Sessional_Paper_1895 — Page 546

542

Enclosure 2.

(Acting Colonial Treasurer to the Governor.)

Amount.

.$370,000

Name.

Assessed Taxes,

Billiard Tables and Bowling Alleys Licences,

Carriage, Chair, &c., Licences,

Dog Licences,

Hawkers' Licences,.

Marine Store Dealers' Licences,

Money Changers' Licences, .....

Pawnbrokers' Licences,

Spirit Licences,

Registration of Householders,

Laundries,

Slaughter House,........

Markets,

Cattle Sheds,

Sheep and Pig Depôts,

Night Soil Contract,

Water Account,

1,100

40,000

2,500

5,200

900

540

39,000

67,500

1,200

330

40,000

62,000

2,580

12,000

23,280

{

60,000

16,000

Total,............

$744,130

(Secretary of State to the Governor.)

HONGKONG. No. 258.

SIR,

DOWNING STREET,

26th October, 1895.

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 267 of 28th August last, regarding the military contribution of the Colony, and the cost of construction of the new Barracks.

2. With reference to the inclusion in the Hongkong revenue of certain receipts which are of a municipal character, and are not included in the general Revenue of the Straits Settlements, because municipalities exist in that Colony, I have in the first place to point out to you that the municipal revenues at the Straits Settlements are only about 20 % of the gross revenues (general and muni- cipal), and that for the sake of comparison between the two Colonies I could not regard as "municipal" several of the items specified in the second enclosure to your despatch under acknowledgment which altogether amount to over 30 % of the Revenue. For instance, Pawnbrokers' Licences and Spirit Licences form part of the general, not the municipal revenue, in the Straits Settlements. In that Colony also the municipalities contribute about $72,000 to the General Revenue for Police purposes, while the municipal work in the outlying districts is performed by the Colonial Government, which receives for that purpose $87,000 under the head "District Collections."