Macau Portuguese, Indians, &c. –
7. Inclosure B will inform your Lordship the claims that have been made for seduction by individuals holding ground under leases dated antecedently to the 22nd January 1844, - the names of the applicants, the amount that they respectively pay, as well as the amount of reduction recommended by the Committee... I allude to the 20% of January 1844 in particular, because before that date all lands were held by permission from the local Government, the terms to be settled by Her Majesty's Government at a subsequent period. These parties may therefore say that, had they foreseen the conditions that have since been imposed, they would not have taken the land at all - a position that cannot be maintained by those who have taken land after that date, since which all lands have been disposed of by Public Auction.
Nevertheless, of the first named class, your Lordship will observe that only four individuals have come forward with complaint, and that, out of these, the claims of only two have been entertained by the Committee..
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8. Inclosure C is a list of the original lessees who have come into possession of land since January 1844, and who have purchased their lots at auction at various times since that date, and shows that of this class only six Foreigners and one Chinese claimed reduction. The Committee has recognized the claim of four of the Foreigners, and, I am happy to remark, of the only Chinese.
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9. Enclosure D shows the number of Assignees holding lands from original purchasers. This, My Lord, is a class of person whom I cannot deem entitled to any