CO129-013 - Sir John Davis - 1845 [8-12] — Page 100

: very peculiar circumstances, rented for £1000

a

year, may be very true; and that in a place

where for 3 years

the strange anomaly

appeared of a Covernment offering every

: inducement to the Merchants to commence

building, but delaying

ever

the

commencement

of Barracks for their Troops, or quarters for their Officers to an extent that rendered it at one time a question, whether they should not be billeted on the public ; is equally the fact: but that when Government buildings sufficient

to accommodate their Establishment,

finished, the rent of Houses will be sufficient

to pay

L

an interest on the

are

money expended

them; is an expectation, which the most

sanguine Proprietors cannot entertain,

while the present system continues in

force.

The substantial buildings to which

your letter refers,

were most, or all of them,

commenced

commenced

99

any months, and some even

2 years, since ; but although Hongkong has been

barely 4 years

in ersistence, the Houses of any magnitude

of new

cement

can nowhere

be seen ; a state of matters, we believe, without

αν

- parolled in the history of the British Colonies.

While the place continues the seat of

Government, and the head qu

Communication, many

quarters of Steam

English

mercantile

1

Houses may find it necessary to keep up Establishments here; and a small Chinese: population will remain with them: but when the present Government and other

since commenced, are finished,

buildings, long

a large proportion of the present Inhabitants must emigrate from a place, where, from the absence of Frade, they

can have no occupation;

while the continuance of oppressive.

of oppressive tarsation

will be but too certain to prevent an increase.

of property or population of any kind.

We