was written by the Land Inspector for the information of H. Johnston

atomimithing to Corremment.

them

Now if thes

it

offers

#

that it was on the right of

this very both, which is dated 30th inst. H. Johnston, after duly considering its contents, wrote his official letter of date the following day (31st inst.) in which he stated that he finds the required terms had been duly complied with, and meant to lend

this icon to make over the

land

to the

officer

instructs

to me in the usual manner.

cunit to me

ground

Now that in order to find a pretense for this act of

to take for granted :-

for granted that I should disregard the plain terms of an official letter from the Acting Governor with instructions expressly for my information; and make

my self

acquainted

with the terms of a private

Note on which

this letter was founded - passing between that departmentary and the

1st Land officer.

this private Note is a

themselves!

And decorously-

different for it will be seen

that I should interpret

those functionaries

was held by Mr. Mercer (not Mr. Johnston) that the conditions set forth in this Note, are in no wise different from those publicly promulgated, which I had strictly conformed to.-

It is rather extraordinary that Sir John Davis should

matter

not have sought information regarding this matter from the formation staff (who is still, I believe, Lieutenant Governor of Hongkong) under whose authority it took place - rather than from the gentlemen -

the Govt.

whom arrived on the island long afterwards, and as appears from their Report knew nothing regarding the transaction then as they have been misinformed.

The above is the only

clause; but in

my

405

answer they have been able to find

"Memorial" I stated that even

there had been special conditions publicly recorded, which

would have rendered this ground liable to

forfeiture -

the

without a

Government could not have declared it to be so”,

breach of faith, and a direct repudiation of this agreement

A letter addressed to me of date November 26th (when my operations

were in active

progress, and

Press, and

then a month before I was

ordered to suspend them) in which letter I was called on to give up a portion of my ground so as to widen the public road - which I did at

my own expense - and in return I am permitted to recover an equal quantity of ground from my Cutting away

this this it the back an operation extending, alview! _

usual ideas of

right and wrong that a Government should "agreement with the lessee of its land - meaning to the latter, for the sake of a public expense

a formal agreement-

Circumstances

exvement - it when he is ordered to obey in consequence

Bu

this land having been transferred to

[in terms of forfeiture] "of this land having

the

You";

i füibet.

and that unless the operation cratered aried be "Completed _ the Government should confiscate the Ground- buildings, improvements agreed on, and all - in some, disastrous by mice when

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