HONGKONG.
HONGKONG.
177
No.-
9
99
EXTRACTS FROM
PAPERS RELATING TO THE EXTENSION OF THE COLONY OF HONGKONG.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of
His Excellency the Governor.
(Secretary of State to Governor.)
DOWNING STREET,
6th January, 1899.
Sir,
I am now in a position to communicate to you the views of Her Majesty's Government as to the future administration of the territory which, under the Con- vention between the United Kingdom and China of the 9th June last, has been added to the Colony of Hongkong, and to convey to you their instructions as to the steps to be taken for its formal occupation in the name of Her Majesty the QUEEN.
2. I have in the first place to enclose an Order of Her Majesty in Council dated the 20th October last and declaring the territories within the limits and for the term described in the above Convention to be part and parcel of the Colony of Hongkong. You will cause this Order in Council, which has not at present been made public, to be published in the Colony at as early a date as possible.
ques-
3. You have already become acquainted with the general aspects of the tions involved in the transfer of this territory, and it is unnecessary therefore that I should here dwell upon them at any length. There are three points which Her Majesty's Government have regarded as of special importance in the preliminary stages of the negotiations. They relate to Kowloon city, the northern boundary of the leased territory, and the collection of the Chinese duties on opium.
4. The questions of the civil administration of Kowloon city and of the extension of the northern frontier so as to include the town of Sham Chun will require no immediate action on your part pending negotiations with the Chinese Government, but--while such negotiations are pending-no time should be lost in giving attention to the third question, that of the prevention of sunuggling into China and the collection of the Chinese Customs duties on opium. You will see that Her Majesty's Government have come to the conclusion, which-if I under- stand right is your own conclusion also, that the only satisfactory solution of this question will be the establishment of some system whereby the Chinese customs duties on opium imported into China from Hongkong, including the newly added territory, shall be actually collected by the Government of Hongkong.
Governor,
Sir H. A. BLAKE, G.C.M.G.,
&c.,
&c.,
Sc.
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