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THE HONGKong goverNMENT GAZETTE, 23RD MAY, 1868.
His Excellency lays on the Table a Circular Despatch of the 11th December, 1867, from His Grace The Secretary of State for the Colonies, conveying instructions for introducing uniformity in the Law relating to Treasonable Offences, and
A Bill is read a first time to assimilate the Law of this Colony respecting Treasonable Offences to the Law
of the United Kingdom.
His Excellency lays on the Table a Report of a Commission consisting of the Honorable PHINEAS RYRIE, Honorable W. H. ALEXANDER, and F. W. MITCHELL, Esquire, appointed to enquire into the working of the Stamp Ordinance, 1866, and though not prepared, for reasons which His Excellency explains, to adopt all the suggestions of the Commission,-desires it to be recorded on the Minutes that he considers the Commission had taken great pains and had been most useful in throwing light on the subject referred to their consideration and inquiry.
A Bill is then read a first time to amend "The Stamp Ordinance, 1866.”
His Excellency lays on the Table a Bill to authorize the appropriation of a Supplementary Sum not exceeding One hundred and thirty-five thousand Dollars to defray the Charges of the Year, 1867, and makes the following statement :-
The Estimated Revenue and Expenditure of the Colony was-Revenue $980,520, Expenditure $997,305.60. The actual Revenue and Expenditure-including, for the purpose of comparison, the receipts and payments on account of the Imperial Post Office, has been,-Revenue $963,519, Expenditure $835,032.
The Revenue, however, appears more productive than it really should do, because a considerable portion, viz: $66,300 is due to a sale of Land,-which belongs more to Capital than Revenue, and because a better system of collection of Taxes enabled nearly all the Rates due for the Year, to be collected during the year-and consequently left fewer arrears outstanding at the end.
The Stamp Ordinance having been in operation only a few months during 1867- produced only $28,232, but the monthly Collections show that the Receipts to be expected from the Schedule then in force would produce in a year about the amount estimated, viz: $110,000. The Receipts from the Junk and Registration Ordinances have more than doubled what was expected.
The Expenditure shows a decrease of about $160,000, but of this-$94,000 is caused by the non-payment of the Military Contribution which forms a debt still due by the Colony, and the remainder is principally attributable to the postponement of important Public Works, more especially the Reservoir at Pokefulum, the reclamation of ground at Bowrington, and the paving of Streets in Taipingshan. There is also a considerably diminished charge for Gaols.
The nominal excess of Assets over Liabilities at the end of 1867 was something over $25,000, or about that which was anticipated last August when the Estimates for the current Year were in course of preparation.
The Supplementary Estimates now submitted, amounting to nearly $135,000, are not for any additional Expenditure, but are merely brought forward to cover certain alterations which were found necessary in the appropriation of the Expenditure. The $135,000 now asked for, therefore, forms a portion of the $835,000 of Expenditure above shown the actual Expenditure in accordance with the Original Estimates having been only about $700,000.
The detailed Estimates to be sent round to Members indicate exactly the services upon which the different appropriations have been made. A considerable sum is shewn as expended under the head of Police,--the larger portion of which is connected with the raising and equipment of the Sikh force.
In Public Works, most of the alterations consist of small items which could not well be foreseen a year in advance, and of payments not estimated--because it had been anticipated that the Works in respect of which the payments took place would have been completed in the previous Year.
The greater part of the sums required for Roads, Streets and Bridges are on account of Kowloon-the Government having been obliged to resume many of the lots sold.
In Special Expenses there was a saving of most of the Expenditure connected with a Colonial Gun Vessel--but the purchase and fitting of a Gunpowder Depôt and a Floating Police Station, and sundry other small expenses have about exhausted the saving thus effected.
The Bill is then read a first time; and
His Excellency adjourns the Council at a quarter-past 4 o'clock.
Read and confirmed, this 22nd Day of May, 1868.
L. D'ALMADA E CASTRO,
Clerk of Councils.
RICHARD GRAVES MACDONNELL, Governor.
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