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Enclosure 2.
(Commissioner of Chinese Customs, Kowloon, to Colonial Secretary.)
No. 13. HONGKONG. SIR,
CUSTOM HOUSE, KOWLOON, 11th June, 1888.
I am in receipt of a communication from Sir ROBERT HART, Inspector-General of Chinese Customs, in which he informs me that the Chinese Government see objections to the three plans proposed by your Government for the construction and maintenance of the Gap Rock Light, but are ready to authorize a plan of the In- spector-General's devising, which I am instructed to lay before His Excellency the Governor of Hongkong for consideration.
This plan is as follows:-
The Commissioner in charge of the Kowloon Customs, in whose district "the Gap Rock is situated, is to be instructed to take the matter in hand, and his first step is to be to communicate with the Hong- 'kong Government and state that, having been authorised by the "Inspector-General to make arrangements for the exhibition and "maintenance of lights in the waters of the Kowloon Custom's dis- 'trict, he is prepared to place the construction of a light-house and "exhibition and maintenance of a light on the Gap Rock in the hands " of whatever person, e.g., the Surveyor General or Harbour Master, "the Hongkong Government may nominate, subject to the following "understanding-
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(a.) The Gap Rock is and remains Chinese territory— (b.) The Gap Rock is not to be used for
any other purpose- (c.) The Kowloon Customs to contribute seven thousand five "hundred dollars towards the first cost of the light and seven hundred and fifty dollars annually towards its "maintenance whatever other moneys are required for the "light over and above these sums to be provided by
Hongkong-
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"(d.) The dates for the commencement of the work and for the "first exhibition of the light to be fixed by the Hongkong "Government in connection with the Kowloon Commis- sioner, and to be reported on by the latter to the In- "spector General for the information of the Yamên. "(e.) The Kowloon Commissioner, Engineer-in-Chief, and Coast (( Inspector, or such other Customs' Officials as the In- "spector-General may designate, to be at liberty to visit " and inspect the light at pleasure, and the islet itself to remain open to the Chinese territorial Officials to visit "and deal with as before-
"(f.) In the event of circumstances ever necessitating China to
require Hongkong to discontinue the maintenance of "the light, the Kowloon Customs to provide for its C maintenance and continued exhibition.
"If the Hongkong Government accepts the undertaking coupled with the "understanding thus set forth, the work can be proceeded with at
once."
In the above scheme an endeavour has been made to retain all the essential points of Hongkong's first and third proposals; and it is hoped it may prove ac- ceptable to your Government.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
F. A. MORGAN, Commissioner of Customs for Kowloon and District.
To the Honourable F. STEWART, LL.D.,
&c.,
Colonial Secretary.
&c., HONGKONG,
gc.