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That they claim the right to increase the garrison to whatever they like, and that they proclaim that the Colony must ultimately pay the whole cost of such garrison, whatever it may be, without the Colony having any voice or say in fixing its strength.
That the Home Government desires no finality, no equitable system, which it would be so easily to fix, if there was the wish, but that they want to keep the question open and the Colony at their mercy. That it is not a case that the Colony should, as they are anxious to, pay as much as is reasonable; but that the Colony must pay as much as they, the Home Government, like from time to time to name.
That instead of assisting us to keep our finances in order, to enable us to maintain the Colony's position and credit, the Home Government avoids a settlement, uses our obligation so that ruin is constantly staring us in the face, that we are kept in a perpetual state of uncertainty and suspense, and depending on the charity of the Home Government.
Mr. Shelford, at a public meeting said (report of Straits Times, 12th January, 1895)--
"Now they hold us liable for the whole cost of the garrison, no matter for what purposes the troops are stationed here.
"The military are here because this is a coaling and naval station. And yet the Secretary of State insists upon charging us with the whole cost of a military garrison, without recognizing, in the slightest degree, the Imperial interests. Over the consti- tution and cost of this garrison we have not the slightest control, and in its management are permitted no voice.
"How then can the civil administration be kept within the 3,000,000 dollars named by the Secretary of State? You have but to refer to the expenditure of the last three years. We can only do it by cutting down the maintenance vote to starvation point, by doing nothing for the development of the Colouy, and by arresting the material welfare and progress of the people. What is this for? It is purposed to charge us with the cost of the military, irrespective of our wants and wishes."
8. All this the people in the Straits say has been fully and repeatedly pointed out, and can, if details are wanted, be conclusively proved; but no heed is taken, and all we get as an answer from Her Majesty's Government to remonstrations, however well they may be substantiated, however respectfully they may be brought forward, is a plain and unqualified sic voleo sic jubeo.
The Colony begins to believe (I hope I will be excused for speaking frankly) that they are to be sacrificed to home politics. That each of the two great parties tries to please the voters by a favourable Budget, and that the Colony is to be squeezed to obtain this regardless of justice and fairness -
"To the arguments and expostulations of the Governor, and of the Executive and Legislative Councils, which have been put forward with patience and truth during the last five years, Her Majesty's Government has turned a deaf year.
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"This is the relief which the despatch informs us it to be given to the Colony, and when the benchman of the Secretary of State says that the contribution is settled on fair and equitable basis, it becomes a mere travesty, a mere mockery of words, a pure misrepresentation of circunstances, and is misleading to the House of Commons. Gentlemen, the real question that is before us now is not a matter of percentages, not how much the Colony can afford to pay, but how much they can take from us. Paragraph after paragraph in that despatch is devoted to considering the balances which may be obtained from year to year. The cost of the civil administration is to be reduced to 3,000,000 dollars; anything and everything above that is to be taken."
(From Mr. Shelford's speech, Straits Times report, 11th January, 1895, Town Hall.) But it has at the same time been remarked, that the demands made by the Conservative Government, made at a time when our coffers were full, exchange high, the demand only a moderate proportion of our revenue and the prospects bright, may be called fair in comparison with that of the Liberal Government, now that circum- stances have entirely changed, our reserves absorbed, exchange 28., and the outlook for the future dark and gloomy and the percentage excessive, while greater demands are made by the Liberal Government, in place of the relief, as promised by the Conser- vative Government.
9. It is thought that the latest despatch of the Secretary of State brings it out more prominently than ever that the Colony, instead of being treated on equal terms with the rest of the Empire, anxious as it is to pay its reasonable and fair share towards the burden, is to be treated like an unfortunate debtor who has got into the power of a hard and inconsiderate creditor.
Mr. Shelford, speaking at the meeting already referred to, said (report of Straits Times)--
"It may be the Secretary of State cares little about it; but the unjust appropriation of our funds undoubtedly must hamper and fetter the Government in the fulfilment of their duties to the native races. Hitherto they have regarded the Government of the Queen as the embodiment of fair and just treatment, a tribunal before whom every question would be impartially sifted and every grievance remedied. It is our privilege
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to uphold the fair name of England amongst a law-abiding and peaceful people, who, whatever happens, will continue law abiding and peaceful. But can we continue to do, so in connection with the military question which cannot fail to check in a great degree the progress of the civil administration ?
