18
ILITARY CONTRIBUTION.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
members, as inde might have been su from the general policy of the Colonial Office. The unofficial members canno un-consistently vote for the Bill, but the measure will no doubt be carried by the official majority. Whether the unofficials will deem it advisable to take any further action in the matter we do not know, but the experience gained in connection with the Singapore agitation is not encouraging, and we are not sanguine that anything would be gained in this colony by the unofficials resigning their positions. The question must not be regarded, however, as dead and buried with the passing of the Seventeen-and-a-half per cent. Bill. The idea of appointing a Commission to inquire into the government of the Crown Colonies has recently been mooted at home, and either in that or some other way it may be possible sooner or later to secure an impartial hearing of the colo- ny's grievance in respect of the taxation of its municipal revenues for imperial pur poses. It is admitted that the colony may fairly be called upon to pay a military con tribution, but the contention is that in estimating the amount to be so paid the municipal revenue should be exempt. Nowhere else does the Imperial Govern- ment seize upon municipal revenues for military purposes, and there is no justifica- tion for its doing so in the case of Hong kong. The fact that the general and municipal revenues are here merged in one treasury cheat makes it convenient to the Authorities to adopt that course, but does not in any degree justify it in so doing.
and if that revenue went on inevitably be c a demand for £80 tribution. The per
noreas
1896
much better than that and it won the interest of the colony frankl it, notwithstanding the difference as to the proportion of the the percentage la to be lev should be dealt with as a the demand for the exemption municipal revenue being opportunity offers; but percentage system altogether home Government with a free double the amount payable whenever it saw fit would be disastrous.
the
1 to
THE FOREIGN CUSTOMS VERSUS
ELEKIN
(28th November: We are afraid the memorandum of the
members of the Legislative Council itary contribution is not calculated the interests of the colony. In troversy y nothing can be gained buting to an adversary statements or he never made use of and then attack them. This, however, the unofficial members have done, unintentionally of course, though it is difficult to understand how the Secretary of State's despatch could have been so misread. They say in the fourth paragraph of their memorandum :--“As this decision of the "Secretary of State means practically that no matter however successful we may be in effecting economies in our expenditure, we will never be allowed to reduce the taxation or diminish the gross revenue sed in the colony, so as to affect the mount of the Military Contribution, or, other words, that although the amount of our Military Contribution may increase
Foreign merchants, and particu with every increase in our revenue, it will
owners, are indebted to a corre never be allowed to diminish in proportion
our Shanghai morning contem "to any decrease in that revenue, we formally
instructive note on the proposed “ protest against it as unreasonable and un-
the Customs tariff and the just. Mr. CHAMBERLAIN never said any
on native trade of the thing of the kind attributed to him in the
branches of the Imperial 1 latter part of this paragraph. What Mr.
for the lekin stations. The CHAMBERLAIN said was that the 17 per
says that readers in Sha cent, payable as military contribution must
hardly appreciate the fact be levied on the whole revenue, including
passing from one treaty municipal revenue, and that if any portion
Yangtsze to another have to of the revenue was exempted it would be
and an additional ha come necessary to reconsider the percentage A further question is raised by the protest probably still less appre to be levied on the remainder. If the of the unofficial members, namely, whether kong, and in view of the prospecti revenue as a whole declined owing to de- the amount payable as military contribution of the West River next spring in trade the amount of the should be a fixed sum or a percentage of the portant that it should receive due military contribution would automatically revenue. The unofficials now. favour the tion, for of course the rule applies te decline with it, and there is no warrant for former mode of settlement, though formerly to all treaty, ports and not to those saying that the home Government would they favoured the percentage principle. Yangtsze only. The rule is that increase the percentage to make up the The reason for this change seems to be the “produce carried coastwise pays full deficiency. Whether the colony would be decision of the Secretary of State that the duty at the port of shipment and, allowed to reduce the amount of the military percentage is to be levied on the total port of entry, coast-trade duty contribuition by reducing taxation is another revenues of the colony, general and muni- amount of which is declared to be question, but as there is unfortunately no cipal, instead of on the general revenue "import duty." As regards trade between rospect of a reduction in taxation, the alone. They say "We would point out distant ports, say Canton and Newchwang, tendency being all the other way, it is" that it was in consequence of our repeated this tariff may not be felt very oppressive, but hardly worth discussing the matter from "representations that the sum heretofore if custom-houses under the Foreign Inspec- that point of view. Taking the revenue on “demanded was out of proportion to our torate are to be established every. the present basis of taxation, the amount means that the question of the military seven and a half per cent. levied payable as military contribution will rise or "contribution was reconsidered. It was between adjoining prefectures it wou tall in proportion as the revenue rises or " relief we asked from a burden too heavy prohibitive. As the correspondent rems falls, for it is now levied as a fixed per "for us to bear. The impost, as it is now the bulk of the interport trade on the Yan centage. It is inequitable and oppressive proposed to levy it, will simply increase taze is carried on by junks paying lekin, that the municipal revenue should have to "this burden, and we would therefore which, for short distances, is often not one. contribute to the military contribution, and pray that the original arrangement of a tenth of the foreign Customs tariff, and so, some irritation or the part of the unofficial" yearly payment of £40,000 be reverted to.". although shipments between adjacent members and the community is excusable, Whether the new mode of levying the con- ports by steam are rendered but matters will not be mended, but rather tribution will or will not increase the possible, yet with native the reverse, by attributing to the Secretary actual amount we have to pay depends chartered, trade can still be of State declarations he has never made.
upon the amount of the revenue Foreign merchants are mor and the course of exchange, but it has the corned with foreign trade, but merit of relieving the colony from having of purely native trade must- its finances disturbed by the fluctuations in of interest to them, for the gold value of the dollar and by to expand or contract having further arbitrary demands suddenly trade flourishes or languis made upon it. What the unofficial members foreign shipowner, as distinct as a contribution for the appear to mean is that the sum of £40,000| chant, is of course c
(2nd December.)
At the meeting of the Legislative Council to-morrow a Bill is to be introduced entitled "An Ordinance to appropriate a percentage of seventeen and a half per centum of the
colony." Before the reading of the Bill there will probably be laid upon able Mr. CHAMBERLAIN' reply to the the unofficial members dated the 14th September last. The delay in the estimates for next year be Council has probably been caused aiting for the Secretary of State's the points raised in the pro- of the Bill being now shape indicated by the that the decision is of the unofficial
adve
#4
$6.
should be fixed as the amount payable native trade as supp annually in perpetuity, but it would be idle steamers. Even ast to suppose that the home. Government Hongkong good would accept such a settlement. If the by junk instead o justice of a military contribution be ad rates and greater speed initted in principle it must also be admitted steamers,
the Hopp that the amount so payable should bear Foreign Custo some proportion to the revenue of the co- levied, which lony. The course hitherto adopted both in difference in the ot the Straits and Hongkong has been to the fest River arbitrarily increase the amount when the make a great difference home Government in its wisdom thought eamers employed if the revenue could bear r it, the Straits con- | the high duties from com
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