な
7
172
COPY.
( 'A' to sub-enclosure 1 in Enclosure 3.)
Sir,
B. M. Office of Works, etc.,
Storey's Gate, S...
27th. March, 1902.
The Secretary.
Treasury.
Adverting to your letter of the 23rd.
February, 1900, and to previous correspondence on the subject of
the Cid Gaol Site at Shanghai, I am, etc., to acquaint you, for
the information of the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's
Treasury, that last August an offer to purchase the land for the
sum of Taels 25,000 (equivalent to about 3,125 Sterling) was
received by the Board's Acting Surveyor at Shanghai, but that
the consideration of the question of accepting the offer was
deferred by him in the circumstances referred to in the full
report, copy of which is enclosed herewith, which that Officer
has made to them on the subject.
Their Lordships will observe from Mr.
Simpson's report and from the (copy) correspondence with the
Foreign Office, which is also enclosed, that the Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs concurs with the Secretary of State
for the Colonies in the view that the land should not be dis-
posed of to private individuals, but should be leased to the
Hongkong Postel Agency at a nominal rental.
The Ecard will be glad to receive Their
Lordships' instructions in the matter, observing that they con-
cur generally in the views expressed by their officer, and that
the only point which seems to be in question is whether the
land should be leased to the Postal Agency on business terms or
at a nominal rent as was done in the case of the adjoining piece
of ground in 1875.
1 etc., (Sa.) W. J. Downer.