CO129-052 - Sir Bowring - 1855 [9-12] — Page 49

4

LAND REVENUE :—

Lease Lands,

Lands not Leased,

Fees on grant of Leases,

Premium by Purchases,

Deposit do.,

COLONIAL ESTIMATES-HONGKONG.

REVENUE DETAILED.

ESTIMATED For 1856.

REVENUE OF 1854.

£ s. d. £ s. d. 14,000 250 50 25 "" 1,500 » 50

RENTS, EXCLUSIVE OF LANDS:—

Markets,...

Buildings,

2,500 225

LICENSES:-

Spirit Retailers,

Pawnbrokers,...

Auctioneers,

Salt Weighing,

Stone Quarriers,

51 15,850 >

REPERENCE T REMARAKS

COLONIAL ESTIMATES--HONGKONG.

48

REVENUE DETAILED.

REFER-

ESTIMATED FOR 1856.

REVENUE OF 1854.

ESTE TO REMARKS

£ s. d. £ s. d. 31,660 19 26,509 13 212 Brought forward, 10,266 10 1. SALE OF GOVERNMENT PROPERTY :-- 281 1 2 2. Condemned Stores, &c., 49 7 6 1,179 7 6 3. BY GOVERNMENT:-- 49 + REIMBURSEMENTS IN AID OF EXPENSES INCURRED Sick stoppages from Police Force, 125 = 241 13 + £ s. d. 103 6 1 100 2) 17 * 99 15 1,909 11 8 in Victoria Gaol,. 31 2,725 363 19 2 3. Convict Labours and other items, 75 * 33 Sale of Printed Forms, 5 F 119 A 3 103 10 23 9 93 305 3 7 11 >> 2,100 39 656 5 0 2,158 11 93 MISCELLANEOUS RECEIPTS :-- 656 5 0 Over-Payments, &c., Recovered, 5 9 0 156 5 0 156 5 0 SPECIAL RECEIPTS, Superannuation Contributions of European Police Force, &c., 35 37 0 2 300 "} " 427 1 8 Total, £ 32,000 27,045 3 51 Billiard Tables, 41 13 4 41 13 4 Opium Retailers, 2,200 59 1,856 14 1 Boarding-house Licenses, 105 16 8 5,560 104 11 2) 29 8 TAXES:- Police Assessment, POSTAGES:- (Received by the Post Master General in England,) FINES, FORFEITURES, AND FEES OF COURTS:— Fines, Forfeitures, Fees, FEES OF OFFICES:- 500 " 40 27 460 54 སྙ * 4,000 " 3,327 0 9 689 2 1 49 13 រ 1,000 905 1 2 On Marriages and Burials, 100 120 13 6 +3 ✓ Registry of Boats, 800 517 29 Do. Hawkers, 150 2 0 185 12 3 :: 55 Official Signatures, Registration of Deeds, Shipping Seamen, Sailing Letters and Passes, On Surveys + On Colonial, Registers 175 170 >> ?? } 100 11113 4 55 1,000 924 دن 4 ל 9 7 6 100 31 100 " Carried forward,... 2,525 31,660 وو 26,509 13 24

REMARKS.

The Estimated Revenue for 1856 exceeds the Revenue received in 1854, by £4,954.16s.6d. The present state and the prospects of the Revenue for the current and succeeding year are highly satisfactory. By the influx of population, Europeans, Americans, and Natives, and the general diffusion of wealth throughout the community, consequent on the extended Coasting and other Trade, the Revenue of 1854 was raised £4,045.3s.5d over the amount estimated for that year. The Receipts for the current year 1855, estimated at £24,200, will exceed that amount by about £12,000.

1. The LAND REVENUE will be considerably increased. On the 24th December, 1854, the RENT ROLL shewed the Annual Rents on LEASE LANDS to be £11,250.6s.1d; before the expiration of the present year it will no doubt reach £14,000. Sales have already been effected producing £1,780.3s.3d Annual Rent, viz:-

On 1st February,.. £504

16th and 17th March,...... 270

14 2

14th and 15th May,...

28th and 29th May,...

9th July,..

472

2 0

447

19

0

85

0 6

A few of the Marine Lots at West Point will, if sold, bring the Annual Rent to the sum estimated.

2. The amount estimated for LANDS Not Leased is less by £31.1s.2d than the amount received in 1854. This sum is collected from the Villages, where fishing and trading Boats constitute their principal source of income; but in consequence of the insecurity from pirates, that trade is seriously impeded, and the Villages accordingly comparatively deserted, instead of, as they should be, being flourishing places of native trade and industry.

3. The amounts estimated under FEES OF LEASES, PREMIUM and DEPOSITS, are conjectural, but under the circumstances must be considered very moderate.

£1,500

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4. Three MARKETS, all in the Western part of the town, produce now £2,305.10 per annum, viz ;—

The Central Market at $600 per month,..... 0 per annum.

The Western, leased to Mr Duddell at £53.2s.6d per month, 637

10

The Hwang-yuen (Tam Achoey's ), at £14 per month,.... 168

0

#2,305 10

As the population at the Eastern part of the town increases, it cannot be otherwise than that a Market will be established in that locality, and consequently the amount of £200 will be easily obtained, which will bring the income as estimated to £2,500. At the East Point, a Market exists now without the License prescribed by Ordinance. At the expiration of the present Leases, Government intends to alter the system hitherto followed in respect to Markets.

5. RENTS from BUILDINGS are, £150 from the Post Office, and £75 from the Bungalow on the Hospital Hill. When first let to the Post Office, a portion of the building was reserved by Government for the use of the Registrar General, but these Rooms are now in possession of the Post Office Authorities, who do not pay any additional Rent to the Colony. The Rent is altogether too low,

6. LICENSES:-The estimated sums for the various Licenses, are based on the Receipts in 1854, and part of 1855. The Licenses granted to Chinese for the SALE of SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS and Opium, for PREPARING OPIUM and for PAWNBROKERS, have all increased on account of the great influx of Chinese from the adjacent disturbed province; but still there has been no applicant for a License to keep an OPIUM...