518
Enciosure 6.
368
JAN 33!
16th November 189? J... 3.
RONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Legislative Council was held
on the 16th inst. There were present:-
His Excellency the Governor, Sir WILLIAM ROBINSON, K.C.M.G.
Hou. G. T. M. O'BRIEN, C.M.G.. Colonial Secretary.
Hou. A. J. LEACH, Acting Attorney-General, Hon, N. G. MITCHELL-INNs, Colonial Trea-
gurer.
Hon. J. H. STEWART-LOCKHART, Registrar- General.
Hon. F. A. CoorER, Director of Public Works. Hon. R. M. RUMSEY, R N., Harbour Master. Hon. C. P. CHATER.
Hou. Ho KAI
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD.
Hon. E. R. BELILIOS.
Hon. J. J. BELL-IRVING.
Mr. F. H. May, Acting Clork of Councils.
NEW MEMBER.
Hon J. J. Bell-Irving was sworn in as a mem ber of the Council.
THE APPROPRIATION BILL FOR 1893. The COLONIAL SECRETARY-Sir, I bave the house to move the first reading of the Supply Bill for 1893. Your Excellency has just pro sented the Council with so comprehensive a statement of the financial position of the colony that it is unnecessary for me to do more than briefly mention the more salient features of dif- ference between the estimates of revenue aud expenditure for 1892 and those for 1893. The revenus for 1893 is estimated at $1.906,396, or $76,542 less than the revised estimate for 1-92. By revised estimate, I mean the estimate which appears in the second column of the estimates for 1893, and which is based mainly on the ascor- tained receipts for the first half of the current your. The following are the chief items ander which a decrease in the receipts is anticipatel. As- sessed taxes, $21,767. Tho valuation of the rateable property iu the Colony for 1892-93 is slightly lower than that for 1891 92; and dur- ing the current year the arrears of assossed taxes have boon largely redaosd. There will there- fore be a slight shrinkage in the first six months' of next year in current assessed taxes, and the collection of arrears will be smaller than that of 1892. Fines, a decrease of $5,682, and forfeitures, $1.883 Opium, a decrease of $67,100. Tho revenue for the current year under this head has been swollen by the recovery of $50,00) in arTORE, and the farm has ben let for three years from the first of March last at a reduced figura. Sunday onrgo-working permits. $1,000. Miscel lauoons receipts, under the sub-head "other mi cellaneous receipts," a decrease of $21,449. In 1892 we received a onsual windfall of $30,000 from the Military Authorities by the sale of the lazaretto. These items of decrense ag gregate $118,831. On the other hand, in- erases are estimated under the following heads
Stamps.
to
Stamps. $3,994; postage, $6,121; rent of leased lands, $3.428; miscellaneous, night soil oun- tract, $8,060. The contract for 1892-93 ban boon let for $22,800 as against $19,740 for 1891- 91. Profit on subsidiary coins, 83,500. The de- mand for our coins has recently revived, and the causes of the improvement give reason hope for its continuance for some time to come. Land sales, au increase of $14.36. In view of the eugairies that are being made | fur land in several quarters. the estimate of $50,000 for 1893 is a moderato ome and shoulā be realised. Water account. an increase of $1421. The shrinkage in assessed taxes will pradaus a sorresponding surinkage in water rate, hut a considerable iucra is anticipated under: sale of water by metar. Thess incre 18as ! amount to $49,850. Dedueting this from the aggregate of decreased above mention- ed. $118,881. the remainder is $78,031. The difference of $1,489 between this and the actual decrease of the total estimate as compared with the revised estimate of revenue for 1392 is ac- counted for by variations under other items, which are not of sufficient importance to require special notice. I now turu to the expenditure. The Bill appropriates the sum of $2316.611. Of this the expenditure on Public Works Ex- traordinary, 8417,000, will be defrayed from the proposed loan. The Secretary of State bas directed that the application of the losu be limit ed to the works mentioned in the Bill. He has, however, intimated that the expenditure ou these works and other cognate works during the cur- vent year may be met from the loan. This will improve our position, as soon as the loan has been raised, to an extent which cannot at present be stated with exactness, but which is estimated at from $290,000 to $300,000. It is hoped there. fore that, when the financial results of the encrent year have be-n ascertained, funds will be avail. able for other extraordinary public works be- sides those mentioned in the Bil. Should this prove to be the casa, provision will then by wads for such other public works as may be deemed desirable, by means of financial minutes during the course of 1893. The appropriation for ordinary expenditare, $1,899,611, exceeds the erresponding appropriation for the current year by $125,693 Of this amount $123,051 is accounted for by three itens, viz., fall in exchange $77.651, provision for the charges on the proposed loan in 1893 $40,000, and pen- sions. exclusive of equalization of exchange, $5,400. The difference of $2,612 between the total of these threa items and the total excess for the year is made up of sundry variations under other items, which are all explained in the footnotes to the estimates. The estimated re reune for the year shews a surplus over the osti- mated ordinary expenditure of $6,79%. With these observations I move the first reading of the Bill
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded. Bill read a first time.
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