14
of Residents who, if not individually wealthy, are wealthy as classes or interests, and who ought to contribute to these local requirements.
Your Memorialists in conclusion beg to express their conviction that though this is a Crown Colony, and they can be taxed by an Order in Council, or an express Order from the Government to the Governor here to levy a tax, or raise a subsidy, yet when, in compliance with the Standing Orders of the Legislative Council, and the whole previous course of practice here, the Council, as such, are asked to pass, or reject, a measure involving the mere mode of raising the requisite sums, Your Memorialists are then entitled to have their ideas on that subject received through the recognized medium, the Non-Official Members of the Council, and as their remonstrances were of no avail, they conceive themselves further entitled to bring before the Government the strong opinions they entertain on the matter, and firmly, though respectfully, to urge Your Excellency to a reconsideration of what is, at best, a mere question of expediency, affecting their interests only, and upon which they ought to be considered, if not the best judges, at least as the best exponents of the balance of benefit or prejudice that may result from the measure.
Your Memorialists therefore humbly beg Your Excellency to reconsider the question, to defer such portion of the Expenditure as is not of immediate or vital import to the Colony to a more auspicious period; to raise any Sums that may be presently needed by some other, and less hurtful method, and to postpone indefinitely the further consideration of any Stamp Tax or at least until all other available and usual sources of taxation have been exhausted.
And Your Memorialists will ever pray:
15
Proposed by G. F. MACLEAN, Esq., seconded by E. H. POLLARD, Esq. That although this Meeting recognizes the fact that the Estimates for the year 1867 are already passed, they think that His Excellency the Governor should be requested to defer the actual expenditure of the following items, viz.:----
New Road, $23,000 Road at Kowloon, $4,000 Sanitarium $11,000voted on the Estimates, until the results of the next year's working of the Mint be seen, on the grounds that although this outlay might be desirable for a Colony with a surplus in hand, the works are not of such importance as to necessitate their completion when a new tax has to be imposed to carry them out.
Proposed by A. SASSOON, Esq., seconded by G. HELLAND, Esq. That a Memorial embodying the wishes of the Community and conveying to His Excellency the Governor their requests, based upon the sentiments expressed at this Meeting be drawn up and presented to His Excellency, and that the following gentlemen be requested to act in drawing up the same and getting it signed, and also to be a deputation of the Community to present it--Messrs. McDOUALL, MACLEAN, DALZIEL, KAISER, J. S. LAPRAIK, PARRY, SASSOON, W. H. FORBES, NISSEN, KAYE, D. R. CRAWFORD, CONIL, A. F. HEARD, BOSMAN, J. B. ENDICOTT, B. PALANJEE and P. RYRIE.
RESOLUTIONS CARRIED AT A PUBLIC MEETING
HELD AT HONGKONG
ON THE 28TH AUGUST, 1866.
Proposed by J. McDOUALL, Esq., seconded by F. PARRY, Esq. That in the opinion of the Meeting the Stamp Ordinance which has recently passed its second reading before the Legislative Council, is a measure fraught with serious and grave consequences to the wellbeing and prosperity of this Community; that by the enormous burdens it will cast upon trade, it will certainly tend to the prejudice of all existing interests in the Colony, and that the only thing which would justify its imposition, viz.-Imperious Necessity-does not exist.
Proposed by A. F. HEARD, Esq., seconded by W. KAYE, Esq. That in the opinion of the Meeting even accepting the expenditure of the Colony for the year 1867 at the sum appearing in the debit side of the Estimates, there is no absolute necessity for any new mode of taxation; and that the sums necessary to be spent in the year 1867 can be raised by modifications of the existing taxes and rates in a manner calculated to be less prejudicial to the Colony than by putting into force this new act so repugnant to the feelings of the Community.
PROTEST OF THE NON-OFFICIAL MEMBERS OF
THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
Under the privilege accorded to us by Rule 15 of the General Rules for the Legislative Council of Hongkong, We beg to protest against the Stamp Ordinance being passed, or promulgated, on the following grounds:
1st. That the expenditure proposed in the Estimates for 1867 would be covered by the existing Revenue, were it not for the absorption of so large a portion of it by the Military Contribution; and as the latter amount has to be voted yearly, it is clearly open to consideration at each recurring period. This Contribution was originally exacted against the recommendation of the then Governor, the Protest of the Majority of the Legislative Council, and the unanimous remonstrance of the whole Community; and the two principal reasons for such a demand upon the Colony, were: 1stly., an apparent surplus Revenue which in fact never existed, and 2ndly., an expected profit from the Mint which expectation was equally groundless. Since the first exaction of this sum by the Imperial Government, the Military Establishment has been largely reduced in its staff, its materiel, and its numerical strength, and the Gun-boat borne upon the Estimates for 1867 is as much as the Colony can be expected to pay for in the face of the admitted fact of the sum of $866,270 (exclusive of Stamp Act) being insufficient to pay for what Government consider necessary expenditures in a Colony of the size and position of Hongkong. These are new reasons not previously urged against the exaction of this sum, but in our opinion when added to those formerly advanced, are unanswerable.
