For the present purposes in 1888. In discussing the question of land it should be kept in mind that on the cession of the territory by China the whole of the land was reserved to the Crown as represented by the Colonial Government, and they have only granted leases to individuals, subject generally to a Crown rent, there being therefore no such thing as absolute private ownership of land in the Colony.
2. In 1888, at the time when a large increase in the garrison of Hong Kong was decided on, the Committee on Colonial Military Contributions made the following recommendation with regard to barracks for the increased garrison, viz: if the War Office, as was then proposed, surrendered to the Colony certain lands in the city of Victoria, the value of these should be devoted by the Colony to reduce the cost of the new barracks (including that of reproviding the accommodation given up) and that the remainder of the cost should be divided in the proportion of 1/3 against Colonial, and 2/3 against Imperial Revenues, the Colony in addition finding the necessary sites for the buildings. The Committee recorded their opinion that as a rule the Colony should provide sites for Colonial Military purposes free of cost to the Imperial Government, and that when sites assigned for Military purposes ceased to be useful for such purposes they should be immediately surrendered to the Colonial Government.
3.