Sessional_Paper_1895 — Page 475

HONG KONG.

No. 161.

Governor

471

No. 33

95

HONGKONG.

DESPATCH RESPECTING ORDINANCE 1 OF 1864 AND ITS REPEAL.

SIR,

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of

His Excellency the Governor.

DOWNING STREET,

28th June, 1895.

In reply to your despatch No. 156 of the 11th ultimo, I have the honour to point out to you that Ordinance No. 1 of 1864 related only to payments to be made to or by the Government of the Colony as to which sterling had been or should have been or should be specified in any Ordinance of the Colony. It does not appear that any Ordinance has specified that Crown rents shall be paid in sterling; therefore Ordinance No. 1 of 1864 did not, and its repeal does not, affect the payment of Crown rents.

It appears that the old Crown Leases require the rents, though fixel in sterling, to be laid in current dollars of the Colony at such rate as may from time to time be fixed as the rate of exchange for the salaries of the public officers of the Colony. When the currency was changed in 1863 and salaries were fixed in dollars, there ceased to be any rate of exchange for salaries, but the rents no doubt continued to be received at the rate fixed for salaries when salaries were in sterling, viz., 4/2 the Dollar, and they should continue to be received at that rate now.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient,

SIR W. ROBINSON, K.C.M.G.,

&c.,

&c.,

&c.

humble servant,

RIPON.