CO129-265 - Public Offices & Others - 1894 — Page 356

it

18

should contribute such a proportion of the cost of its defence as it can reasonably afford. I entirely acknowledge the fairness of this principle, and all that I ask is that it should be applied to the existing circumstances. The concession of my demand would involve a material, but temporary, reduction of the sterling amount of the contribution, and it would, of course, be understood that, coeteris paribus, the reduction would be removed whenever the value of silver might regain the level which it occupied when the contribution was fixed at its present amount of 40,0007,

8. As regards the amount of reduction that should be granted, the unofficial members of Council are of opinion that it would be fair to fix the contribution at the equivalent of the number of dollars that sufficed to satisfy the demand when it was originally imposed, and I beg leave to strongly urge this proposal on your Lordship's early and favourable consideration,

WILLIAM ROBINSON.

C

19

APPENDIX No. 7.

The calculations in paragraph 38 are based on the following data:-

Total estimated revenue, 1894..

HONG KONG.

Less deduction for expenditure, which it may be assumed is incurred on municipal services, though there is no municipality in Hong Kong*,.

Net general revenue

Estimated military charges--

Contribution of 40,000, at 2s. 3d. the dollar.. Local expenditure on Volunteers

Total

::

Dollars. 2,007,210

401,442

1,605,768

355,555 10,705

366,260

Estimated population at end of 1893..

240,000

SINGAPORE.

Dollars.

Total estimated general revenue, 1894

3,818,170

Estimated military charges-

Average contribution for five years ending 1898, 100,0007 at 2s. 3d.

the dollar

888,888

Local expenditure on Volunteers, &c.

15,400

Total

904,288

Estimated population at end of 1893..

544,000

INDIA,

Rupees.

Estimated general revenue, 1894

920,249,000

Leas-

Rupees

Railway revenue, which, when railway charges are

deducted, yields no net revenue Ditto, ditto, irrigation services..

204,084.000

24,638.000

228,722,000

Net general revenue

691,527,000

Military expenditure, excluding expenditure on works of defence

229,500,000

226,768,500

Estimated population at end of 1893 ..

GREAT BRITAIN.

Estimated general revenue, 1894-95 ..

Estimated Army and Navy expenditure, excluding War Debt charges

£ 94,175,000 36,875,671

Estimated population, June 1893

35,430,000

* This deduction from the revenue for municipal services at Hong Kong is arbitrarily fixed at 20 per cent of the total revenues of the Colony, which is about the proportion that the municipal expenditure of the Straits Settlements bears to its total revenues.

348