59
without success, and one section of Low's land
was actually sold. I then requested His Majesty's
Consul General at Canton to secure the cancellation of the
sale, the recognition of Low's title to the foreshore and
the settlement of the case by the payment by Low of a
Mr. reasonable sum to cover the cost of filling in.
Brenan's representations resulted in the "postponement" of
further auction sales of Low's property, though the sale
of the section already sold has not been cancelled and he
is unable to make use of any portion of his property.
4. Last October, on the instructions of the Mayor, a
road 80 feet wide was driven through another piece of Low
Peng Kiah's property in the city, without consulting him,
the road being formed from earth dug up on either side of
it, thus forming deep trenches, which of course materially
reduced the value of the land. Not content with that,
the Mayor demanded that Low should pay for the labour of
constructing the road, on pain of confiscation of a strip
of land 100 feet wide on either side of the road, to be
sold by the Mayor to others. In this case, again, the
Vayor maintained that Low was a Chinese citizen, but my
representations led at last to the Commissioner for
Foreign stating in May last that "as foreigners had not
complied with the regulation concerning payment of the
cost of constructing roads, Low Peng Kiah would not be
required to comply for the time being".
5.
These cases are still in suspense and are merely
referred to in order to show once more the attitude of the
local officials towards British subjects of Chinese descent.
My object in writing this report is to bring to your
notice a flagrant case of extortion from Low Peng Kiah
by a Government Department.
6. On the afternoon of the 10th instant, Low Peng
Kiah's /