Enclosure No: 4.
575
Head Quarters,
Hong Kong.
13th Sept: 1900.
Your Excellency,
With reference to your letter of 31st July 1900, No: 640; I have the honour to report that as the War Office orders were imperative concerning the early commencement of the defences at the Devil's Peak, I have entered into a contract for the works, and they are being pushed forward with all expedition.
2. As it would be beyond my province to ascertain who are the rightful owners of the land and piers to whom compensation would be due, I propose to refer all such matters to the Land Court otherwise I should probably make payments to men who were not the rightful owners, and only stimulate the rapacity of the Chinese in that quarter of the New Territory.
3. I would presume from paragraph 11 of the Circular of the Secretary of State for the Colonies of 30th December, 1894, and the reply of H.B. the Governor of Hong Kong dated 19th April 1895, that the Colony will make all necessary payments for the rights of use of the land by the War Department.
His Excellency
The Governor
of Hong Kong.