2
44
preventing attention being drawn to the point.
was thought unlikely.
This
The
4.
It was considered that it would be undesirable
at the moment voluntarily to alter generally the present
policy of granting leases for 75 years from the 1st July,
1898, renewable for a further term of 24 years less three
days. To do so would probably result in drawing
attention to the point at a moment when our relations with
China are somewhat improved but not stabilized.
action might perhaps be more advisable either when our
relations were more stable or when they were worse. At
the same time it was felt desirable that the Government
should be ready with a definite policy in case application
for a longer lease is made by some one who is dissatisfied
with the term, gradually diminishing, which is all that can
be granted under the present policy.
5.
It was therefore decided to recommend that the
Government should be prepared to grant leases for 75
years from the date of the grant, in case application is.
made for a longer title than that which the present policy allows. If, for instance, such a lease were granted
this year, the term of it would overlap by seven years the
period laid down in the Convention. If the intending
lessee were to ask for more definite assurances as to
the probabilities of security of tenure during the over-
lapping portion of the term, it is submitted that he might
be informed verbally that the view taken by the Hong Kong
Government is that the Convention was intended to confer,
and did in fact confer, full sovereign bights on His
Majesty's Government for the period contemplated by the
Convention,