No.221
Hongkong.
Government House,
21681
737 1
In 20 JUL 04
Hongkong, 20th. May, 1904.
Sir,
I have the honour to transmit for your information the enclosed copies of two minutes written by Mr. H. H. J. Gompertz, recently President of the Land Court, and Mr. C. Clementi, now Member of the Land Court, on the position of so-called Taxlords in the New Territories, and on the question of how their claims to be recognised as Landlords should be dealt with.
2.
These minutes show how complicated the question is. There is no doubt that according to strict Chinese Law, the title of Taxlords and their lessees is unsound. At the same time, it cannot be denied that the Taxlord system has, as Mr. Gompertz points out in paragraph 5 of his minute, been encouraged by the local Chinese Officials.
3.
In these circumstances, I have issued the following instructions to the Members of the Land Court for their guidance:
(1.) In determining the claims of Taxlords, the Members of the Court are to be guided by what the title of each claimant was as against the Chinese Government at the date of the Convention according to Chinese Law.
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
ALFRED LYTTELTON, K.C., M.P.,
ExC...
(2.)
&cc