December 19, 1895.]
very
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of which they may hereafter be liquidated. This appears so obvious that it seems strange that the Secretary of State for the Colonies should have absolutely ignored this argument in the despatch which we are now discussing. When I come to the arguments he uses in justification of his refusal to accede to our demands I must say that I do not find them cogent; he simply seems to raise points of detail which do not affect the principle we advocate. In our letter to you of the 23rd August, which was forwarded to the Secretary of State for the Colonies by his Excellency the Governor, we did not go into the question of the amount of our municipal revenue, nor of the items of which it was to be composed. Matters of detail, such as whether the pawnbrokers and spirit licences are to be included in general or in municipal revenue, could be easily adjusted between the home and Colonial Governments, without in any way affecting the principle by which we stand. namely, that our municipal revenue should, like that of Singapore, be exempted from this tax and devoted to our local requirements.
I now come to another charge on the revenues of the colony, which I may safely say is virtually a further increase of the military contribution. I refer to the expenses for barrack services, of which the Imperial Government bas decided that we shall pay one third. This means a fur- ther contribution from us, over and above the 174 per cent. we are paying on our gross revenue, of $40,000 per annum for the uext ten years, or a total cost of $400,000. What besides we may have to pay,
the political situation becomes more critical, and
We are called provide quarters for an increased number of upon to troops, we cannot say, but even
as it is it will readily be seen from the figures I will proceed to give you what a heavy load of taxation the Imperial Government is lay- ing on this colony by means of the military contribution and its concomitants, In 1890 our contribution was £20,000, and we paid the Imperial Government $121,897 in 1891 when it was doubled to £40,000, and as I stated just now when exchange was comparatively high, we paid $254,211; in 1892 the sum of £40,000 had risen to $267.182; in 1893 to 8297,873; in 1894 to $371,647; and in 1895 it is estimated by yourselves to amount to $384.000. In 1896 the 17 per cent. now demanded from us on gross revenue exclusive of land sales, as estimated by the Colonial Secretary, will amount to $388,000-larger than the largest sum we have yet paid to the Imperial Government; and for barrack services we have the addition of $40,000, of which I have already spoken, giving a total of $428,000; or exclusive of land sales on a gross revenue of $2,218,360. Deducting from this the municipal revenue, as estimated by the hon. the Colonial Treasurer, of $744,130. there is left a sum of $1.474.230, or say 8428,000 on $1,474,230, or over 29 per cent. instead of 174 per cent. With these remarks I now proposo the following amendment :—“ That this vote he reduced to 174 per cent. of the general revenue of the colony, less the proceeds of land sales and less the municipal revenue, the items of which this latter shall be composed to be adjusted between the Imperial and the Colonial Govern- ments.
"
Hon. Ho KAI-I beg to second the amend- ment.
1
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-I support, Mr. Chairman, all that the senior unofficial member has said, and I wish to make a few remarks. heartily concur in everything he has said, and I cordially support him in the statement he has placed before us. Hongkong has been alluded to by former Governors as the third shipping port in the world, and there is no doubt an enormous mail traffic. It often happens that two mails leave here in one day, and one or two arrive. 'Thera is not accommodation in our Post Office for the handling of such vast mail traffic. It is totally unsuitable and absolutely inadequate for the ro- quirements of the day. Our Post Office is a dis- grace to the colony, and I should strongly re- commend the Sanitary Board officicals to in- spect it on a busy day. The report would in all probability condemn it on sanitary grounds. The Supreme Court House and Land Office are in a tumble-down condition, absolutely unsuit able, so old and so bad as to be practically be- yond repair. The Harbour Master's Office is no
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
CVIT
better, and is unworthy of the colony. In the against item No. 33 the argently necessary build- Estimates now before us I see on page 44 ings referred to, and that they are estimated to cost $650,000. They cannot be proceeded with owing to want of funds and must be kept in abeyance. Our municipal rates are derived largely from productive public works, and the said works have been built with borrowed money, paid. The first charge upon the not earnings which borrowings and debt have not yet heen
money is clearly the interest on the borrowings of productive publie works built with borrowed and contributions to a sinking fund for the ulti- mate redemption and repayment of the relative loans. It would be fair and reasonable that the colony should be allowed to use the balance of the net earnings from this source for the pay- further necessary public offices. The military ment of a share of the cost of administering
£40,000 is payable in gold, and with exchange contribution fixed upon some years ago al
heavier and is now excessive. Yet iustead of on the decline the burden has grown getting relief from the new arrangement the burden is to be increased. The Imperial Govern municipal rates for Imperial purposes, and ment propose to annex 17 per cent, of our
accommodation required for Imperial interests. make us pay for a share of the cost of barrack
and inequitable proposal, and must have been not colonial needs. This is a most arbitrary arrived at under some misconception. If en- forced it will cause the most grave injustice to just right to claim and insist that the colony's the future welfare of the colony. We have a contribution should be, as in Singapore, in a fixed ratio to annual revenue, less municipal rates and land sales. The colony should not be called upon to contribute toward the cost of bar- Imperial purposes, nut colonial nerds. 174 per rucks, as the increased garrison is required for cent, on the revenue less municipal rates and colony in full of all contributions to Imperial land sales ought to be a fixed charge upon the
basis, while Ceylon is asked to pay 74 per cent. purpes. Singapore has been placed on this and Mauritius & per cent.
