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still further, the house tax being particularly
enhanced. The house tax in the old limits of Hong-
kong, as for instance at Huang Ni Yung &c, 18 (or was)
at the rate of only 50 cents per "chien" per annum:
but the house tax in Kowloon is levied at the rate
of $250 per English acre (sic) per annum. The peti-
tioners have already addressed representations to the
Governor of Hongkong, praying for a diminution of
these taxes, but without success, and they therefore
venture to lay the matter clearly before the Board of
Commerce, praying that the Board of Foreign Affairs
may be asked to address the British Minister on the
subject, with a view to requesting the Governor of
Hongkong to lighten the scale of land-taxes in Kowloon
and thereby alleviate the burden placed upon the people".
The Board of Commerce having transmitted the peti-
tion, as requested, to this Board, I have the honour
to observe that the repeated increase of the land- tax
in Kowloon must inevitably place a heavy burden upon
territory, as compared with that of Huang N1 Yung and
other parts within the old limits of the colony, the
taxation should, it would seem, not be so heavy. I
trust therefore that Your Excellency will be good
enough to communicate with His Excellency the Govern-
or and invite his consideration of this question.
I avail &c.,
(Signed)
the Chinese inhabitants, and moreover, in view of
the fact that trade is not flourishing in the new terri-
tory