1887-1903
COLONIAL REPORTS-MISCELLANEOUS.
No. 18.
HONG KONG (NEW TERRITORY).
GOVERNOR SIR H. A. BLAKE to MR. CHAMBERLAIN.
Government House,
Hongkong,
12th August, 1901.
SIR,
I HAVE the honour to forward for your information a report furnished by the Colonial Secretary, Mr. J. H. Stewart Lockhart, on the operations in the New Territory during the year 1900.
2. I had hoped that the collection of revenue might have been in a more forward state, but the report by Mr. Gompertz of the working of the Land Court shows the difficulties of dealing with these small plots and defining the rights of the occupier, the family, the clan, and the Crown. It is possible that a certain amount of revenue might have been got in by rough and ready methods, but there would have been much injustice to individuals—indeed an attempt was made to collect, upon a system of averages, Crown Rent upon claims that had been lodged, the result being complaints from several people that they had been compelled to pay two and three times the amounts claimable from them under the terms of Crown Rent as gazetted and notified. Finding that this was true I ordered the money paid in excess to be refunded, and determined that it is better not to press for payment until we have the different plots properly entered and registered. This is slower, but will save much trouble in the future. I attach a copy of another report* of Mr. Gompertz's decision as to ownership in the small Island of Ts'ing I that will illustrate the intricacy of the claims put forward to the Land Court.
* Not printed.
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