THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 1ST JULY, 1899.
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deprived of many of the rights, powers, and privileges secured to them by the said Ordinances and will be grievously affected and injured in their properties and possessions.
By the said Ordinances your Petitioners as Assignees of the said FRANCIS BULKELEY JOHNSON and CATCHICK PAUL CHATER have the right for twenty years from the date of the said Ordinances, that is to say, until the 12th day of June, 1904, to do all or any of the things hereinafter mentioned free from all rents, fees and charges whatsoever, ordinary rates and taxes only excepted:-
(i.) To construct such and so many Wharves and Piers extending into the harbour of Hongkong as they may think requisite and proper at and from any part or parts of the Public Praya lying directly opposite Marine Lots 95, 96, 97 and 98 in Vic- toria and Kaulung Marine Lots 9, 11, 20 and 21.
(ii.) To make such alterations and additions to such Wharves and
Piers as they may at any time think requisite and proper. (iii.) To have for themselves and their Assigns the exclusive use of such Wharves and Piers with full power to mortgage, sell and assign, or to demise and let the said Piers as they shall think fit. (iv.) To make Rules and Regulations for the maintenance and use of the said Wharves and Piers and have the same enforced by fines and penalties.
(v.) To hold and exercise all the rights, powers, and privileges granted by the said Ordinances free from all rents and charges in the nature of rents or license fees and subject only to stipulations and conditions in the said Ordinances expressly reserved and contained and to the general law.
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Your Petitioners respectfully submit that by the provisions of the Bill read a first time on the 20th June and entitled The Piers Ordinance, 1899," they will, contrary to the rights, powers, and privileges conferred upon and secured to them and their assigns by the said Ordinances 18 and 19 of 1884, be made subject to the payment of rent calculated upon a scale far in excess of any rent now paid for any Marine Lot let under lease from the Crown for 999 years. They will be deprived of the exclusive use of the Wharves and Piers constructed by them at an immense expense for the special purposes of their business in reliance upon the provisions of the said Ordinances and of the good faith of the Government of Hongkong. They will be prevented from increasing the number of, or in any way adding to, or altering, their said Wharves and Piers. They will be deprived of their right to cover in their said Wharves and Piers if the necessities of their busi- ness should render it expedient for them so to do, and of their power and privilege to make Rules and Regulations for the maintenance and use of their said Wharves and Piers. They will be extremely hampered in the conduct of their business as Wharfingers and Godown Keepers by the proposed regulations in the said Bill contained by which access by water to their Wharves and Piers is or may be restricted and by the prohibitions therein contained as to storing or keeping materials thereon.
They will, lastly, be deprived of their right to mortgage, sell, assign, or demise their said Wharves and Piers as the requirements of their said business may render advisable or necessary.
Your Petitioners therefore humby pray
That they may he heard by their Counsel
against the said Bill upon its second reading or at such other time as Your Honourable Council may think fit to hear them.
And Your Petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray &c., &c.,
J. J. KESWICK,
Chairman of the Board of Directors.
C. P. CHATER, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Seal of
the Co.
EDWARD OSBORNE, Secretary of the Company. HONGKONG, 24th June, 1899.