583
No. 34
09
HONGKONG.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE PROCLAMATIONS ISSUED BY THE MAGISTRATE OF THE SAN ON DISTRICT AND THE VICEROY OF CANTON
REGARDING THE NEW TERRITORY.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of
His Excellency the Governor.
(Translation.)
1.
CHIU, Magistrate of the San On District, &c., hereby issues this notice for general information. A despatch having been received from His Excellency TAM, Viceroy of the Two Kwong Provinces, instructing both Civil and Military Officers to attend in person for the purpose of delimiting the Kowloon Extension, the following boundary has been agreed to in accordance with the decision of the Tsung-li Yamên.
From Deep Bay across to Sham Chun and thence to Kang T'ó the North side of the river shall be the boundary. From Kang Tó to Kang Hau the mountain path shall be the boundary. From Kang Hau to Tung Wo market town the middle of the small stream shall be the boundary. From the North-East of the Tung Wo market town to the South-West the road shall be the boundary, and from thence to the shore terminating at Mirs Bay. All waterways and roads are included within the leased area but are always to be open to the use of the people of both nations.
You inhabitants are hereby notified that within the leased area as delimited all fields, lands, houses, graves, local customs and usages will remain unchanged. You need not, therefore, be alarmed or suspicious and you must be careful not to create trouble.
Those villages not included in the leased territory will continue to be within Chinese territory
and the people living in them are not in any way concerned.
Should any one dare to avail themselves of pretexts to excite or mislead the minds of the people with a view to create trouble, they will most certainly be punished without leniency.
A special notice.
Dated 16th of the 2nd Moon the 25th year of Kwong Sü (27th March, 1899).
2.
T'ÁM, Viceroy of the Two Kwong Provinces, &c., and LUK, Governor of the Kwong Tung Province, &c., issue this notice for general information.
Whereas Kowloon has been lensed under the instructions of the Emperor and the boundary has. been defined in accordance with the original map forwarded by the Tsung-li Yamên, the following agreement has been come to with the foreign officials:-
(1.) The people are to be treated with exceptional kindness.
(2.) There can be no forced sale of houses and lands.
(3.) The graves in the leased territory are never to be removed.
(4.) Local customs and habits are to remain unchanged according to the wishes of the inha-
bitants.
In these respects, therefore, the villages and market towns in the leased territory will not differ from those within Chinese territory.
Wherefore this notification is issued to let all know that whatever occurs in the villages and market towns of China has now nothing to do with you (who live in the leased territory). No one must under any pretext excite or mislead the ininds of the people. You who live in the villages and market towns of the leased territory should follow your occupations and abide by the law as heretofore. If in disobedience to the Imperial decree you dare to create strife or avail yourselves of any pretext to stir up trouble, there is now a large military force in the territory which will arrest and deal with the guilty without mercy,
Let every one tremble and obey.
An important and special notice.
24th day 2nd Moon 25th year of KWONG SU (4th April, 1899).