 10th January, 1851. the support of the Police during that period. By this GENTLEMEN,With reference to the proposal you will perceive that the Expenditure exceeded the made some months ago that the Police Force of this receipt by £1,051.19.21. Should, therefore, the amount of the tax fall short of the sum expended, the Colony should be placed under the control of a Municipal Committee in a mode similar to that deficiency, not exceeding the above sum of £1,051. obtaining in Boroughs in England, I am instructed 19.21, will be made good from the Colonial Treasury to inform you that the subject having been recently during the next two years, by which time experience will shew if any, and what further arrangements again under the consideration of the Governor, His
should be made. Excellency has come to the conclusion that the time
has arrived when your suggestions may be tried this proposal, His Excellency will feel obliged by 3d. Should you determine, therefore, to accept with a fair prospect of success. His Excellency has, therefore, determined to offer the entire control and your sending to him at as early a period as possible management of the Police Force to yourselves, as a
the Draft of such an Ordinance as may in your body best representing the interests of the Com-judgment meet the requirements of the case, as it munity, subject only to the exception that the Super of 1845, under which the Police Tax is now col- will of course be necessary to repeal Ordinance No. 2 intendent of Police and the Assistant Superintendent, who were appointed directly or indirectly by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, be not removed or enspended from their offices without the sanction of the Governor of this Colony; and, doubtless, before their offices become vacant, arrangements may be made to secure to yourselves the appointment of
their Successors, until which time their Salaries will be paid from the Colonial Treasury.
2d.-I enclose a Schedule of the Expenses of the Police Force for the past Year, 1850, accompanied
* Memorandum of Expences of Police Force during 1850 (exclusive of Police Force stationed at the Gaols, -Gaol Guard, and Naval Stores.)
£174 9 0 95 5 I 123 18 24 619 1 7
2 Deputy Inspectors,.
2 Police Sergeants, Europeans,
Acting
Do.
Do...
18 Constables
Bo...
1 Do.
acting also as Clerk extra,
1 Sergeant, Indian,
13 Constablea Do. I class,
71 Do.
Do. II do.,
1 Sergeant, Chinese,
3 Acting do, do,
4 Acting Do. Do.,...
20 0 0 49 6 3 250 17 24
42 10
lected, and Ordinance No. 12 of 1844 constituting the present Police Force, in order that you may yourselves be the Assessors and Collectors of the tax, and that suitable regulations may be made in accor dance with the altered constitution of the Force, and which no doubt your experience will readily suggest. informing you, that the General Revenue of the 4th. Itis Excellency takes this opportunity of
Colony having been found insufficient for the due construction and repair of the necessary Roads and Sewers in this City, an Ordinance was drawn up under the direction of the late Governor Sir John Davis, and received the sanction of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, for the purpose of providing for the necessary expenses by an assessed tax on real property. Being excessively unwilling to burthen the Colony with taxation, His Excellency has refrain 21 19 11ed from laying the measure before the Legislative 329 0
Council, hoping by economy to be enabled to make 93 I 3 298 0 3
the ordinary Revenue sufficient, and he has so far 930 13 4 succeeded that the Roads have been kept in a toler- ably good state of repair. It is found, however, that this is nearly all that can be done, so that, should any additional Public Works of this nature become indispensable, it will be necessary that this Ordinance or some similar one become law, as after the opposi tion to the annual grant of money for this Colony made in the House of Commons during the last Session of Parliament, it can scarcely be expected that a more extensive grant will be made in future years.
5th-Under these circumstances, His Excellency would suggest the propriety of your at the same time considering whether some of the objects of this Ordin- ance (the Draft of which I herewith enclose for your information) might not be properly embodied in the enactment which it is purposed that you shall submit to him; and whether, instead of levying an additional rate upon real property, a tax upon Horses, Carriages, and upon Chairs, would not provide a sufficient fund for the required purpose.
Stg. 2754
Constables do.,
4 Coolios for Station, Horses, &c.,
Salaries.......
Rent for Police Station Victoria,
Central,£208 6 Roat for Police Station at Show-
kewau,....
lice Force in lieu of rations, £156 9 8
15 0 0
223
Compensation to European Po-
Clothing and Accoutrements,.......
73
6 11
Repair of Boats,
10
6 2
Shoeing Horsey,
15 0 0
Forage,
40 10 10
Oil and Candles for lamps and
lanterns,....
64 15 93
33 5 3
Incidental Expenses,
984
6 6
393 14 7
Total Payments made during 1850€ Stg. 3371 10 10 Due for Materials for clothing received
from England.