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14
of Residents who, if not individually wealthy, are wealthy as classes or interests, and who ought to contribute to these local requirements.
Your Memorialists in conclusion beg to express their conviction that though this is a Crown Colony, and they can be taxed by an Order in Council, or an express Order from the Government to the Governor here to levy a tax, or raise a subsidy, yet when, in compliance with the Stand- ing Orders of the Legislative Council, and the whole previous course of practice here, the Council, as such, are asked to pass, or reject, a measure involving the mere mode of raising the requisite sums, Your Memorialists are then entitled to have their ideas on that subject received through the recognized medium, the Non-Official Members of the Council, and as their remonstrances were of no avail, they conceive themselves further entitled to bring before the Government the strong opinions they enter- tain on the matter, and firmly, though respectfully, to urge Your Excellency to a reconsideration of what is, at best, a mere question of expediency, affecting their interests only, and upon which they ought to be considered, if not the best judges, at least as the best exponents of the balance of benefit or prejudice that may result from the measure.
Your Memorialists therefore humbly beg Your Excel- lency to reconsider the question, to defer such portion of the Expenditure as is not of immediate or vital import to the Colony to a more auspicious period; to raise any Sums that may be presently needed by some other, and less hurtful method, and to postpone indefinitely the further consideration of any Stamp Tax or at least until all other available and usual sources of taxation have been exhausted.
And Your Memorialists will ever pray:
15
Proposed by G. F. MACLEAN, Esq., seconded by E. H. POLLARD, Esq. That although this Meeting recognizes the fact that the Estimates for the year 1867 are already passed, they think that His Excellency the Governor should be requested to defer the actual expenditure of the following items, viz. :----
New Road,
Road at Kowloon,
Sanitarium
13
$23,000 4,000 $11,000
voted on the Estimates, until the results of the next year's working of the Mint be seen, on the grounds that although this outlay might be desirable for a Colony with a surplus in hand, the works are not of such importance as to necessitate their completion when a new tax has to be imposed to carry them out.
Proposed by A. SASSOON, Esq., seconded by G. HELLand, Esq. That a Memorial embodying the wishes of the Community and conveying to His Excellency the Governor their requests, based upon the sentiments expressed at this Meeting be drawn up and presented to His Excellency, and that the following gentlemen be requested to act in drawing up the same and getting it signed, and also to be a deputation of the Community to present it--Messrs. McDOUALL, MACLEAN, DALZiel, Kaiser, J. S. LAPRAIK, PARRY, SASSOON, W. II. FORBES, NISSEN, KAYE, D. R. CRAWFORD, CONIL, A. F. HEARD, BOSMAN, J. B. ENDICOTT, B. PALANJEE and P. RYRIE.
RESOLUTIONS CARRIED AT A PUBLIC MEETING
HELD AT HONGKONG
ON THE 28TH AUGUST, 1866.
Proposed by J. McDOUALL, Esq., seconded by F. PARRY, Esq. That in the opinion of the Meeting the Stamp Ordinance which has recently passed its second reading before the Legislative Council, is a measure fraught with serious and grave consequences to the wellbeing and prosperity of this Community; that by the enormous burdens it will cast upon trade, it will certainly tend to the prejudice of all existing interests in the Colony, and that the only thing which would justify its imposition, viz.-Imperious Necessity-does not exist.
Proposed by A. F. HEARD, Esq., seconded by W. KAYE, Esq. That in the opinion of the Meeting even accepting the expenditure of the Colony for the year 1867 at the sum appearing in the debit side of the Estimates, there is no absolute necessity for any new mode of taxation; and that the sums necessary to be spent in the year 1867 can be raised by modifications of the existing taxes and rates in a manner calculated to be less prejudicial to the Colony than by putting into force this new act so repugnant to the feelings of the Community.
PROTEST OF THE NON-OFFICIAL MEMBERS OF
THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
Under the privilege accorded to us by Rule 15 of the General Rules for the Legislative Council of Hongkong, We beg to protest against the Stamp Ordinance being passed, or promulgated, on the following grounds:
1st. That the expenditure proposed in the Estimates for 1867 would be covered by the existing Revenue, were it not for the absorption of so large a portion of it by the Military Contribution; and as the latter amount has to be voted yearly, it is clearly open to consideration at each recurring period. This Contribution was originally exacted against the recommendation of the then Governor, the Protest of the Majority of the Legislative Council, and the unanimous remonstrance of the whole Community; and the two principal reasons for such a demand upon the Colony, were: 1stly., an apparent surplus Revenue which in fact never existed, and 2ndly., an expected profit from the Mint which expectation was equally groundless. Since the first exaction of this sum by the Imperial Government, the Military Establishment has been largely reduced in its staff, its materiel, and its numerical strength, and the Gun-boat borne upon the Estimates for 1867 is as much as the Colony can be expected to pay for in the face of the admitted fact of the sum of $866,270 (exclusive of Stamp Act) being insufficient to pay for what Government consider necessary expenditures in a Colony of the size and position of Hongkong. These are new reasons not previously urged against the exaction of this sum, but in our opinion when added to those formerly advanced, are unanswerable.
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