# MEMORANDUM ON THE MILITARY CONTRIBUTION BY THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS
OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF HONGKONG, SUBMITTED FOR
CONSIDERATION OF THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES.
1. We desire to record our Protest against the decision of the Right Honourable,
the Secretary of State for the Colonies, embodied in his Despatch of the 8th June, 1896, in reply to our Memorandum of the 21st March last, on the subject of the Military Contribution.
2. In that Memorandum we asked that, in calculating the Gross Revenue of the Colony for the purpose of assessing the amount of the Military Contribution, all items of purely Municipal, as distinguished from general revenue, should be omitted, as has been done, with the sanction of the Secretary of State, in the Straits Settlements.
3. The Secretary of State has, in his Despatch now before us, absolutely declined even to take our representations into consideration, and has refused our request, not on its merits, but on the ground that even if he were to admit the justice of our claim to have the estimate of Gross Revenue amended as requested, it would make no difference in the result, as any reduction in the amount of the Gross Revenue which would sensibly diminish the amount annually payable as Military Contribution, would entail an immediate increase in the percentage rate at which the Military Tax is levied.
4. As this decision of the Secretary of State means practically that no matter how successful we may be in effecting economies in our expenditure, we will never be allowed to reduce the taxation or diminish the Gross Revenue raised in the Colony, so as to affect the amount of the Military Contribution, or, in other words, that although the amount of our Military Contribution may increase with every increase in our revenue, it will never be allowed to diminish in proportion to any decrease in that revenue, we formally protest against it as unreasonable and unjust.
5. Our Petition that the Military Tax should be fixed at a definite rate per cent of the total Colonial Revenue, less Municipal Revenue and Land Sales, was based on the belief that a percentage rate once fixed would have remained unalterable, and that the amount we had to pay each year would have varied with the amount of revenue raised in the Colony for its necessary expenditure, and that we would be permitted to alter that revenue as our expenditure increased or diminished in accordance with local needs.
6. According to the views now expressed by the Secretary of State, we may have to pay more, but shall never pay less, than we are paying now, and no matter how economically and carefully the Government of the Colony may be administered, no matter how our expenditure may be reduced, we must impose the same taxes and raise the same revenue as if no such economy had been effected, for the mere purpose of keeping up the amount of the payment to the War Office.
7. Such an interpretation of the meaning of the settlement supposed to have been recently effected leaves the Colony in a worse position than before.
8. We would point out that it was in consequence of our repeated representations that the sum heretofore demanded was out of proportion to our means, that the question of the Military Contribution was reconsidered. It was relief we asked from a burden too heavy for us to bear.
9. The impost, as it is now proposed to levy it, will simply increase this burden, and we would therefore pray that the original arrangement of a yearly payment of £40,000 be reverted to.
10. We do not for a moment wish to convey the impression that we admit that this sum is not disproportionate to the revenues of the Colony, but we consider it as more equitable than the tax of 17% on our gross revenue, which it is proposed by the Secretary of State to exact.
Ho Nai Kin
Whitehead
HONGKONG, 14th September, 1896.
で
MEMORANDUM ON THE MILITARY CONTRIBUTION BY THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS
OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF HONGKONG, SUBMITTED FOR
CONSIDERATION OF THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES.
FOR THE
577
1. We desire to record our Protest against the decision of the Right Honourable,
the Secretary of State for the Colonies, eubodied in his Despatehtud the 8th June, 1896, in reply to our Memorandum of the 21st March last, on the sub- ject of the Military Contribution.
2. In that Memorandum we asked that, in calculating the Gross Revenue of the Colony for the purpose of assessing the amount of the Military Contribution, all items of purely Municipal, as distinguished from general revenue, should be omitted, as has been done, with the sanction of the Secretary of State, in the Straits Settlements.
3. The Secretary of State has, in his Despatch now before us, absolutely declined even to take our representations into consideration, and has refused our request, not on its merits, but on the ground that even if he were to admit the justice of our claim to have the estimate of Gross Revenue amended as requested, it would make no difference in the result, as any reduction in the amount of the Gross Revenue which would sensibly diminish the amount anually payable as Military Contribution, would entail an immediate increase in the percentage rate at which the Military Tax is levied.
4. As this decision of the Secretary of State means practically that no matter how- ever successful we may be in effecting economies in our expenditure, we will never be allowed to reduce the taxation or diminish the Gross Revenue raised in the Colony, so as to affect the amount of the Military Contribution, or, in other words, that although the amount of our Military Contribution may increase with every increase in our revenue, it will never be allowed to diminish in proportion to any decrease in that revenue, we formally protest against it as unreasonable and unjust.
5. Our Petition that the Military Tax should be fixed at a definite rate per cent of the total Colonial Revenue, less Municipal Revenue and Land Sales, was based on the belief that a percentage rate once fixed would have remained unalterable, and that the amount we had to pay each year would have varied with the amount of revenue raised in the Colony for its necessary expenditure, and that we would be permitted to alter that revenue as our expenditure increased or diminished in accordance with local needs.
6. According to the views now expressed by the Secretary of State, we may have to pay more, but shall never pay less, than we are paying now, and no matter how economically and carefully the Government of the Colony may be administered. no matter how one expenditure may be reduced, we must impose the same taxes and raise the same revenue as if no such economy had been effected, for the mere purpose of keeping up the amount of the payment to the War Office, 7. Such an interpretation of the meaning of the settlement supposed to have been
recently effected leaves the Colony in a worse position than before.
8. We would point out that it was in consequence of our repeated representations that the sum heretofore demanded was out of proportion to our means, that It was relief we the question of the Military Contribution was reconsidered. asked from a burden too heavy for us to bear.
9. The impost, as it is now proposed to levy it, will simply increase this burden, and we would therefore pray that the original arrangement of a yearly payment of £40,000 be reverted to.
10. We do not for a moment wish to convey the impression that we admit that this sum is not disproportionate to the revenues of the Colony, but we consider it as more equitable than the tax of 17% on our gross revenue, which it is proposed by the Secretary of State to exact.
CIChutes
Ho Nai A Whitehead
HONGKONG, 14th September, 1896.
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