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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 11TH APRIL, 1891.
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3. That, however deferentially the Resolutions were worded, the additional military contribution was granted by this Council upon the faith of an express promise that the garrison should be increased and upon the condition that the money should not be demanded or paid unless there was an increase in the strength of the Military forces stationed here, and in proportion to that increase.
4. That, as evidenced by the published despatches, the Officer Administering the Government and the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies accepted the vote as conditional and as based on the promise of and dependent on the presence of a largely increased garrison.
5. That, during the year 1890, there was no addition made to the strength of the force stationed in Hongkong; no preparations for such increase; no evidence of real intention ever to grant the increase and no reason is now assigned for the failure of Her Majesty's Government to keep the promise made to the Colony.
any
6. That the promise not having been kept, the condition not having been observed, the vote fell to the ground and the non-payment of the money voted was just and proper and to be approved of by this Council.
7. That if Her Majesty's Government had frankly recognised the right of the Council to treat the vote of last year as inoperative for the reasons above stated and had applied to the Council for an additional Military Contribution for 1890, on general grounds and irrespective of any increase in the Garrison, the Un-official Members would have given every consideration to the appeal and would have impartially examined the question from the point of view presented by His Excellency the President in his address to the Council on the 19th March instant.
8. That this very proper and reasonable course has not been adopted; that the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies in his telegram and despatch of the 13th February last demands payment as of money due on the footing of the original vote; that the matter was brought before the Finance Committee of this Council as a re-vote and that all discussion was stifled and all time for consideration refused on the ground that it was only a re-vote and that further discussion, if not absolutely forbidden, was a mere waste of time; that the re-vote, (carried in the Financial Committee simply by the casting vote of the Chairman), came before this Council for confirmation on the same footing, and that the Un-official Members are within their right in refusing now to allow the vote to be supported on grounds other than those on which it was originally granted.
9. The Un-official Members therefore protest against this re-vote, forced through Council in opposition to their views and to the views and opinions of the vast majority of the Colonists and they protest against the payment of the money so voted and against the action of the Imperial Government in demanding the money when the promises on the faith of which it was granted have not been fulfilled.
P. RYRIE.
C. P. CHATER. J. J. KESWICK. Η ΚΑΙ.
T. H. WHITEHEAD.
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL CHAMBERS,
HONGKONG, 19th March, 1891.
The Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD gave notice that at the next meeting of Council he would ask the following questions:-
1. What was the total expenditure of the Government under the head of salaries for the years 1887, 1888, 1889, and 1890, and what is the estimated total expenditure for the current year under the same heading on the basis of the increased pay and allowances recommended by this Council?
2. What was the total expenditure on the Public Works Department in the years 1887, 1888, 1889, and 1890, for salaries and wages, and what is the estimated expenditure under the same heading for the current year on the Public Works Department and Water and Drainage Department combined?
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