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APPENDIX No. 2.
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The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed.
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STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
Colonial Office to War Office.
Sir,
Downing Street,
16th January, 1895. With reference to previous correspondence on the subject of the Straits Settlements Military Contribution, I am directed by the Marquis of Ripon to transmit to you, to be laid before Mr. Secretary Campbell-Bannerman, the enclosed report of the debate in the Legislative Council, when a vote was taken for the contribution for 1895, and also a vote on account for the new barracks, together with copies of riders by unofficial members of the Council to reports of Special Committees for Singapore and Malacca, and for Penang respectively, on the Straits Settlements Estimates for 1895.
It will be observed that this debate in the Legislative Council took place, and these protests were written in October last, when the information before the members of Council only extended to the rates fixed for the contribution in 1894 and 1895.
Since that date, Lord Ripon's despatch of 6th November last, embodying the decision of Her Majesty's Government in regard to the contributions for the whole quinquennial period 1894-98, has been received by the Governor, and published in the Colony, and his Lordship has received a telegram from Sir C. Mitchell, dated the 10th instant, reporting that three out of the five unofficial members of the Council, who specially represent Singapore as dis- tinguished from Penang, have tendered the resignation of their seats, and that one other Singapore member, whose time has expired, has declined reappoint- ment, and also that 18 Justices of the Peace, and the members of the Chinese Advisory Board have tendered their resignations. The Governor adds that a despatch on the subject will follow by mail.
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A similar letter has been addressed to the Treasury.
No. 2a.
EDWARD FAIRFIELD.
REPORT OF DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE. COUNCIL.
Saturday, 20th October, 1894.
Present:
His Excellency the Governor (Sir Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell, K.C.M.G.). The Hon. the Colonial Secretary (W. E. Maxwell, C.M.G.).
the Resident Councillor of Penang (A. M. Skimer, C.M.G.).
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the Acting Resident Councillor of Malacca (C. W. S. Kynnersley).
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the Attorney-General (W. R. Collyer).
the Acting Colonial Treasurer (J. K. Birch).
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the Auditor-General (H. Trotter).
the Colonial Engineer (Major H. E. McCallum, K.E., C.M.G.),
J. M. R. Vermout.
T. Shelford, C.M.G.
T. C. Bogaardt.
A. L. Donaldson.
W. C. Brown, M.D.
Seah Liang Seah.
A. Hüttenbach.
Absent:
His Excellency the General Officer Commanding the troops (Major-General Hugh Thomas Jones-Vaughan, C.B.).
SUPPLY BILL.
The Council resumed the consideration of the Supply Bill in Committee.
The Colonial Secretary said that he wished to obtain the consent of the Council to the insertion of a small vote, which had been omitted under Public Works Department, Allowances---Rent Allowance for Assistant Superintendent of Works, 180 dollars.
Agreed to.
Turning to military expenditure,
The Colonial Secretary moved the reduction of the vote for Military Contribution by one-tenth, from 923,077 dollars to 830,770 dollars, on account of the reduction of the contribution to 90,000% for the year 1895,
Mr. Shelford:--I rise, sir, to move a considerably larger reduction than that proposed by the Colonial Secretary, which, I may point out, is entirely inadequate to the requirements of the case. I desire to approach this subject in a proper temper and with due reserve, bearing in mind that the despatch confirming the telegram has not yet been received, that it way possibly contain some modification of terms for the future, which it has not been thought necessary to telegraph out, and therefore some further abatement of the decision at present arrived at. But the reduction is not sufficient to meet the case. Ready as we at this end of the table have always been to meet the question in a spirit of compromise, sometimes as it is alleged, approaching to weakness, and speaking for myself, I venture to aver that, if the sum proposed for 1894 had been announced as an annual reduction, I should have been inclined to accept it without demur, patiently waiting the further development of events, in the hope of the matter being placed ouce for all on a better and sure basis for the Colony. But no such chance has been given us; the door of conciliation is closed to us, and I would demonstrate as well as I can the exceedingly shabby treatment we are receiving from the Imperial Government. In doing so, I must trouble the Council with some figures, which I shall endeavour to put before them as clearly as I can.
Now, sir, in the despatch of December, 1889, when it is for the first time announced that the contribution is fixed at 100,0007. per annum, the period stated is for four years, and in this Bill the same sum is reuewed, bringing it to six years--that is to say, 600,0007. In the resolution of this Council of February, 1890, it was contended and unanimously agreed that in no case should the Colony pay more than half of the cost of the whole military defence, in round numbers 70,000, which for the six years is 420,000, leaving a difference of 180,000%; and it is in respect of this difference of 30,000 per annum that the dispute arises, involving, as I shall show, a sum of very great importance to us. I do not propose to go into the merits of the case at the present time. Every point, as it arose, has been dealt with in the admirable despatches of the late Governor, laid upon the table. Every statement put forward by Her Majesty's Government has been answered by argument which has received little attention, and the issue has long since been narrowed down to sheer might on one side and ineffectual remonstrance on the other. Moreover, we have not yet the despatch before us, and do not know in what spirit it has been conceived-whether in the flinging of a contemptuous sop at an angry dog, or that Her Majesty's Government admits the principle that the Colony has been overcharged and that the amount levied is beyond the just proportion. Certain it is that in July, 1891, Parliament was led to believe, and a pledge given, that the claims of the Colony would receive just consideration, and although the delay appeared interminable to us, and our patience was well-nigh exhausted, we had a right to hope, we had a right, from the representations publicly made, to believe, that, when the time came, substantial relief would be given. The revenue since, and including that of 1891 (the year of which I am speaking, when the pledge to the House of Commons was given) both actual and estimated, to the present Bill, is below that of 1888, upon which the contribution was fixed, I repeat, and the point has never been contradicted, that, when this contribution of 100,0001, was fixed, the estimated revenue of 1889, showing a great increment in consequence of the re-letting of the farms, was before Her Majesty's Government; in fact, they fixed this contribution on a rising revenue. The expenditure since and including this year, 1891, has always exceeded the revene. In 1891, for instance, the deficit, as shown by the Final Supply Bill, was 319,992 dollars; in 1892, 460,960 dollars; in 1893, 192,169 dollars; a total of 973,121 dollars, resulting in the exhaustion of all our reserves, the reduction of our available balances, the stoppage of our works and undertakings; the amount spent in 1888 under works and buildings, and roads, streets and bridges being 1,070,203 dollars, as against 418,303 dollars, the estimated expenditure in the Supply Bill at present before us. "Now, all this must have been perfectly apparent in the returne which, from time to time, have been sent home; and the manner in which Her Majesty's Government propose to meet the difficulty is, to return to us one-sixth of the difference of 180,000%, or 5 per cent, of the total amount involved. But, sir, the case
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