Hongkong, 8 April 1875
441
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 30 ult: 485, and in reply to your query respecting the letter of the Secretary of State for War to the Under Secretary of State at the Colonial Office, referred to in the above quoted letter of the Colonial Secretary, 1.766, I would state that the transfer of lands from the War Department to the Colonial Government, authorized by that letter, has not as yet taken place, although several endeavours have been made by me to bring it about - see my letters to you dated 23rd June and 9th July, 1874 - and hence the ownership of these lands is vested as yet in the War Department.
It is my duty, as it has been up to the present date, to remove all unauthorized encroachments, reporting monthly that I have done so to the Secretary of State for War through the Inspector General of Fortifications.
In this instance, no more severe or extensive measures than ordinary have been resorted to; exactly the same procedure as last year has been carried out, under the superintendence of a competent Military Foreman of Works, well acquainted with the boundaries of the War Department Lands. Eight days' notice of removals was given on the 5th inst. to the parties who had formed encroachments.
The removal was effected by a Chinaman who acted as Interpreter, accompanied by the Military Foreman of Works above referred to.
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