$
3
24
I
809
The purpose for which this Reserve was created has ceased to exist, because I take it that this Colony is no longer garrisoned by Military Forces for the purpose of maintaining law and order, but for purely offensive and defensive purposes in case of hostilities with a Foreign Power. Further, the occupation was an occupation by expeditionary troops and not by garrison troops, apparently, for I find in a summary of the history of Hongkong at page 331 of the Chronicle and Directory for 1901 that 'in 1860 the peninsula of Kowloon was placed under British control and soon afterwards became a great camp, the English and French troops of the Allied Expeditionary Force being for some time quartered there'.
9. For example, Colchester has a large garrison; but it cannot be said that that garrison is there for the purpose of maintaining law and order in that town. Under exceptional circumstances, it may be necessary to invoke Military assistance; but that does not make the soldiery the custodians of law and order. The same remarks apply to the garrison in this Colony. The ground, therefore, on which the creation of the Kowloon Military Reserve is stated to have been created appears to me to no longer constitute a ground for maintaining that Reserve.
10. With reference to paragraphs 5 and 6 of the same letter, I have not stated, directly or indirectly, that the Imperial Government has no rights over land reserved, nor denied that all rights in such land belong to the Imperial Government.
On