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Inclosure F.

Sir,

Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce,

Victoria, 9th September 1864. The demand recently made by the Imperial Government upon the revenue of this colony, by calling for an annual contribution of 20,000l. for five ensuing years towards the maintenance of the military establishments on this island, is a matter of such material importance to the present interests of the colony, and to its probable future as a place of trade, as to warrant in the opinion of the Committee of the Chamber of Commerce an expression of their views on the subject to your Excellency.

Hitherto, the Committee have refrained from addressing your Excellency in consequence of the general manner in which the subject has engaged the attention of the whole community, whose opinion has now been so emphatically expressed in the several resolutions passed at the public meeting held on the 23rd of August.

On that occasion the meeting unanimously adopted and approved the arguments adduced by your Excellency in your despatch of 21st May 1863, to Sir F. Rogers, and also those contained in Mr. Mercer's despatch of 2nd December 1863, to the Duke of Newcastle, questioning the justice of the pro- posed contribution, and the ability of the colony to meet the charge; and the meeting declared its opinion that troops are not maintained in this place for any purely colonial purpose, and that their presence is unnecessary for such object.

Without wishing to enlarge upon the arguments which may be said to have been almost exhausted, the Committee are desirous of taking this oppor- tunity to convey to your Excellency their full concurrence in the opinion. expressed by the community at that public meeting, and in the measures adopted towards endeavouring to move the Government to a remission of the demanded contribution.

In addition to the forcible arguments brought before the Secretary for the Colonies in resistance of this demand, on the ground that Hong Kong is a military station maintained for purposes of Imperial policy in China and Japan, and that its extensive military establishments have not been organized as a means of defence or protection to the colony, the demand upon it as a place of trade cannot be too severely deprecated, viewed in a commercial point of view, as fraught with danger to its welfare.

Its peculiar position in relation to the numerous adjacent Chinese cities, but more especially to Canton, whence the natives now resident here have for the greater part emigrated, renders it essential to court by every means in the power of the Government their continuance in the colony. Taxation has driven them from their own country, and if augmented to any extent here would assuredly more readily drive them from this place. The fact of being compelled to contribute towards an object in which the contributors are not immediately interested, would be as repulsive to the Chinese as to foreign residents generally. The latter as a body are numerically small, but their taxation is heavy, exceeding that of their fellow subjects in any British colony, and this burden, coupled with the heavy expenses of living, combine to make this place one of the most expensive residences in the East.

In conclusion, the Committee beg respectfully to express the hope that in consideration of the representation made by this community, Her Majesty's Government will be pleased to withdraw the demand made upon the colony for military contribution, and the Committee would urgently solicit your Excellency's influential co-operation towards that end.

His Excellency

Sir Hercules G. R. Robinson,

I have, &c.,

ALEX. TURING, Chairman.

&c.,

(True Copy.)

&c.

W. H. RENNIE,

for the Colonial Secretary.

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