CO129-238 - Governor Des Voeus - 1888 [7-8] — Page 537

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of Hongkong.

38

As a despatch recently received fros. the Soome tory of State leads the Gowener Secret to believe that Her Majesty's Goverment attach come importame to the question of providing such a cable, His Excellinen would be glad to receive an -expression of : the views of the Chamber of Commerce

the above proposal.

e-

an view of the accurate :

accurate knowledge

which he believes is possessed by Foreign Govermente of the position of all

Submarnice cables, and of the

which

cable.

any

exze with

such cable can be "grappled

and cut even in deep water by means of any vessel containing the necessary apparatus, His Excellency is insufficiently impressed with the value of the proposed

for deferrsive purposes to warrant him in recommending so large a subeidy from the Revenue of the Colony on that account; and he is inclined to regard as of much

pressing importance the construction

Auore

of

re cow.

I thin

Secret 387

Sug

of

533

various much-needed Public Works, which would of themselves absorb all,

than all of even the large by

mone.

if not increased Revenue which, in the absence

of unforeseen calamity, may be expreted in the next few years .

.

Though infortunately he cannot give publicity to some of the facts and considerations which weigh with him, This Excellency at present feels very grave

doubt whether

on

any ground this direct cable is worth to the general tax-payers

the redireed subeidy of

ever

of Hongkong £7500 which the Company

the willingness to accept.

wow

indicate

Such a sable would no doubt be

and

3 general

very valuable for shipping trade-interests ; but the shipping

trade

and

and

benefited would be that offfinia Japan as well as Hongkong;

in this view it would sum

that

and

fairer

any subsidy for a cable obtained with this object should be paid not from

the