Sessional_Paper_1895 — Page 547

Governor

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3. Further, the cases of Hongkong and the Straits Settlements cannot be regarded in this matter as on the same footing, since although there are separate municipal revenues in the latter Colony, on the other hand the expenses of general administration are proportionately greater than in Hongkong, partly owing to the larger area of the Colony, which is more than fifty times as large as Hongkong, while the gross revenues (including municipal receipts) are less than three times those of Hongkong, and partly to the distance of the several Settlements from each other, requiring in some branches of the Government service the maintenance of a double or triple staff of officers as compared with the staff required in the compact Colony of Hongkong.

4. Under all the circumstances of the case I see no reason for regarding the proposed percentage, taken on the total revenue of the Colony, as at all an unreasonable contribution to ask for from Hongkong.

5. As regards the expenditure on new Barracks I have to remind you that your predecessor was informed five years ago, in Lord KNUTSFORD's despatch No. 8 of 20th January, 1890, that the Colony would be asked to bear a portion of the cost of their construction. The fact that some of the expenditure had already been incurred was among other considerations taken into account, when it was proposed, in Lord RIPON's despatch No. 83 of 3rd April last, that the Colony should only pay one third of the net total cost of the Barracks, and if the Imperial Government had agreed to pay the whole cost of the buildings already in hand or completed, it could have only been on the condition that the Colony would bear a larger proportion than one third of the remaining expenditure. I trust that on further consideration the Members of the Legislative Council will agree that the proposals of Her Majesty's Government on this subject form a fair and reasonable settlement of the question.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient, humble Servant,

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

&c.,

$c.,

&c.

J. CHAMBERLAIN.

Note. The previous despatches referred to in paragraph 5 have already been

printed and laid.