The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-28 00:00:00

BONG KONG.

Hong Kong is a mass of sterile granite, sepa-
rated from the mainland by a narrow channel—it
ies at the entrance of the estuary of the river of
Canton and almost on the very Tropic, in the very
centre of the region of typhoons. Its only advan-
:Ages are its vicinity to the emporium of Canton
tn(l a good harbour. A better locality might assu—
adly have been selected, but, such as it is, we proceed
co describe its progress during the twelve years it
gas been.a British possession. In 1844 its popula-
ion, wholly Chinese, amounted to 19,4,
were63s 902u15.17„50n
1849 its inhabitants of all description,
aid last year they
than doubled.
years' time the population had more
hail risen to 39,017, so that in ten
Phe ingredients of this population are curious and
various. The mass of it, of course, consists of Chinese,
for in 1853 these amounted to 37,536, or to 96 in a
100 of the whole. The European's and Americans,
the master race, amounted only to the poor fraction
of 496, or about one-eightieth part. The rest of the
population is made up of a most heterogeneous as.
Aein Wage of men ofcolour—Portuguese of Macaoand
Goa, the bastard descendants of VascoDi Gama and
his companions—of Parsees, Hindoos, and Mahome-
ans, from Hindostan—of Malays and Javanese from
the Indian Archipelago ; and of Bisavas and Ta-
galas, from the Philippine islands. All these, of
whatever complexion, claim to be subjects of Queen
Victoria, and are governed by the laws of England.
The number of the female inhabitants is but 9,000,
which gives three men to every woman, a condition
of things extremely prejudicial to good morals,
giving Hong Kong too much the character of a
colony of convicts. The truth seems to be that in
-;o far as the Chinese—the majority—are concerned
,he morality of Hong Kong is at zero, many of
these people being loose characters and mere
sojourners. The nearness of the island to the con-
tinent is so far a disadvantage to it, in facilitating
the ingress and the egressof malefactors, one party
escal,ing from Chinese and the other from English

ustice.

- Now for the revenues of our colOny. There are
ueitherimport nor export duties, for in such a place
they would be an intolerable nuisance. The items
of the revenue are five and twenty in number,
which is about a score too many. In 1848, the
total revenue was 25,0911., but in 1853, at an in-
terval of five years, when the population had in-
creased by 76 per cent., it was only 24,7001. This
backsliding is not accounted for, all the items of
both years being the same, except a paltry auction
duty of 2661., abolished in 1853. The first item
of the colonial income is called " land revenue,"
but its nature is not explained, although, most
probably, it consists of the sale of public lands for
building and other purposes. The second item is
still more inexplicable, and indeed a miracle,
which never existed save in the island of Hong
Kong, " Rent exclusive of Land." Perhaps
the technology requires amendment. After this
come " licenses" for the retail vend of wine,
,pirits, opium, (Sze., the so-called licenses being in
reality "monopolies," and perhaps unavoidably so.
Among these licenses we discover two, which con-
fer a monopoly of salt, where all the necessaries of
life are dear, and a monopoly of granite rock where
building materials are scarce. The produce of
both imposts in 1843 amounted to no more than
1,0611., and in 1853 we were very glad to see that
it had fallen off by 163/., the population meanwhile
having increased by three-fourths. Among the
particulars of the imperial revenue, we find " li-
cense for a billiard table," which in the year of
our Lord 1853 yielded to the State the sum of
21/. 3s. 3d. If the European game'of billiards be
licensed and . taxed, then, we ask, w 4 not the
Chinese games of "Pho and Topho," which very
properly are so in the Dutch and Spanish colonies?
In the British, under the plea of discouraging im-.
morality, they are prohibited, and the result is
that gaming is carried on clandestinely, and the
police, winking at it; are corrupted. This is legis-
lating against the gOnius and spirit of society. You
might as well forbid the Hindoos from dying in
sight of the Ganges, or" the Mahomedaus from
turning towards Mecca. The Chinese are addicted
to gaming, and it would be wiser to do as you do
with drunkenness, limit and control by taxation
what it is impossible to prevent. This hint is
thrown out for the consideration of the Colonial

Minister.
The expenditure of Hong Kong has been enor-
mous, and, fon so very small a place, is still pre-
posterously large. In 1848 it amounted to no less
than 62,5431., of which, however, new buildings

and public works came to upwards of 23,0001. In
1853 the expeieliture was reduced to 36,4131.,
the " pu idle works" amounting only to 5, .;uO/.
Toese large sums do not include, let it be remem-
bered, all the heavy military charges. Some of
the salaries seem quite extravagant. Thus, the
governor's amounted down to 1851, staff included,
to 6,5001. a-year, but in the following year was
reduced to 4,5001. The Colonial Secretary,
and we presume his office establishment, are put
down at 3,1001., a most extravagant sum for such
a place. Then comes a treasurer at 2,0001., his
very salary amounting to a charge of 6 per cent.
on all the treasure iu his keeping' and next we
have a Surveyor-General, at 1,2951., for an islet
that may be walked across in a couple of hours.
The " Ecclesiastical" expenditure is modest, al-
though it includes a bishop—only 8001., and the
" Educational" expenditure—in the sense of eco-
nomy, but in no other—is even edifying, namely,
in the last and largest year of it, 1031. Gs. Bd., or
three-fourths of a penny a head on the whole po-
pulation, and about one-thirtieth part of Mr.
Secretary's salary ! We think we have heard of an
English opium merchant of Canton, who has given
out of his own pocket ten times as much for a
similar object. Let us, in justice, add that the
gentleman who brought down the expenses of
tiong Kong from 62,0001. to 36,0001. was the late a
governor, Sir George Bonham, man of firmness,
discretion, and common sense—the rarest of all
senses, and the most useful, in the government of
mankind.
01 the trade of Hong Kong we have no account;
and, indeed, it is probably so mixed up with that
of Canton, that it would be difficult to render one.
We may learn, however, the extent of accommoda-
tion which the settlement has afforded to commerce
since its foundation, by the number of vessels
which anchor yearly iu its harbour. In 1842, the
first year of our occupation, the• number of large
shippaig, under no fewer than 28 different flags,
was 391, with a tonnage of 136,346 ; whereas in
1853 the ships had increased to 1,103, and their
burden to 447,053 tons. Besides these, Chin,se
boats end vessels plied in the bays of Hong Kong
in 1853 to the number of 1,868, having a popula-
tion on board of 13,119 persons, of whom no
fewer than 3,357 were womeu.--Daily News.