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REPORT TO THE FINANCE AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO CONSIDER THE QUESTION OF LICENCES GRANTED TO OCCUPY UNINHABITED ISLANDS FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES.

། ། ། ། །

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O.885

(Initialled)

(Signed)

R. G.

9th May, 1910. J. SEELY.

9th May, 1910.

Extract from the Minute of the 28th Meeting of the Concessions and Finance Committee held on the 7th July, 1910.

"First Subject.

It was carried unanimously that the Report of the Sub-Committee appointed to consider the question of licences granted to occupy uninhabited islands for various purposes should be adopted and presented to the Secretary of State.

8th July, 1910.

J. S."

TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE.

The agendum of the 26th meeting of the Finance and Concessions Committee was :-- "To consider in connection with the option offered to Mr. Bogen to take up an exclusive licence to occupy the Heard Islands for three years for the purpose of establishing a whale fishery depôt-the whole question of the grant of licences, whether exclusive or otherwise, in respect of the Heard Islands or other similar Islands, both from the international point of view and from that of internal policy." The matter was considered at the meeting of the Committee held on the 6th of May, 1910, at which Colonel Seely presided, and the following is a copy of the Minute of that meeting which constitutes the "terms of reference" of the Sub-com- mittee :-

This matter was considered by the Concessions Committee at their meeting on the 6th of May.

Mr. Grindle pointed out that, as regards this particular case of Messrs. Bogen and Bryde, there was no action to be taken by the Committee at present as the position was that Mr. Bogen was free up to the 31st of this month to decide whether or not to take up the option offered him.

With regard to the general question, it was decided that a historical summary of the policy which had been pursued in the past in regard to such applications would be useful, the following heads being suggested :-

1. Opinion of the Law Officers about 1885.

Letters Patent founded on the above.

2.

3.

Precedents.

4.

Results.

5.

Recommendations.

A Sub-Committee (with Mr. Cox as Chairman, and Messrs. Lambert. Grindle, and Dale) was appointed for the preparation of the Memorandum.

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

21 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

16980

REPORT.

The Sub-Committee have investigated the history of the existing system of granting licences for unoccupied islands, and finds that it has grown up mainly with the grant of licences to occupy islands in the Pacific for the purpose of removing guano or planting cocoa nuts. The standard form of licence (which will be found in Appendix I. with a detailed account of its history (Appendix II.)) was settled on opinions of the Law Officers many years ago, and provides for the exclusive right to occupy for a term of years in return for a rent. No obligations are undertaken by the lessee beyond an engagement to treat the labourers well and to erect landmarks, while he is forbidden to sublet and His Majesty's Government are free from any obligation to protect him and may give up the sovereignty of the Island at any time or revoke the licence on political or other grounds.

A list of the existing licences is given in Appendix III. The rents are in all cases quite small, but in some recent cases a royalty on the guano won has been imposed in addition to a fixed rent.

The standard form of licence is not as it stands applicable to, or suitable for, islands which are to be occupied for whaling or sealing. Hitherto the Secretary of State has not had occasion to deal with any applications for licences for such purposes in respect of any of the islands which are directly dealt with by this

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