CO129-265 - Public Offices & Others - 1894 — Page 346

HONG

KONG.

340

Report of the Committee on Colonial Military Contributions re-assembled to consider the Contribution to be paid by Hong Kong for the five years ending 1898.

1. Until 1865 Hong Kong paid no contribution towards the cost of its Report of defence. In that year, after considerable correspondence and remonstrance Colonial on the part of the Colony, it was required to contribute 20,0001, a-year towards Contribu- the cost of its garrison.

tions

Committee,

dated 27.7.88.

2. This contribution represented about one-fifth of the total cost of the Ibid., paras. garrison and 16 per cent. of the average Colonial revenues of the four 10 to 13. previous years.

3. It was the intention in 1865, when the contribution was imposed, that Ibid., paras. it should be revised and increased at the end of five years; but this intention 4 to 6. was apparently lost sight of, and was not carried into effect until 1888. In the meantime the Colonial contribution gradually fell from one-fifth to one-eighth of the cost of the garrison, and from 16 to 8 per cent. of the Colonial

revenues.

4. In 1888, when this Committee reviewed the question of the Hong Kong Ibid, paras. Military Contribution, the strength of the garrison to be maintained had been 14 and 22. fixed at 3,018 of all ranks, and its cost was estimated at 280,0007. a-year, exclusive of the cost of local Volunteers and Militia, estimated at from 3,0001. to 4,000l. a-year.

5. The Committee recommended that for the five years ending 31st December, 1893, the Colony, in addition to defraying the cost of its Militia and Volunteers, should pay a contribution of 40,0007. a-year towards the cost of its Imperial garrison. This contribution represented one-seventh instead of one-fifth of the cost of the Imperial garrison. Adding to the 40,000%, the estimated local expenditure on Volunteers and Militia, the total defence expenditure of the Colony was estimated at about 43,9081. a-year, or, with the dollar at Ss. 3d., its then value, 16 per cent. of the estimated revenues of 1888 (1,637,670 dollars), being the same proportion of charge to revenue Ibid, that was imposed upon the Colony in 1865.

para. 12.

6. The Secretaries of State for War and for the Colonies concurred in the See printed Committee's recommendation, but the Treasury considered that the proposed corte- contribution was inadequate. After very prolonged consideration the Govern- spondence relating to ment, on the 20th January, 1890, finally approved the contribution recom- Kong Kong, mended by the Committee, but limited its duration to three years, commencing Nos. 1, 4,

6, 8, 9, 14, with 1st January, 1890, a period subsequently extended to four years.

16, 17, 18,

61, 63, 64,

72, and their

enclosures.