consideration. Whatever:- they have generally bought their properties at such less than they ent the original holders; who, had they been
aware
of the possibility of a reduction being made
in the land rente, in all probability would not
have disposed of them at all... To enable your Lordship to understand these
"cases, I will
mention an instance :- Lots 12291, 292, 293,
and 294, which adjoin each other, were formerly
the property of Mr Shelley; he laid out a
considerable sum in improving the ground and rendering it available for building, and, had he remained in the colony, would probably have erected a dwelling-house thereon. This Gentleman, however, quitted the Colony
on the 25th May 1847, and the ground was sold
by public auction on the 28th July 1849 to
Mr. Duddell, for £1.0.10, on the condition
of his paying
the arrears
of rent, viz: £29.10.
Mr Duddell now in 1850 requests
that the land rent
may be reduced. The
same remarks
apply to many
other claims under
the same head with
nearly the same
degree of force; and I would here observe that out of the eleven individuals who have made claims to a reduction of rent on 43 lots, Mr
Duddell is the
owner
of 22,
or more than one
half of these lots.
10.
In Paragraph 6 of this Despatch I have observed that only £1574.0s.4d is annually
contributed to the Land Tax by
Chinese. Inclosure E is a Return of the Houses
occupied by Chinese but owned by Foreigners, and shows that lands on which these Houses are
built pay
an annual rent of £1,973, 14.1. – The total rent, therefore paid for land occupied by Chinese within the City of Victoria taken at £3,547. 19. 5, annually. Mr May, the Superintendent of Police has estimated that the Land for which the above sum is paid is occupied by 1,381 Houses, and affords