97
selection of the site of the New Town, (a matter in which the Merchants had no voice), sufficient availabl
ground could be found to admit of only D. Lote being put up, and d great
competition was the natural consequence..
As no money
was
paid, or penalty, beyond
forfeiture of the Land, incurred by,
completion
of the purchase, it is not a matter of surprise, that
when a nu
a
rumber of Lots, insufficient for
of the intending Buyers,
woere
one
third
brought to Sale, the
biddings should have been unusually high; but
as Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary found that
enormous rates. were
deterring
these nominally parties from building, he considered it exspedient
to give
the ajsurance contained in his letter
annered to
our Memorial.
Neither under Captain Elliot's
administration, nor under that of his Inccessor
Sir Henry Pottinger, were any rents at
claimed, or Leases published ; and it was
first
only
after
1.2. that he
after
the holders of Land had been induced by a
expend
variety of promises and encouragements to exp
sums
large.
of money in Buildings, that it was found the Government intended to adhere to the
scale of Rent first paid, and to repudiate Captain Elliot's other engagements .
In the later Sales held in the time
1. of
Sir Henry Pottinger, still more limited quantities of eligible Land (we allude more particularly to Water frontage - a situ almost indispensable for act Mercantiles House)
were
a situatiow
brought forward; and as at that time it was well known the greater number of the British Merchants had made arrangements, rendering their removal to Hongkong
he false
voidable, it is not surprising, that the standard originally established, should have
continued to obtain:
But of the purchases made at that
sale, you, Ier, must be well aware; that &
(many.
f
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.