CO129-228 - Acting Governor Marsh - 1886 [7-9] — Page 213

My hon. friend the Surveyor-General admits that during two years there have been only five meetings of the Public Works Committee. Now, with great respect to your Excellency I submit with reference to your allusion to the Board Committees for a bank or public Company that there can be no analogy between the work. ing of a bank or public company and the Gov. ernment of a Colony such as this. I really do not see any use in my arguing the matter, be cause I think it must be patent to every one. With reference to your Excellency's remarks with respect to Mauritius, I venture to say that what may be applicable to a colony like Mauritius is not necessarily applicable to a colony like ffong- kong. In fact I have been a close observer of Governors and officials, and I have invariably found that instead of endeavouring to get. at the disease locally they invariably refer to their experiences in other colonies. Now, your Excellency alludes to the confidential nature of the Secretary of State's despatches. I must say I cannot see that in a matter of finance thero can be anything of a confidential nature. In fact I should be inclined to go farther and say that in my opinion ninety-nine out of a hundred departmental despatches received from the Colonial Office should be published for the general public and that this might be done with- out disclosing any very great secrets. Your Excel- lency says I must have been under the impression at the I time made the resolution that the func- tions of the Finance Committee were more im-. portant than they really are. Well, I am freo : to confess I incommon with the public generally: certainly did consider these meetings of the Fin- anes Committee were of the greatest importance. Every matter of public interest which "involves the expenditure of money has invariably been settled at these meetings. I am aware that probably the argument of the Government will be that before anything is actually passed it has to be confirmed by the Legislative Council. As against that I would say that it has been the practice of the Finance Committee when any sum of money was voted to spend that money if necessary there and then; and upon my putting the question to the President of the Finance Committee-"Supposing a vote carried against you in the Council and the money already spent, who would be responsible ?" He replied The Governor would be held personally responsible." If that is not nuconstitutional I do not know what is. I would put it to your Excellency practi- cally, in the event of a vote having been passed by the Finance Committee on the subject referred to the other day, and the vote going against you this evening, $20,000 or $30,000 having boou already spent, which might easily be the case. would you consider yourself personally responsible? Well, a full discussion took place when the ab. sent members were present, and I sin bound to say the result was pretty much the same as before. My hon. friend Mr. Keswick before he left the Colony stated fully he was in favour of matters being discussed in public, and also votes for large sums of money, but he also stated that he would be sorry to see the Finance Committe› wholly done away with. Now, sir, to pint my argument, we have heard it stated fre quently in this Colony upon the best legal authority, namely, the Attorney General and the learned Queen's Conusel who is at present absent, that these secret meetings of the Finance, Committes are unconstitutional and against the Charter and Instructions of the Colony; and that has never been contradicted. I endeavoured to get from the legal members present at the meet- ing of the Finance Committee some expression of opinion, but beyond vague generalities I could get nothing definite out of them. I have been told upon what may be considered good official authority that one reason why these meetings are held in private and matters of interest are not discussed in public is, that if they were, it would give certain members of this Council au opportunity of talking to the press. Now, I state, as I stated in Finance Committee, that if that is the only peg the Government has to hang its argu mont on, it is a rotten one and ought to be given up. I dou believe the Secretary of State would permit such an idea to prevail. I have also begu fold that in this I am merely advocating the views of the press and of two or three agitators in this Colony. Well now, with regard to the agitators I would say this, if the Government is under the impression that the discontent and dissatisfaction which have prevailed for many years past is confined to two or three persons, it dis

plays

{

plays great want of information, because it has been universal for many years past. I can well understand that in a colouy like this, where ovory little matter of expenditure has to be referred to the Colonial Office for confirmation, there always would be a certain amount of dissatisfac tion, but that it has been so general proves there is a screw loose somewhere, and there is an in- j fluence at work somewhere which has thrown sus. picion on the Government and stopped progress in the colony. Now, sir, I would venture ou two illustrations of whatis regarded as unsatisfactory. I would take the subject of the votes for the fortifications. On the first vote of £55,000, I believe there was a certain amount of discussión, but upon the Colonial Office asking for the fur- ther large sum of £60,000 the public had no in- formation furnished to it at all, and I have it on the authority of my hon. friend the senior un official member, that when the vote was taken in Finanoo Committee he voted for it under certain couditions. What those conditions were he has never told me, but I do know this, that he was to a certain extent pressed into voting. He was request- ed to let the Secretary of Statesse that the Council | were unanimous on the point. Well, I am bound to say that looks to me very much like coercion. I would take another subject, that of the Loan. That is a very important matter, which the com Imunity has been discussing. That matter was settled, and I can only describe the minute circulated at the time as about the most feeble and weak that I think ever emanated from a public body of men. This minute is as follows:--- The Committee, although still thinking that for many reasons it would be preferable to raise the money locally, especially as there is now rea- son to believe that funds could be obtained here at 44 per cent., thus avoiding all risk of loss on Exchange, nevertheless unanimously assent to the proposal of the Secretary of State that the Loan should be issued in London, provided that a 4 per cent. Loan can be issued not below par." Now, Sir, I maintain that if they were of opinion for various reasons-reasons I have never heard stated that the loan should be raised locally, why on earth did they not stick to that? Most decidedly it would have been a great interest to investors in China and the East generally. I presume the loan would have extended over twenty or thirty years, and there would have been no difficulty whatever, at 4 per cent, in raising the loan locally. I hope, Sir, anything I may have said this evening will not be considered as antagonistic to yourself as Head of the Executive or to the Go- vernment generally. As long as I have the honour to sit in this Council my services are just as much at the disposal of the Government as of the public. I am and always have been a firm believer in full and free discussions on all matters of pablle interest, and I think the "keep things dark" policy in a colony like this, where the duties of the Government are to a great extent of a municipal nature, is a mistake. What I say is this, if you wish things to run smoothly, if you wish to do away with the element of discord and discontent that have been rampant in the Colony

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for years past, take the public more into yourente your confidence, let the light of day unt

and will

you go far to be With those re-

marks I beg to move the resolution."

delitterations

accomplish

Hon. P. RYKTE-Your Excellency, I would this desirable have much preferred that the resolution which enot.

the

across of

we passed at the Finance Committee should have been brought forward to-day, viz."That the Finance Committee should sit with open doors.” My hon. friend opposite has adopted the alter- native; and rather than thero should be any failure of the object we have in view, I second the proposition. I have boon twenty years a mem- ber of this Conncil, and during these twenty years I do not suppose I have come more thau four or five despatches

Secretary of State with regard to the finances of the Colony that there was the slightest reason for keeping private. The money of the public is the money of the pub- lic, and the whole of us, officials and unofficials, are the servants of the public. We have got to deal with money that is not ours, and we have got to deal with it openly before the world. That has always been my opinion, and I hold to it. I sm very sorry that this resolution, if it is carried. will do away with the Finance Committee. I am sorry because at certain periods of the year it is a convenience to the Government. For instance, you will have to call meetings of the whole Connell during the recess should any demands

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