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HONGKONG CITY HALL.
TRUST DEED OF CITY HALL, HONGKONG.
THIS INDENTURE, of two parts, made the Sixth day of March, 1866, between OUR SOVEREIGN LADY VICTORIA, by the GRACE of GOD, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith, of the one part, and ALEXANDER TURING of the Colony of Hongkong, Esquire, JOHN McDOUALL, Esquire, and PHINEAS RYRIE, Esquire, also of the said Colony, which said ALEXANDER TURING, JOHN McDOUALL and PHINEAS RYRIE are hereinafter called the Lessees, of the other part.
WHEREAS by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, made and dated at Westminster, the Fifth day of April in the Sixth Year of the Reign of Her said Majesty, the Island of Hongkong and its Dependencies were erected into a Colony, and full power and authority to the Governor of the said Colony of Hongkong, for the time being, were given and granted in the Name of Her said Majesty, and on her behalf (but subject nevertheless to such provisions as might be in that respect contained in any Instructions which might from time to time be addressed to him by Her said Majesty,) to make and execute, in the Name and on the behalf of Her said Majesty, under the Public Seal of the said Colony, grants of Land to Her said Majesty belonging, within the said Colony, to private persons for their own use and benefit, or to any Persons, Bodies Politic or Corporate, in trust, for the public uses of Her said Majesty's Subjects there resident, or any of them;
AND WHEREAS by certain other Letters Patent under the Great Seal as aforesaid, bearing date the Twenty-second day of June, in the Twenty-third Year of the Reign of Her said Majesty, Sir HERCULES GEORGE ROBERT ROBINSON, Knight, was constituted and appointed Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the said Colony of Hongkong and its Dependencies;
AND WHEREAS by certain Instructions of Her said Majesty, addressed to the then Governor of Hongkong, under Her said Majesty's Signet and Sign Manual, and dated the Sixth day of April, 1843, the said Governor was, amongst other things, instructed to grant Leases of the Land in the said Colony belonging to Her said Majesty;
AND WHEREAS further, on the departure of the said Governor Sir HERCULES GEORGE ROBERT ROBINSON, WILLIAM THOMAS MERCER assumed, under the terms of the Royal Charter, Government of the said Colony;
NOW THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH, that in consideration of the yearly rents, conditions and agreements hereinafter reserved and contained by and on the part and behalf of the said Lessees, their Executors, Administrators and Assigns, to be paid, done and performed, and also the sum of Five Current Dollars, which are at this time a legal tender in the said Colony of Hongkong, in hand paid to the said WILLIAM THOMAS MERCER as Acting Governor of the said Colony, for the use of Her said Majesty, by the said Lessees, at or before the Sealing and Delivery of these Presents, the Receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged; HER SAID MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA, hath demised, leased and to farm let, and by these presents doth demise, lease and to farm let, unto the said Lessees, their Executors, Administrators and Assigns, ALL that piece or parcel of Ground situate, lying and being at Victoria in the said Island of Hongkong, abutting on the north side thereof on Government Ground and measuring thereon two hundred and forty feet, on the south side thereof on Government Ground and measuring thereon two hundred and forty feet, on the east side thereof on Government Ground and measuring thereon one hundred and twenty feet, and on the west side thereof on a Public Road and measuring thereon one hundred and twenty feet; which said piece or parcel of ground contains in the whole twenty-eight thousand eight hundred square feet; and is registered in the Land Office as Marine Lot number Eighty-two, together with all easements, profits, commodities and appurtenances whatsoever to the said demised premises belonging, or in any wise appertaining;
EXCEPT AND ALWAYS RESERVED unto Her said Majesty, Her Heirs, Successors and Assigns, full power to resume and take possession of all or any part of the said piece or parcel of Ground hereby demised, if required for the improvement of the said Colony of Hongkong, or for any other public purpose whatsoever, Three Calendar Months' notice being given to the Occupant thereof of its being so required, and a full and fair Compensation for the said Land and the Buildings thereon being paid to the said Lessees, their Heirs, Executors, Administrators or Assigns, at a valuation to be fairly and impartially made by the Surveyor of Her said Majesty, Her Heirs, Successors or Assigns, and in which said valuation, the benefit to accrue to the said Lessees, their Heirs, Executors, Administrators or Assigns from any such improvement or public purpose shall be allowed by way of set-off against any Damage he or they may suffer from such resumption as aforesaid;
AND
EXCEPT AND RESERVED ALSO, all Mines, Minerals and Quarries of Stone in, under or upon the said premises, and all such Earth, Soil, Marl, Clay, Chalk, Brick-earth, Gravel, Sand, Stone and Stones, and other Earths or Materials, which now are or hereafter during the continuance of this demise, shall be under or upon the said premises, or any part or parts thereof, as Her said...