CO129-386 - Public Offices & Others - 1911 — Page 156

Mr. Piddes

154

Sir J. Anderson

Please see Sir R. Chalmers

reply

attached.

now write to Treas. officially saying that

as no mention was made of the payment of M11. Cont.

on these grants of three fixed sums,

it did not

occur to the S. of S. that they could possibly be

regarded as ordinary revenue and that one fifth

of

the amounts would be demanded back by way of

Military Cont. That nothing was said to the Colony

on the point in announcing the amounts of the

Grants 4 and that the Colony has also assumed that

these Grants would not be liable to Mil. Cont.

In these ciros. the S. of S. regrets that he cannot

now invite the Colony to pay Mil. Cont. on the

Grants made or promised, but he is willing that in

connexion with possible further Grants referred

to in Treas. letter 8640, the possibility of

such further Grants having not yet been mentioned

to H.K.. in accordance with a wish expressed

privately by Sir G. Murray, last par. of our letter

to Treas. on 5447 the question of Mil. Cont. on

the Grants as a whole should be considered in con-

at are refnited

nexion with such further Grants to make up the full

A

half of the direct loss of Opium rev.

(I may point out that if Treas. have to maxe up

the full half of Opium rev, lost, it is logical that

since

Mil. Cont. should be paid on such half

the Colony formerly paid Mil. Cont. on the amount

of

revenue now lost. But 1 t is quite impossible to

make them pay Cont. on the Grants of fixed amount

already made or promised without stipulation as to

Mil. Cont. ).

AFC

13/12

ofconsor

Br. 16

abonce

La 16.12