HONGKONG, 24th December 1896.
your authority by telegram as it is important that this question should be definitely settled with as little delay as possible.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your Most Obedient Humble Servant,
William Robinson
His Excellency
Sm WILLIAM ROBINSON, K.C.M.G.,
Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony of Hongkong,
MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY,
55
We, the undersigned, Agents and Representatives of Companies and Firms owning steamers trading to and in the Far East, have the honour to address you, in the names and on behalf of our principals, on the subject of the Light Dues now levied and proposed to be levied on vessels entering the Port of Hongkong, with special reference to the correspondence, recently published, between your Excellency's Government, the Hongkong Chamber of Commerce and the Unofficial Members of your Council, concerning the Gap Rock Light Dues.
2. We understand from that correspondence that your Excellency is prepared to give effect to the promise made by your predecessor in office when the Gap Rock Light Dues were first voted and to abolish those dues, the entire cost of the Gap Rock Light with all its accessories having been more than covered by the proceeds; but that your Excellency proposes to permanently raise the general light dues levied on vessels frequenting this Port from 1 cent to 2¼ cents, to supply the deficiency caused in the general revenue of the Colony by the abandonment of the special charges in respect of that Light.
3. We beg, in the first place, to bring to your Excellency's notice that by Sir HENRY POTTINGER'S Proclamation of the 16th February, 1842, Hongkong was declared a "Free Port, and no manner of customs, port duties or any other charges were to be levied on any ships or vessels of whatever nation or sailing under whatever flag that may enter the port or on their cargoes." Secondly, we would remind your Excellency that, until the year 1875, no Light Dues were ever levied in Hongkong and that they were only imposed in that year for the special purpose of reimbursing the Government the amounts then recently expended on the erection of Lighthouses and for no other purpose, and that the rate then imposed of one cent per ton would appear to have been continued after the requisite sums had been raised more through inadvertence than by design. Lastly, your Excellency has before you, in the letter of the Chamber of Commerce addressed to you in July last, the promise of a late Governor of Hongkong that the Gap Rock Light Dues then imposed were not intended to be a permanent charge on shipping, or a permanent addition to the Colonial Revenue but a temporary charge intended to cover and provide for a special expenditure incurred mainly on the representations of shipowners and of the shipping interest.
4. Your Excellency's proposal to burden the commerce of the Port with a permanent charge on shipping of 2¼ cents per ton (estimated to bring in a sum of $113,000 per annum), in aid of the general revenue of the Colony when all, and more than all, the expenses connected with the construction of all the Lighthouses have been defrayed and when the estimated cost of the whole lighthouse establishment, including cost of maintenance and repairs, amounts only to $16,870 per annum, is an entirely new departure and is not in accordance with the very clear and distinct provisions of the Proclamation declaring Hongkong a Free Port. It was not unreasonable that when, for the convenience of commerce, the Government of the Colony was called on to incur a large capital expenditure in the erection of Lighthouses at the request mainly of the shipping interest, the shipping should provide the funds required. There is nothing unreasonable or to which your petitioners will object in an adequate charge on shipping to defray the
22
HONGKONG, 24 th December 1896.
your authority by telegram as it is important that this question should be definite- ly settled with as little
delay
as
possible.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your Most Obedient
Humble Servant,
William Robins of
His Excellency
Sm WILLIAM ROBINSON, K.C.M.G.,
Governor and Commander-in-Chief
of the Colony of Hongkong,
MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY,
55
We, the undersigned, Agents and Representatives of Companies and Firms owning steamers trading to and in the Far East, have the honour to address you, in the names and on behalf of our principals, on the subject of the Light Dues now levied and proposed to be levied on vessels entering the Port of Hong- kong, with special reference to the correspondence, recently published, between your Excellency's Government, the Hougkong Chamber of Commerce and the Unofficial Members of your Council, concerning the Gap Rock Light Dues.
2. We understand from that correspondence that your Excellency is prepared to give effect to the promise made by your predecessor in office when the Gap Rock Light Dues were first voted and to abolish those dues, the entire cost of the Gap Rock Light with all its accessories having been more than covered by the proceeds; but that your Excellency proposes to permanently raise the general light dues levied on vessels frequenting this Port from 1 cent to 24 cents, to supply the deficiency caused in the general revenue of the Colony by the abandonment of the special charges in respect of that Light.
3. We beg, in the first place, to bring to your Excellency's notice that by Sir HENRY POTTINGER'S Proclamation of the 16th February, 1842, Hongkong was declared a "Free Port, and no manner of customs, port duties or any other charges were to be levied on any ships or vessels of whatever uation or sailing under whatever flag that may enter the port or on their cargoes." Secondly, we would remind your Excellency that, until the year 1875, no Light Dues were ever levied in Hongkong and that they were only imposed in that year for the special par- pose of reimbursing the Government the amounts then recently expended on the crection of Lighthouses and for no other purpose, and that the rate then imposed of one cent per ton would appear to have been continued after the requisite suos had been raised more through inadvertence than by design. Lastly, your Excellency has before you,
in the letter of the Chamber of Commerce addressed to you in July last, the promise of a late Governor of Hongkong that the Gap Rock Light Dues then imposed were not intended to be a permanent charge on shipping, or a permanent addition to the Colonial Revenue but a temporary charge intended to cover and provide for a special expenditure incurred mainly on the represent- ations of shipowners and of the shipping interest.
4. Your Excellency's proposal to burden the commerce of the Port with a per- manent charge on shipping of 24 cents per ton (estimated to bring in a sum of $113,000 per annum), in aid of the general revenue of the Colony when all, and more than all, the expenses connected with the construction of all the Lighthouses have been defrayed and when the estimated cost of the whole lighthouse estab- lishment, including cost of maintenance and repairs, amounts only to $16,870 per annum, is an entirely new departure and is not in accordance with the very clear and distinct provisions of the Proclamation declaring Hongkong a Free Port. It was not unreasonable that when, for the convenience of commerce, the Government of the Colony was called on to incur a large capital expenditure in the erection of Lighthouses at the request mainly of the shipping interest, the ship- ping should provide the funds required. There is nothing unreasonable or to which your petitioners will object in an adequate charge on shipping to defray the
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