any step towards the establishment of the proposed municipality. I have the honour to inclose copies of my notes to and translation of the note from the Wai-wu Pu.
(Translation.) Sir,
I have, &c. (Signed)
LANCELOT D. CARNEGIE,
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Taolai Yuan to Senhor Valdes.
March 26, 1900. I HAVE the honour to inform you that it has been arranged to permit foreigners to lease land belonging to private owners in that part of the Paoshan district lying outside but adjoining the International Settlement, and also outside the Commercial Settlement at Woosung. With some modifications, a similar procedure will be adopted to that followed in the case of land held by Chinese subjects under stamped deeds. I have reported the matter to the Superintendent of Southern Trade, and have asked him to apply to the Tsung-li Yamên for sanction. I have also directed the Paoshan Magistrate to make a thorough survey of the locality with a view to ascertaining where foreign merchants can properly be permitted to lease land, and where for any reason it would be undesirable to allow them to do so; to fix boundary marks, draw up a plan with a written description attached, and report to me.
I have now the honour to state that if any foreign merchant wishes to lease land belonging to a private owner in Paoshan district within the boundaries of the area where such leasing is permitted, by Regulation the landowner must first draw up a deed of lease and deliver it to the "Tipao" to be "chopped." It should then be transmitted to this office by the proper Consul, whence it will be sent to the district Magistrate, who shall see that the boundary-marks correspond, and that there has been no misappropriation of land, fraudulent sale, or other malpractices. Not till then may money be handed over; and before a sealed deed of lease will be issued by the Magistrate the foreign merchant or his agent must first go to the Magistrate's office and pay the fees required by Chinese law as well as the yearly rent. As regards this class of sealed deeds, I intend to direct the Magistrate to have a sealed register printed in which will be entered the amount of rent payable annually as well as any transfers of the property that may afterwards take place. No corresponding register will be kept in any foreign language, nor will it be necessary for the Consul to send any officer to make a joint survey with the Magistrate, This will be done to mark the fact that the land is leased on different terms to those in force at an open port.
I have submitted a copy of the forms of lease to the Superintendent of Southern Trade, and have ordered the Paoshan Magistrate to define the boundaries, without delay, and report them to me, when I shall inform you thereof. I have now the honour to send you a copy of a form of lease, and request you to transmit it to the Consular Body. I have also the honour to request a reply.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Deed of Lease issued by the Magistrate of Paoshan District, in the Department of T'ai Ts'ang, in the Empire of China.
WHEREAS I have received the following instructions from the Intendant of the Su Sung T'ai Circuit :-
"I am in receipt of the following despatch from the Consul-General at Shanghae
"I have received a petition from the
to lease in perpetuity a piece of land situated in the
of Paoshan district and belonging to
fen
li
east
subject, applying for permission
division of the The extent of the land is hao, and the four boundaries are: on the north
ward
mou
south
and west
The price is
and
the annual land-tax, payable to the Chinese Government, is 2,000 cash a mow, paid in advance.'
"I beg to send you this despatch for you to take action."
to hand the land over to the said
I have directed the landowner foreign merchant. Should the said merchant, his heirs or assigns, hereafter transfer the property without reporting the matter to their Consul, obtaining the Taotui's sanction and having the transaction recorded in the Register, or should he neglect to pay the annual land-tax of 2,000 cash a mow, payable in advance to the Chinese Government, in disobedience to these Regulations, and after having been severely warned on the subject, this deed will become null and void and the land will be confiscated to the Government.
A necessary deed of lease.
; sealed deed No.
Date
Inclosure 3 in No. 1.
Proclamation by Magistrate of Paoshan District, October 7, 1902.
(Translation.)
WHEREAS I received the following note on the 3rd of this month from Mr. Goodnow, the American Consul-General :-
"With reference to the road which foreign merchants propose to construct in the Paoshan district from the rifle range to the Szechuan road, a full survey was made by the former Magistrate, an officer of this Consulate, and the Municipal Council's Surveyor, who drew up a plan properly filled in. In addition to the land surrendered by foreign merchants for the purpose of making a road, there remain some 20 mow of land held by twelve Chinese owners, certain portions of which should be surrendered in accordance with the regulations for the purpose of building the road. The road, when completed, will be a great advantage to the residents not merely from the point of view of facility of communications, but also by enhancing the value of land; thus two benefits will be secured at the same time.
"As, however, it is thought that the ignorant country people may not understand this principle, it has been decided to give payment for land so taken on the following scale :-
"From North K'ung Chiang, commencing with K'ung Sheng's land as far as the land belonging to Shen Jung Jung, the price of 400 taels a mow will be paid. From Yao Ch'un Fang's property to the "Ssu Pen Tang" belonging to Wang the price will be 300 taels a mow; and from Lu Shun Lin's land to Fei Pao Ho's, 200 taels a mow. The prices have been arranged in these three scales according to the loss that will be suffered by the various owners, and they have been arranged on a much more liberal scale than in the case of land surrendered for roads inside the Settlement or for railways. This has been done solely as an act of generosity to the native holders of land.
"I have therefore the honour to request you to issue a Proclamation notifying the land-owners that they should come to this office with the Head Tipao to receive money due to them, and forbidding them to make any disturbance with a view to obtaining a higher price for their land, as this would interfere with the work of construction."
Wherefore I have to notify all the land-owners concerned that the object of the foreign merchants in making the road is to improve the means of communication, and further, that the land on each side of the road will rise greatly in value, to the benefit of the land-owners. The price which the foreign merchants have arranged to give for the land required for the road is also exceptionally liberal when compared with that fixed by the Settlement Regulations.
I have therefore to instruct you to go with the Head Tipao, Yao Chun, to the American Consulate to receive the full sums due to you. You must not seek pretexts to cause an obstruction with a view to getting a higher price, and if you venture to disobey these instructions, on complaint being made by the foreign merchants, you will be summoned before me for trial. Let all tremble and obey.
(List of land-owners and amount of land required from each attached.)
[2188 ƒ-7]