12
183
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the
Without any demand for compensation, however, I submitted myself to the Requiren to in the above official letter; the old buildings were entirely removed - the outhing completed - and the 20 new buildings - moold further back.
cove within ten days of completion; when on the 4th January following (being thirty days after I had been authorized to incur this expense) without any intermediate notice or communication whatever, I, to my great astonishment, received the following letter from Mr. Wovonam, Secretary to His Excellency Sir Henry Pottinger, who had returned from the North. The formality of serving it through the Found Office with which I had been lately in treaty having been dispensed with.
"Sir,
Government House, Hongkong
January 14th 1845.
"I am directed by His Excellency Sir Henry Pottinger to intimate to you that the transfer of certain locations to you by Captain Meik (or on his behalf), in the vicinity of Cantonment Hill Barracks, will not be recognized by Her Majesty's Government, as Captain Meik obtained no permission to build on the ground, in which he totally failed, and that under these circumstances the ground in question clearly reverts to the Crown; and that His Excellency thinks it right to intimate to you that if you build on it, you will do so at your own risk; as it will be sold in conjunction with other public ground on the receipt of instructions.