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461
original question that the item be recommended duly seconded. and proposed an amendment, which has been
The following vote was taken on the amend-
ment:-
For.
Hon. A. McConachie Hon. T. H. Whitehead Hon, E. R. Pelilics
Hon. C. P. Clauer Hon. Ho Kai
ג
AGAINST.
The Acting Captain Su- perintendent of Police
The Harlour Master The Director of Public
Works
The Acting Colonial Trea-
Surer
The Attorney-General The Colonial Secretary The CHAIRMAN-The question now is that this item of $440,215 for military expenditure be recommended.
Hon. C. P. CHATER-We still say, No. sir. The vote was again taken with the same result.
of this Committee. I understand that it is the The CHAIRMAN-In bringing up the report
wish of the unofficial members that I should mention to his Excellency that this item is recommended by all the official members and opposed by all the unofficial members, and that an amendment in the shape of a resolution was rought forward and was not carried; and I think it would be well perhaps to inform It will he embodied in the minutes of this his Excellency of the terms of the resolution. meeting and I will read it to his Excellency. That is all the business before the Committee.
held immediately after the Finance Committee A meeting of the Legislative Council was
meeting. Present-
His EXCELLENCY the Governor. Sir WIL- LIAM ROBINSON, K.C.M.Q.
Hon. J. H. STEWART-LOCKHART, Colonial Sceretary.
Hon. W. M. GooDMAN. Attorney-General. Hon. A. M. THOMSON, Acting Colonial Treasurer.
Hon. F. A. COOPER. Director of Public Works.
Hon. R. MURRAY RUMSEY, Harbour Master. Acting Captain Superintendent of Police,
Hon. COMMANDER W. C. H. HASTINGS,
Hon. C. P. CHATER,
Hon. Ho KAL
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD.
Hon. E. R. BELILIOS, C.M.G. Hon. A. MeUONACHIE.
Mr. J. G. T. BreкLE. Acting Clerk of Councils.
MINGTES.
The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed,
3
REPORTS. The COLONIAL SECRETARY-1 lay on the
from Victoria Gap to Mount Kellet Road, and table a report by the Director of Public Works
beg to move that it be referred to on the cost of constructing the proposed road
the Public
Works Committee.
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS seconded. Carried.
THE FINANCE COMMITTEE. The COLONIAL SECRETARY-I have the
Hon. E. R'BELLIOS-Mr. Chairman, having | stated our case fully in our letter to you on the 23rd August last, and after the remarks made by the hon. members opposite. I feel that I have very little to say in support of the ameud- meut that has just been proposed and seconded by the hen, members opposite. I have perused the despatch of the Secretary of State with much regret, as it seems to me to indicate not so much the inability as the indisposition to meet the views of the colony in any way. Had certain portions of the revenue being regarded the right hon. gentleman taken exception to as municipal and deducted these from the from this 174 per cent, to be levied as military portion that we have asked to have exemptel contribution." in all probability the Council would have been unan mously content with such a compromise; but he simply makes the per- centage leviable on the whole revenne without any exception. I cannot regard this as equita- ble when compard with the treatment accorded to the Straits Settlements, which being a pro-honour to bring up reports of the Finance ducing colony is in a better position to pay a island. Here the revenue is drawn almost steady contribution than this non-productive entirely from municipal taxes, and from taxes (which, I am sorry to see, there is a tendency to increase) on the trade of the port. I confess that I am surprised to find the present Secretary of State, whose special policy was to 1
e been the promotion of the trade of the colonies. adhering to the demand proposed by the noble lord his predecessor, which is calculated to curtail our revenue and indirectly to arrest the growth of the colony's progress.
I note that from the dictum of the Secretary of State there is no appeal, and all that we, the Unofficial Members of Council, can do is to protest by our vote. Therefore, I propose to record my sense of what I cannot but regard as an injustice upon the taxpayers of this colony. With these remarks, sir, will support the amendment. the Committee is that we recommend that this -The actual question before
instead of having that question put you wish item be recommended, bat; I understand that this resolution to be put to the Committee.
The CHAIRMAN-
Hon. C. P. CHATER-I first of all opposed the
Committee, Nos. and 10, and in doing so it gives me very great pleasure to in- form your Excellency that all the items of have been unanimously recommended by the Com- the Appropriation Bill, with the exception of one, mittee. The item in regard to which there is not unanimity is the military contribution, and form you that they are all opposed to that item I am desired by the unofficial members to in- as it now stands. The question was put that senior unofficial member moved as an amend- the item be recommended, and the hon. the ment a resolution to the following effect -
That this vote be reduced to 17 por cent. of the general revenue of the colony, less the pro- ceeds of land sales and less the municipal re- composed to be adjusted between the Imperial venue, the items of which this latter shall be and the Colonial Governments." That amend- ment was put to the Committee, sir, but was. Committee roting for it, and the official not carried, all the unofficial members of the
having been lost the originial resolution was members voting against it. The amendment
for it and the unofficial members against then put, when the official members voted
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