THIS INDENTURE, of two parts, made the
184 day of between OUR SOVEREIGN LADY VICTORIA, by the GRACE of GOD, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith of the one part, and
of the other part.
WHEREAS by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, made and dated at Westminster, the fifty day of April in the Sixth Year of the Reign of Her said Majesty, the Island of Hongkong and its Dependencies were erected into a Colony, and full power and authority, to the Governor of the said Colony of Hongkong for the time being, were given and granted in the Name of Her said Majesty, and on Her behalf (but subject nevertheless to such provisions as might be in that respect contained in any Instructions which might from time to time be addressed to him, by Her said Majesty,) to make, and execute in the Name, and on the behalf of Her said Majesty, under the Public Seal of the said Colony, grants of land to Her said Majesty belonging, within the said Colony, to private persons for their own use and benefit, or to any persons, bodies politic or corporate in trust for the public uses of Her said Majesty's Subjects there resident, or any of them; AND WHEREAS by certain other Letters Patent under the Great Seal as foresaid, bearing even date with the said last recited Letters Patent, SIR HENRY POTTINGER, Baronet, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Major General in the Service of the East India Company, and Chief Superintendent of the Trade of British Subjects Trading to and from the Dominions of the Emperor of China, was constituted and appointed Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the said Colony of Hongkong, and its Dependencies; AND WHEREAS by certain Instructions of Her said Majesty, addressed to the said Sir Henry Pottinger, under Her said Majesty's Signet, and Sign Manual and dated the Sixth day of April 1843, the said Sir Henry Pottinger was, amongst other things, instructed to grant Leases of the Land in the said Colony belonging to Her said Majesty; NOW THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH, that in consideration of the yearly rents, conditions, and agreements, hereinafter reserved and contained, by and on the part and behalf of his executors, administrators, and assigns, to be paid, done, and performed, and also of the Sum of five Current Dollars, which are at this time a legal tender in the said Colony of Hongkong, in hand paid to the said Sir Henry Pottinger, as Governor of the said Colony for the use of Her said Majesty by the said
at or before the Sealing and Delivery of these Presents, the Receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged; HER SAID MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA, Hath demised, leased, and to farm let, and by these presents Doth demise, lease and to farm let, unto the said
his executors, administrators, and assigns,
ALL that piece or parcel of ground, situate, lying, and being at Victoria in the said Island of Hongkong,
together with all easements, profits, commodities, and appurtenances whatsoever, to the said demised premises belonging, or in any wise appertaining. EXCEPT AND ALWAYS RESERVED unto Her said Majesty, Her Heirs, Successors, and Assigns full power to resume and take possession of all or any part of the said piece or parcel of Ground hereby demised, if required for the improvement of the said Colony of Hongkong, or for any other public purpose whatsoever, three calendar months notice being given to the occupant thereof of it being so required, and a full and fair compensation for his heirs, executors, the said land and the buildings thereon, being paid to the said
administrators or assigns, at a valuation to be fairly and impartially made by the Surveyor of Her said Majesty, Her Heirs, Successors, or Assigns, and in which said valuation, the benefit to accrue to the said
his heirs, executors, administrators, or assigns from any such improvement, or public purpose shall be allowed by way of Set off against any damage, he, or they may suffer from such resumption as aforesaid; EXCEPT AND RESERVED ALSO all Mines, Minerals, and Quarries of stone in under and upon the said premises, and all such coal, clay, chalk, brick earth, gravel, sand, stone, and stones, and other earths or materials, which now are or hereafter during the continuance of this demise shall be under, or upon the said premises, or any part or parts thereof, as Her said Majesty, Her Heirs, Successors, and Assigns may require for the roads, public buildings, or other public purposes of the said Colony of Hongkong, with full liberty of ingress egress, and regress, to and for Her said Majesty, Her Heirs, Successors, and Assigns and Her, and their agents, servants, and workmen at reasonable times in the year, during the continuance of this demise, with or without horses, carts, carriages, and all other necessary things, into, upon, from, and out of all or any part or parts of the premises hereinbefore demised, to view, quarry, dig for, convert, and carry away,
the said excepted minerals, stone, earths, and other things respectively, or any part or parts thereof respectively, thereby doing as little damage as possible to the said
his executors, administrators, or assigns; AND SAVE AND EXCEPT also full power to make and conduct in, through, and under the said hereby demised premises, all and any public or common sewers drains or watercourses.
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the said piece or parcel of ground and premises, hereby demised, or intended so to be, with their, and every of their appurtenances, unto the said
his executors, administrators, and Assigns, from the twenty sixth day of June now last passed, for and during and unto the full end and term of Seventy-five years from thence next ensuing, and fully to be complete, and ended: YIELDING AND PAYING therefore yearly and every year the Sum of
Sterling, in Current Dollars of the said Colony of Hongkong (at such rate of exchange, as is now, or may hereafter from time to time be fixed as the rate of exchange, for the payment of the Salaries of the Public Servants of the said Colony) by half yearly payments, on the
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