}
My Lord,
54
Enclosure in No. 39.
Sir G. W. Des Voeux to Lord Knutsford.
Government House, Hong Kong, I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's confidential
28th January, 1891. despatch of the 19th of November, requesting that the lettert from the War Office, dated the 14th of July last, copy of which was enclosed in your Lordship's despatch No. 148, of the 25th of the same month, might be regarded as confidential
I find that the letter in question was printed with the rest of the correspond- ence on the subject to which it referred, and laid before the Legislative Council by Mr. Fleming.
The letter has therefore already been made public.
G. W. DES VEUX.
No. 40.
CONTRIBUTION,
Colanial Office to War Office.
Downing Street,
7th March, 1891.
}
55
4. It must also not be forgotten that the strength and the cost of the garrison have considerably risen since the contribution of 20,000l. a-year was fixed in 1863 with the intention of increasing it at the end of five years--an intention which was never carried out. In that year the garrison consisted of 1,000 of all ranks, and its cost was 100,0004, whereas the garrison now present in Hong Kong, according to the latest returns, is 1,700 of all ranks, and the cost is about one hundred and eighty thousand pounds (180,0002).
5. The estimated revenue of the Colony for 1891 is 2,052,098 dollars, or more than three times the revenue of 1883. In my despatch* of 20th January, 1890, the charge of 40,0007, was estimated to amount to 17 per cent. of the revenue of 1888, but owing to the subsequent growth of the revenue and the appreciation in the value of silver, the charge now only represents 11 per cent. of revenue as against 163 per cent. when the contribution of 1863 was fixed,
6. Under these circumstances, Her Majesty's Government do not consider that any grounds exist for delaying the payment of the full contribution of 40,000%
7. I take this opportunity of informing you, with reference to paragraph 8 of Mr. Fleming's despatchit No. 82, of 1st April, 1890, that it is proposed to raise the Indian battalion for service at Hong Kong from among the Mohammedans of Upper India; and steps are being taken to organize the corps as soon as may be practicable.
KNUTSFORD.
201
Sir,
40248
278
I am directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to transmit to you, to be laid before Mr. Secretary Stanhope, with reference to the letter from your department of the 27th ultimo, 40248
the papers noted in the subjoined schedule, which relate to the Hong Kong Military Contribution.
273
Date.
ROBERT G. W. HERBERT
Description.
1st December, 1890* . Protest of unofficial Members of Legislative
Council.
Despatch to Governor.
7th March, 1891
Enclosure 2 in No. 40.
Lord Knutsford to Sir G. Des Voeux.
Downing Street,
7th March, 1891.
Sir,
With reference to my despatch No. 33 of the 13th instaut, I have the honour to inform you that I have given careful consideration to the views of the unofficial members of the Legislative Council regarding the increased Military Contribution, as expressed in the memorandum which formed the 4th enclosure to Mr. Fleming's despatch No. 449 of 22nd December last, to the effect that the contribution should not be increased until the garrison had been brought up to its full strength.
2. lu reply to this memorandum, I have to point out that if the Colonial Contribu tion covered the whole cost of the garrison, there would, in my opinion, be just grounds for claiming a rebate for deficient numbers, which is generally granted under auch circumstances, but as the contribution bears only a small proportion to the total cost, not only of the garrison ultimately to be provided, but of that which is actually present in the Colony, no such claim arises in this case.
3. I am unable to admit the allegation that the demand for the increased contri- bution was based solely on the proposed further increase of the garrison; for in para- graph 15 of my despatch ‡ No. 8, of 20th January, 1890, I laid down the general principle that the Colonies, so far as their means allow, should provide the whole cost of their land defence.
*. See No. 34..
† No. 26.
Printed as Enclosure 5 to No. 36.
LANDS.
Sir,
No. 41.
Colonial Office to War Office.
Downing Street,
18th March, 1891. I am directed by Lord Knutsford to acknowledge the receipt of your Hong Kong
-4437 letter of the 26th ultimo, Hong Kong 2, respecting the transfer to the military
4420
authoritics of certain land at Belcher's Point, Hong Kong.
Lord Knutsford proposes, if Mr. Secretary Stanhope concurs, to send a copy of your letter, omitting the last paragraph, to the Governor of Hong Kong, with a request that he will report on the estimated values of the different pieces of land mentioned, and in the meantime that he will give to the Military Department possession of the land at Belcher's Point, it being understood that all questions as to title, value, &c., are reserved, and are not to be affected by the fact of the land having passed into military occupation,
As to the last paragraph of your letter, I am to observe that the great value of the land at Belcher's Point is obviously a very exceptional circum- stance, which would take the case out of the scope of the 35th Clause of the Report (Hong Kong) of the Committee on Colonial Military Contri- butions,
JOHN BRAMSTON,
LANDS.
Sir,
No. 42.
War Office to Colonial Office.
War Office,
21st April, 1891. With reference to your letter of the 18th ultimo, respecting the transfer to the military authorities of certain land at Belcher's Point, Hong Kong, I am directed to acquaint you, for the information of Lord Knutsford, that the
* Enclosure in No. 18.
(138)
+ Enclosure in No. 24.
‡ No. 37.
2
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