The day has arrived when beed must be paid to public opinion, when it must be heard and listened to in the Legislative Council, when Her Majesty's Government must cease to pursue the policy which, guided by no fixed principle, measures its exaction by the length of the Colony's purse.
"We do not seek for any grace at the hands of Her Majesty's Government. All we ask for is simple justice.
"The result of the review of the circumstances by the Home Government is that they will not abate one jot on their terms. Under these circumstances, gentlemen, it is impossible for us to fulfil the duties which we owe to the public as guardians of the public purse; it is impossible for us to fulfil our duty in matters of finance, threatened as they are at every point over which we have no control; nay, further, it is impossible for us to fulfil the responsibility which we have assumed under oath, and that being so, I hold that it is equally impossible for us to continue to occupy the position of responsible public officers."
And Mr. Napier remarked at the same occasion-
"I repeat again that it appears to me that the salient point in the despatch of Lord Ripon's is the subordination of the interests of the Colony to the Imperial Exchequer We have tried all means in our power to get this wrong righted: we bave had public meetings, we have had deputations to the Governor and to the Secretary of State; and it has all been of no avail. Now the only course left is, I think, the action that has been taken by those gentlemen whose action we have come to approve to day. The resignation has, it seems to me, been deliberately provoked by the Imperial Government.
The Letters Patent, as was pointed out a few months ago, give the Legislative Council full power for the raising and the expenditure of public revenue as may be deemned advisable for the peace, good order, and good government of our subjects within our Settlements or within any territory which may at any time be part of or dependent on the same. That is to say, the charter only authorizes the revenue of the Colony to be applied for the good of the people in the Colony, and for the good of the people there. Tsay that the Legislative Council by its official votes, instigated by Downing Street, and in opposition to the unanimous vote, from time to time, of the unofficial members, has been diverting the money of the Colony in a manner which is alien to the Letters Patent. It appears to me that the appropriation of the revenue of the Colony, in total opposition to the wishes of the Colony, is contrary to every principle of the British constitution."
The Colonists thus begin to believe now that there is no more room for hope that this Colony will ever have again stability and a settled household in the future, and that a loyal Colony is treated worse than any conquered province. This has led to a feeling of utter despair. The desire to call, if possible, the attention of the British public has led to resignation, and feeling is now running very high indeed in the Colony.
10. But when feeling is very high, when passious are at fever heat, the niceties of the points at issue are often lost sight of. It may happen in the excitement-in fact, it would be a proof of the intensity of the excitement-that is overlooked, while disclaiming the wrong, to adequately reiterate what the wrong complained of actually consists of, and to forget-while asking for redress-to express clearly what is asked for and what would satisfy.
The present may, therefore, be an opportune time to calmly look around in order to suggest, if possible, some satisfactory solution of the difficulty.
11. Such a solution it seems is at hand, by assessing the contribution on a fixed percentage of the actual gross revenue of the Colony of each preceding year. This system has been mooted by Mr. Shelford and supported by all unofficial members of Council, But the first public statement of it was only on 20th October last, and the proposal can therefore not have been considered by the Secretary of State as yet. Hopes are entertained that it may be acceptable to Her Majesty's Government, as it seems to offer everything, in fact more, than the Home Government professes to ask for OTR
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12. It seems evident that a percentage contains all the clements of an equitable distribution. In fact the Home Government seems all along not to have contemplated anything else. In all despatches-as well those of Lord Knutsford as of Lord Ripon- profession is always made that the Colony is on no account to be called upon to pay more than it ean afford. How can this be better arranged than by a percentage? And constant reference is made in the despatches right through as to the percentage, the amount asked for is contemplated to bear in proportion to the revenue. And as long as silver is low and our revenue has not further expanded, the Colony could anyhow
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