December 17, 1896.1
vowing any intention m of the unofficial mem- he made on the occasion of the first reading. The supposed aspersions were constructive rather than direct, but when body of gentlemen are appealed to to omething as a matter of patriotism, and decline to do it, it is not a strained inference that the person so appealing to will not entertain a high opinion of riotism. · Although Mr. POLLOCK's on the subject. q patriotism were reet we all know that he did not mean anything offensive, but public ing in public discussion are, to the rules of the game, respon- their own mistakes. There is, another point of more practical interest in Mr. POLLOCK's speech, and that is his declaration that in the remarks he made on the occasion in question he spoke entirely without any communication what ever with the Governor and only expressed, what he conceives he had a perfect right to express, his own personal views as an individual member of the Council. That is an entirely new doctrine. The Attorney General when speaking in Council has always been understood to be the mouthpiece of the Government; if on any occasion he desires to speak in his individual capacity it is at least desirable that he should make a declaration that effect, in order that there may be no misunderstanding as to the weight to be attached to what he says.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
we admit the justice of Mr. MAY's argu- ments. If the hon. gentleman had urged, when the Military Contribution Bill was before the Council, that the colony could not afford to give 17 per cent. of its revenue for military purposes he would have had some reason on his side, but, having been an #ardent supporter of that extravagant expenditure, it is rather inconsistent of him to say that the colony cannot afford to make an urgently required road or to replace a row of Government cottages that were in a disgracefully insani- tary condition and which violated all the principal provisions of the Public Health Acts. As to the improvement of the Police quarters, that may be very necessary, and if so the expenditure ought to be incurred, but Mr. MAY seems to have failed to con- vince the Government that the case is urgent, and it is the first the public have heard of it. Moreover, we observe that during the present year a sum of $17,000 has been spent on additional quarters, etc." at the Central Station. If Mr. MAX wished to carry the public with him he should have given some information as to what he considered was required and what had been done.
THE MILITARY CONTRIBUTION.
(15th December).
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The Military Contribution Bill has now been passed by the Legislative Council, or, to be correct, by the official majority, and Some discussion arose on a little Bill in- presumably little more will be heard of the tended to give the Postmaster-General matter for some time to come. The colony power to inflict small fines on his subor has been treated with great injustice, and no dinates for neglect of duty, the said fines to doubt the unofficial members of Council will go into a fund to be expended in some way bear that injustice in mind and do their best in the interests of the staff. The Hon. T. to secure reconsideration of the subject when- H. WHITEHEAD and Hon. WEI AYUK
ever opportunity offers; but the matter may objected to this power being conferred upon be considered closed, as a present and burn- the Postmaster-General. It seems to us,ing question, by the passing of the Military however, that it is a very useful one, and that without some such power it would be difficult if not impossible to maintain proper discipline amongst a large body of men. The only criticism that suggests itself to us is that while a system of small fines may be useful in the lower grades of the service it inapplicable to the higher grades, for highly paid clerk who requires to be muleted in petty fines cannot be considered fit for his position and ought to be dismissed. In the Post Office staff the only member exempted from the operation of the present Ordinance is the Assistant Postmaster- General
In the Finance Committee Mr. WHITE- HEAD was as usual thirsty for information, but some of the officials took up the position of Mr. TITE BARNACLE, Junior, and in effect said to the hon. gentlemen "You mustn't come here wanting to know, you know." The Colonial Secretary undertook, however, that the information should be forthcoming in due course and we have no doubt it will prove useful. It will certainly be an advantage to know whether the Post Office. is working at a profit or a loss, a fact which cannot be ascertained from the Estimates of any single year.
