680167-1882-Light-Dues-Papers-laid-before-Council-mendicancy-Convictions-1867-to-1881- — Page 1

942

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 16TH DECEMBER, 1882.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.-No. 478.

The following Copies or Extracts of Correspondence were laid before the Legislative Council on the 13th instant by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government.

Council Chamber, Hongkong, 13th December, 1882.

ARATHOON SETH, Clerk of Councils.

GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,

HONGKONG, 9th December, 1882.

SIR,

The Committee of this Chamber has had under its consideration the taxation of trade in the Colony, and its attention has been directed in the first instance, to the Light dues now imposed upon all shipping using the Harbour, excepting Chinese Junks which are exempted from the operation of the impost.

According to the Blue Books and returns courteously placed by you at the disposal of the Chamber, it would appear that, from the date of the erection of the first Light House in 1874 down to 1881 (inclusive) there have been expended upon construction and maintenance out of ordinary Colonial funds the sum of $88,605.33 while the Income from 1875 to 1881 amounted to $113,290.21 showing a surplus of income over expenditure for that period $24,684.88.

The Committee understands that towards the cost of construction of the Light Houses a grant was made out of a special fund at the disposal of the Colony, but the papers furnished to the Chamber do not give any information to that effect. From the annexed table it will be seen that the annual revenue derived from Light dues has been increasing since 1875, while the cost of maintenance has remained about stationery.

In 1881 the dues were

Cost of maintenance

Showing a net revenue of...........

.$20,755.14

7,465.90

.$13,289.24

derived from a tax upon shipping.

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The Committee desires to urge upon His Excellency the Administrator the expediency of strictly maintaining, in the fiscal policy of the Colony, the conditions of perfect freedom of trade upon which the commercial prosperity of the Island wholly depends, and with which a tax for the purposes of revenue upon traffic passing through the Harbour is obviously inconsistent.

The Committee believes that when the existing dues were imposed to provide the cost of main- taining the Light Houses, a surplus was not looked for and suggests that as a reduction of fifty per cent. in the present tariff rates would still leave a surplus of income over expenditure to provide for contingencies, it might safely be made and cannot with justice be refused.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient Servant,

F. BULKELEY JOHNSON,

Honourable F. STEWART, LL.D.,

Acting Colonial Secretary,

&c.,

&c.,

&c.

Chairman.

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