In any further communica
tion on this subject, please quote
W.£, 378
and address letter to-
The Secretary,
7981/3535
Admiralty, Whitehall,
Loudon, S.W.
C.0.
18334
&
17 UEC 96
Admiralty,
th
422
411
16 December 1898.
3.18092/98. 6.14288/98.
Had my 2386
Sir,
With reference to your letter of the 29th
November 1898, asking for a reply to your letter of the
8th July 1898, respecting the Crown Rent on Marine Lot's -
Nos.20 and 21 (late Sharp's Buildings) I am commanded by
the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to acquaint you,
for the information of the Secretary of State for the
Colonies, that it was considered desirable to await a
reply to Admiralty letter of the 24th October 1898,
W.L.2771/3951 before My Lords gave Their views on the
question of Crown Rent on Sharp's property, as the same
principle seems to be involved in both cases.
}
My Lords have been in communication with the War
Office on the question of Crown Rents, and in a letter
dated 29th November 1898, the Secretary of State remarks
that when the lease of that portion of the passage between
Sharp's Buildings and the Commissariat Buildings which
adjoins the latter was acquired by the War Department, it
was subject to a Crown Rent, but payment was not made,
in accordance with the general principle that the Military
Department should have allotted to them free of charge all
Goverment lands etc. that may be considered necessary.
This would appear to be a confirmation of what
the Attorney General at Hong Kong stated he believed to be
the practice.
It is true the Admiralty covenanted with the
vendors
The
Under Secretary of State
for the Colonies,
1.P.--No. 7
COLONIAL OFFICE,
Whitehall, S.W.