CO129-211 - Governor Sir Bowen - 1883 [8-9] — Page 91

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IVLIASOH NOOT

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Hon. F. B. JOHNSON.-I think, sir, that my hon. friend who sits next bat one to me on my loft (Mr. Ryrie) doos but very inadequate justice to his qualifications and to his lengthened residence in this colony when he allows it to devolve ou me to make a few observatious on the estimates which have been laid before 118. I must frankly admit, sir, the unofficial members of this Council are but, as it were, lay figures in an arranged performance, and con- sidering the very littla influence we can exert ander the present constitution of the Council, Bilence is for the most part the better part of discretion. But, sir, as this is the first occasion since your assumption of the Government of the Colony that you have laid the aan al accounts before us, and as the estimates for 1881 are probably the most important that have ever been submitted to the Conncil, I think that even out of respect to yourself some member of the Council should offer some few observations upon them. It is now two years since I ventured to review the Colonial finances. I then spoke with considerable reserve as a new member, bat I did suggest to the Government of the day that though a surplus was a very excellent thing, yet the accumulation of a surplus was not the main object of a financial policy, and I appealed as earnestly as I could to the Executive to give effect to the loudly expressed wishos of the colouy by undertaking several very important and urgently required public works. I need not say both my suggestion and appeal fell on deaf ears. It was reserved to the administration of my hon, friend the Colonial Secretary to give first effact to the public wishes, and, as I am glad to observe, to your Excellency's go. vernment to give complete fruition to them by the estimates before us. Sir, the papers on the table present two great considerations. The first is: ia your polioy is spending so large an amount of money in public works a sound one? Your policy is a direct contradictiou to that which characterised your pradecessor. The other consideration isl ous I have expressed elsewhere, that is, that if the people of this colony had the smallest control over their affairs or influence in the Government it would have been utterly im- possible for any Governor to have thwarted their wishes for five years. It is scarcely credible but trus that the work we about to undertake was projected and in fact sanctioned six years ago and that the Govern- ment of this colony has been asleep, like Rip van Winkle, to all practical purposes, ever since, and we are now about to take up the work where it was left by the late Sir Arthur Kennedy. Sir, you have informed as you have made pro. posals to the Secretary of State for the reson- struction of this Council, and that statement. I have every reason to believe, has been received with very lively satisfaction by the colony. I have no great confidence that the bureaucrats of Downing-street will give effect to your proposal, but I hope it will not have to be said of a dis- tinguished Liberal Ministry that they yield only to popular clamour, and deny to the approved intelligence of the colony of Hong- kong the consideration which they give to the disaffection of the Irish peasants. Sir, I will not occupy the attention of the Council very long while I draw attention to some of the items of income and expenditure. In the first instance, I should have felt it my duty to protest against the incorporation with the general revenue of the surplus funda derivable from the light-houses, if that question had not been brought before you by the Chamber of Commerce, and is now practically aub judice by the Secretary of State. In your reply to the petition of the deputation from the Chamber of Commerce which waited apon yon, while admitting the force of the argu. ments used you stated that the position of the re- venue would hardly justify you in foregoing the amount derivable from the lighthouses. Now I think that is hardly justified by the figures you bave laid before us. It is quite true the figures of revenue and expenditure as detailed in these estimates very nearly balance themselves, but it is quite clear my hon. friend the Anditor-General has placed in the items of expenditure some which have no business to be there. The first is that which relates to arrears of Post Offies. Now it is quite clear those arrears should be paid out of accrued balances, not out of the revenue of the year. That would make a sum of $55,000. Then there is no account taken whatever of the sum which will probably be realised by the sale of crown lands; and, thirdly, several items, especially that of the Central School and five new district schools, put into the public works, might just as well be paid out of the money raised by public loan as any other works of the same description. The next anb. ject I would silode to is that of the stamp duties, and it was my intention to have drawn attention

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to the oppressive inequalities of these, but my hon. friend the Colonial Treasurer has told me there is an Ordinance now being framed which will readjust the incidence of the stamps, and I think I may safely leave it in his hands. The next thing I would notice is the increased revenue from opium. I think my hon. friends will congratulate the Govern. ment in having broken down the ring of Chinese financiers who controlled the revenue from this source; and I think it is but just to pay a tribute to the versatile ability displayed by the late Treasurer, who seems to be equally at home whether in unravelling the intricacies of a complicated measure of finance or in pro- noancing decisions of law upon the judicial bench. Turning now to the expenditure, I think the whole interest of this side is centred on the department of my hon. friend who sits near me (the Surveyor-General); but there is one matter which came before the Finauce Com. mittee which I desire to call prominently to your Excellency'a notice, and that is the complaint made from time to time on the part of the in- ferior officers of the service who consider them- selves greatly aggrieved by the way they are en- gagad by the Crown Agents at home. It came before us the other day in Finance Committee in connection with the police. They are told they will receive a certain sam sterling, and they find on their arrival they are muleted in the loss on exchange. Thus a man who is told his in- come is to be £100 is paid $500, which is only £92. The same question occurred before the Education Commission, when the Masters of the Central School complained that equally loose statements had been made to them by the Crown Agents and they were perfectly ignorant of what the value of the dollar was and found a serious deficiency in their income. I feel quite sure you, sir, will call upon the Crown Agents to do their duty in this matter. Passing over the various establishment. I think it will not be out of place if I draw attention to a statement made in the papers that the Assistant Harbour Master is about to leave the colony. I am sure the members of the Council will regret the loss of those services. Mr. Euen, by universal tes. timony, by his urbanity and firmness in the discharge of his duties is entitled to all praise, and I hope that if Mr. McEuen's resignation is accepted the Government will see its way to afford all due recognition to the services be bas so assiduously rendered to the colony. Turo. | ing now to public works, the list of which will be found detailed in the able minute laid before us by the Colonial Secretary, I find most of them have been already sanctioned by publie opinion. The Taitam Waterworks, the Breakwater, and the new Central School have practically been sane- tioned many years ago and it is left for your Excellency to carry them out. The extension of the Police Barracks is also, I believe. called for, but one matter I think deserves the attention of your Excellency. I am of opinion a sanitarium for the police is urgently called for on the hill (His Excellancy-Hear hear). We all know how great an expanse it is to send men homo who are invalided when pro- bably a few weeks' residence at the Peak would set them all right; and I would express my regret that so many sites have been allowed to pass ont of the hands of the Government which might be utilized with so much effect for public parpose%. When we come to the sanitary works, I am sure the publio will approve the reclamation of Causeway Bay. A few weeks a zo a leading physician told me nearly all bis most serious cases of fever recently had been in that vicinity. Then we come to the new Market and drainage works, all of which I feel sure are argently called for, With regard to other sanitary works as they are not in the estimates for this year it is hardly necessary I should allude to them; but I do trust before all these sanitary works recommended in Mr. Chadwick's, report are sanotioned the public will have the opportunity of expressing their opinion upon thera, Sanitary science is at present in its in- faucy, and I do not think large amounts should be spent in this colony by way of experiment before we can see whether they will carry out the end which we all have in view. The re- maining work under the consideration of the Government is the extension of the Praya, and I quite concur in the decision that the Government has arrived at to defer this work until more important works which are going to cost so much money and which tar so severely the department of my bou. friend shall be completed; but I do hope the interval will be taken advantage of by the G- verament to enter into negotiations with the naval and military authorities to prooare sand- tion for this work." I regard it as essential to the