The unwonted spectacle was witnessed in
Contribution Bill. It is important, however, that there should be no misapprehension as to the actual facts of the case. The Gover nor yesterday said that the Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD was mistaken in saying that Hongkong paid a larger military contribution than any other Crown colony, for Ceylon paid £100,000, and there were only 1,500 troops there. His Excellency subsequently corrected this by saying that the actual amount paid by Ceylon was 1,394,000 rupees; this would come to about £70,000 only, or less than Singa- pore pays. Mr. WHITEHEAD, however, explained that what he meant was that Hongkong paid a larger proportion of its revenue. than any other colony. The population of Ceylon is twelve times that of Hongkong and its revenue is four times greater, yet it pays less than twice what Hongkong pays as military contribu- tion. And when we say that Ceylon has four times the revenue of Hongkong we do not include the municipal revenue of the former colony, for Ceylon, like the Straits Settlements and Mauritius, enjoys exemption from the taxation of its municipal revenue for military purposes. That is the grievance of Hongkong, that it is the only portion of her Majesty's dominions in which
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revenue of the colony, the being exempt; Ceylon municipal revenue bein Mauritius pays 5 cipal revenue being His Excellency mentioned that the nu of troops in Ceylon was less than here, but that is rather beside the question fortified towns in the United Kingdom are not called upon to pay any higher taxation than unfortified towns, nor is there any better reason why colonies where for the general interests of the Empire à largo garrison has to be maintained should be called upon to contribute more in money to the cost of Imperial defence colo nies where the garrison is smaller indeed Malta and Gibraltar, where very large garrisons are maintained, escape the mill- tary contribution altogether, Naturally no contribution could be expected from a place like Gibraltar, which is a fortress_pure and simple, its trade being insignificant, but the example serves to show how little bearing the strength of the garrison has on the
the question. Hongkong does not object to being placed on the same basis as Singapore, but there is no reason whatever why we should have to pay more.
THE RUSS O-CHINESE TREATY.
The telegram published by Reuter under date of the 13th instant concerning the Russo-Chinese Treaty lately concluded is interesting but inconclusive. It states in effect that the text of the Treaty as pub- lished in Shanghai is denied at St. Peters burg and it is asserted that the railway "scheme is confined to the building of a "short Chinese railway in Manchuria, con-
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necting with West Siberia and the Vladi "vostock lines." It is not defined it hardly could be in a brief news cable-what is meant by the Treaty being denied at St. Peters- burg; whether the whole text of it as given to the world in our Shanghai morning con- temporary is repudiated, or whether the provisions, as therein set forth, are im- pugned. Probably the latter. It cannot be doubted that such an agreement was signed at Peking by Count CASSINI, the Russian Envoy, and the Ministers of the Tsungli Yamen. What is meant is there- fore that the articles, as set out there, are incorrect. This may indeed be the fact, and yet the broad lines of the Treaty, as published, may be correct. It is quite possible that some verbal errors may have crept into the Treaty when translated, but this will not affect its main provisions. "It would be interesting, too, to know by whom the published convention is repudiated. If ** it is solemnly denied by the Russian Gov- ernment as a whole, the fact may be worth consideration; should it emanate from the Russian Press, the statement must be re- ceived with caution and mistrust. It is admitted that a short railway is to be built in Manchuria, but it is to be a Chinese railway. The Treaty states that Russia is to be allowed to prolong her railway into Chinese territories from the port of Vladi- vostock to
the Finance Committee of an official op- municipal revenue is taxed for Imperial in the p City of Hunch'un
posing Governmental votes. The Captain purposes; and it is a very real and Superintendent of Police objected to the substantial grievance. If it were con- vote for the Mount Kellet Road and that sidered inexpedient to make any division rdeners cottages, both on the same of the revenue into general and municipal, ground
mely that the money could be then, in order to place us on the same employed in the improvement of the footing as Singapore, the percentage levied ters. While congratulating Mr.for the military contribution ought to have his independence we must c confess been made somewhat smaller. As the case no think it desirable that stands now Hongkong pays 171 per cent. should be allowed to oppose the on its total revenue, general and municipal; nor, waiving that point, can the Straits pay 171 per cent. on the general
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Kirin from thence north-westwards to the provincial capital of Kirin; and from some point in Siberia to the Chinese town of Aiyun in Heilung- chiang province, from thence to the pro vincial capital of Tsitsihar, to Petune, in the province of Kirin," and thence, in a south-easterly direction to Kirin city. These projected railways may be relatively when compared to the great trunk the Trans-Siberian Railway, but they pretty considerable distances and
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