185 0 0
Total charge for 1850...... £Sty. 3656 10 10
Police Rates collected during 1850-
Actual Collections,
Deduct charges-
5 per cent to Asses-
..₤281 11 3
sara and Collectors, £140 11 6
Wages to Shroff and
Sub-collector,......
Stationery,
Printing Chinese
Forms,
Publishing annual
Collections,
Jucidental expenses
incurred in collect.
115 0 0
10 1 24
3 6
37 194
ing Rates at the Villages,
350
307 07
Remain Nett Proceeds of Rates. £2504 10 74 The Police cost more than is the Stg. 1051 19 21
produce of the Rates by.......
8th January 1851.
(True Copy)
A. R. JOHNSTON. For the Colonial Secretary
R. RIEN AECKER. Acting Colonial Trepaurer,
6th.-Trusting that this proposal will meet with your approval, and may result in the permanent im provement of the Police of the Colony, I have the honour to be, Gentlemen, your most obedient humble servant,
A. R. JOHNSTON, for the Colonial Secretary.
To Her Majesty's JUSTICES OF THE PRACE
for Hongkong.
HONGKONG, 31st January, 1851.
To the Honourable Major CAINE,
Colonial Secretary, Hongkong. SIR, We have had the honour of receiving a letter dated 10th instant, signed your behalf by Mr Johnston, and addressed to the Justices of the Peace of Hongkong by desire of His Excellency the Governor,
It conveyed to us an offer on the part of His Excellency to give us the entire control and manage ment of the Police Force of the City of Victoria, subject to one or two exceptions.
In order to meet the necessary expense, His Excel- lency is willing to assign over to us the Revenue raised from the Police Rtates, amounting last year to £2811, and further to place at our disposal for two years the sum annually of £1051,19,2į, being the difference between the amount now expended for the support of the Police Force, and the taxes levied for that purpose,
Having given every consideration to the proposal that has been made, we would now beg to offer a few remarks.
Since 1848, both the strength and the pay of the Police have been considerably reduced. In 1848, the amount expended on the Police was £2138; in 1850 only £1028,-less than one-half; and we presume that no further reduction would be practicable. In our opinion however the present Police Force is most inefficient, and to establish one of a different charac ter, a greater outlay of money would be required than His Excellency seems disposed to give. More- over, it is more than probable that the amount at present raised from Police Rates, will, from various causes, in future fall considerably short of what it
now is.
Under these circumstances, it would be necessary to assess the community to a greater extent than at present; and in our opinion, such a measure would not only be inexpedient, but lead to general dissatis- faction.
We are under the necessity therefore of respect fully declining the offer on the terms that His Excel- lency has proposed.
His Excellency informs us that the general Revenue of the Colony had been found insufficient for the due construction and repairs of the necessary Roads and Sewers in this City, and forwards us the Draft of an Ordinance, drawn up under the direction of the late Governor Sir John Davis, providing for the necessary expenses of these, by an assessed tax on Real Property. His Excellency suggests the propriety of our consider- ing whether it might not now be advisable to adopt some of the provisions of said Ordinance, substituting a tax upon Horses and Carriages, and upon Chairs, instead of, as intended, upou Real Property. We gather from the tenor of His Excellency's remarks, that in the event of such assessment being made, the management of the Streets, Roads, and Sewers of the City would also be confided to the Justices, or to such body as may afterwards be constituted.
We have only to repeat, that we cannot recommend further taxation of any kind, unless as a substitute for some present tax of a more objectionable nature. We would beg to remind His Excellency, that during the last 6 or 7 years, various Meniorinis have been addressed by this Community both to the Govern- ment of this Colony and to the Government at home, complaining of heavy and inequitable taxation, and although remonstrances on this subject have lat- terly been less frequent, it would be erroneous, in our opinion, to suppose that the burden was felt less heavily, and that the present state and prospects of the Colony would warrant the imposition of further taxes. From His Excellency's own remarks on this subject, we are glad to remark that his opinion in this respect coincides with ours.
On previous occasions the Community expressed the desire to have some control of Municipal reatters and of the affairs of the Colony in general, and we should regret, should His Excellency, from what has been stated, suppose that we are now willing to assume the duties belonging to a Municipal Body.
We are prepared on our own behalf, and we think we may venture to add, in behalf of the Rate-payers in general, to accept His Excellency's offer of the control and management of the Police, which we presume includes also that of this Harbour, provided a sufficient sum is placed by Government at our dis- posal; and we consider that one of the first charges upon the large revenue derived from the Inhabitants of this place, should be, the sum required for the
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