Supreme Court House,
Hongkong, 5th March, 1901,
We are instructed by the local Manager of the China and Japan Telephone Company, Limited, to address you with reference to the proposed concession for the construction of Tramways in Hongkong.
Our client understands that it is the intention of the promoters of the Tramways to use Electricity as a motive power, and in that case it is extremely probable that such user will produce electrical disturbance in the Company's telephone wires to the great inconvenience of the telephone-using public and to the detriment of the Company's business.
It is the practice in England to insert in Acts of Parliament and Provisional Orders authorising the construction of Tramways clauses protecting existing undertakings from any such injurious affecting of their business as above mentioned; and our client is naturally desirous that such practice should be followed in preparing any Bill authorising Electric Tramways in Hongkong.
We have the honour therefore to request on behalf of our client that we may be furnished with an advance copy of any Tramways Bill that may be projected in order that our client may have time to consider the sufficiency of the protection which such Bill will afford to his Company.
In order to prevent unnecessary delay in dealing with the matter it appears to us extremely desirable that our client's request should be granted at the earliest possible date.
We have, &c.,
(Sd.) Dennys and Bowley.
The Honourable
Mr. W. Stewart-Lockhart, C.M.G.,
Colonial Secretary.