24
25
CONTRIBUTION
AND LANDS.
Sir,
T. No
398
90
No. 17.*
Treasury to Colonial Office.
Treasury Chambers,
17th January, 1890, The Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury have had before them your lettert of the 7th instant, enclosing a draft of the despatch which Lord Knutsford proposes to address to the Governor of Hong Kong respecting the Military Contribution of that Colony.
I am to say that my Lords concur generally in the terms of the draft despatch, but they would ask that the following words should be added to para- graph 3, viz. :—
"It will be observed that, in accordance with the original division of charge, the Colony ought to repay the 9,0177. spent on submarine mining buildings."
My Lords approve of the omission of paragraph 8 as to the maintenance of the strength of the garrison, which they understand has been objected to by the War Department.
They think the population of the Colony should not be put at less than 215,000, and that the calculations of charge per head should be altered accordingly.
I am to request that one dozen copies of the despatch, as finally settled, may be sent to this department.
R. E. WELBY.
of its cost; matters to which Her Majesty's Government have given most anxious and careful consideration.
2. You are aware that in 1884 it was arranged that the Colony should construct the works, and that the Imperial Goverment should provide the armament of the pro- posed defences. The cost was then estimated as follows:-
Works Armament
£
55,625 37,500
the incidence being 60 per cent to Colonial, and 40 per cent, to Imperial, revenues.
3. This estimate was subsequently increased to-
Works.. Armament
£ 110,000 153,910
without including the submarine mining defences, which are estimated to cost---
Works..
Submarine mining vessels and stores
£
9,017 46,500
so that the total cost of the defences, and the division of that cost, will be as follows:--
Colonial.
Construction of works-fortifications
£
116,000
Imperial.
Armaments Submarine mining buildings, &c.
vessels and stores..
£ 153,910
9,017 46,500
209,427
Total
325,427
186
CONTRIBUTION
No. 18.
AND LANDS.
Colonial Office to War Office.
Downing Street,
24th January, 1890,
40248
I
am
2
183
Sir,
40248
188
With reference to your letter of the 15th instant, No. directed by Lord Knutsford to forward, for the information of Mr. Secretary Stanhope, copies of the despatch which has been addressed to the Governor of Hong Kong regarding the future Military Contribution of that Colony.
On receipt of your letter under acknowledgment, the terms of this despatch were finally settled in consultation with the Treasury. Mr. Stan- hope will perceive that all the alterations proposed by him have been adopted, but it must not be understood that Lord Knutsford has expressed any con- currence in the reasons assigned in your letter for omitting paragraph 8 of the draft despatch.
Sir,
Enclosure in No. 18,
Colonial Office to Governor of Hong Kong.
R. H. MEADE,
Downing Street,
20th January, 1890. Referring to previous correspondence respecting the tortifications recently erected at Hong Kong and their armament, I have now the honour to address you on the subject of the additional garrison required by those fortifications, and on the incidence
* Not communicated officially to War Office.
The incidence being 36 per cent. to Colonial and 64 per cent. to Imperial revenues, as against 60 per cent, to Colonial and 40 per cent. to Imperial revenues centemplated in 1884. It will be observed that in accordance with the original division of charge, the Colony ought to repay the 9,0177. spent on submarine mining buildings.
4. Since 1865, Hong Kong has paid a Military Contribution of 20,0001. a-year in aid of the cost of its garrison; and, if you refer to paragraph 14 of the Colonial Office letter of the 25th of April, 1863, to Sir Hercules Robinson, who was then in England, you will see that it was then intended that the amount of 20,0001, was to be subject to any revision which the altered circumstances of the Colony may require." It will also be seen from paragraph 15 of the same letter, and paragraph 12 of the Duke of Newcastle's despatch, No. 115, of the 5th of September, 1863, that Her Majesty's Government, in fixing the amount at 20,000% were desirous "not to press too heavily at first on the Colonial revenues, and thus possibly to retard works of public utility." Sir Hercules Robinson, in replying on the 21st of May, 1863, to the letter of the 25th April, inter- preted (paragraph 21) this expression to mean that the contribution was to be raised to a higher rate on a future occasion."
5. The garrison in 1863-64 was estimated at 1,000 of all ranks, and its annual cost at 100,000. In 1888, the garrison numbered 1,445 of all ranks (exclusive of Volunteers), and its cost has risen to about 160,000% a-year, while the Colonial Contribution has remained at 20,000%.
6. The future garrison, including local regulars, but excluding Militia and Volun- teers, will be approximately as follows:--
Imperial troops, 2,525 of all ranks.
493 Local regulars,
*
The details are given in the Table A annexed to this despatch.
7. The cost of this garrison will be about 280,0001. a-year, and will consequently be nearly three times as great as was the expense of the garrison in 1863, when the Colonial Contribution was fixed. Her Majesty's Government, however, do not propose that the contribution should now be increased in the same proportion, and will only call upoń the Colony to provide 40,0004, a-year for each of the three years 1890-91-92, the Colony bearing in addition the cost of any Militia and Volunteers which it may raise, and the
† Enclosure 3 in No. 14.
‡ No. 16.
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