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whose presence is the cause of serious injury to both natives and foreigners.
The subject not having as yet been laid before the Imperial Government, the Governor General cannot take upon himself to arrange the cession of this locality, but it has been determined to temporarily transfer it upon lease, and to station troops there for its protection, whereupon measures may be taken for expelling the present bad population, to the end that order may be secured.
The Commissioner begs that the sum which should be paid as rent may be named, and that the Deed of Lease may be duly executed.
This letter was accompanied by a plan of the ground, and by a draft of the lease; all of which documents I have carefully perused.
When the determination was arrived at by myself, on consultation with the honorable Commissioner, in reference to the locality of Kowloon that a lease should be made out and troops stationed there for its protection, it was with the view of expelling bad characters, and ensuring safety to honest people; and it is right that I should at once lease the ground marked out in the Plan annexed to the letter under consideration, to your honorable Government, in order that the latter may station officers and troops for the control and protection of the site.
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Upon them the duty will devolve of expelling bad characters, and of maintaining tranquillity in the locality. I fix the yearly rental at 500 Taels in Silver, which can be paid to the local Authorities, who will attend to its transmission.
It further remains for the Magistrate of the said District and the township Magistrate of Kowloon to issue a Proclamation, commanding the honest people of the locality in question to continue in their ordinary employments. Those bad characters who conceal themselves there, the local Civil and Military Authorities will give notice to the officers of your honorable Government.