CO129-266 - Governor Sir Robinson - 1895 [1-3] — Page 361

358

To the Right Honourable Her Majesty's Principal

Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Snoweth

The Humble Petition of Matthew John Denman Stephens of Victoria in the lookony of Hong-Kong Solicitor

1. Your Petitioner is the registered Owner of Marine Lot No 14 situate in the centre of the City of Victoria Hong Kong upon which Lot are vrecked Forty -two Chinese Shops and wellnighouers known as Nos 67 to 73 (odd Nos Queen's Road Central ; N 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33 Sraya Central; Nos 1 të 31 (odd New) Pottinger Sheet; aud. Ne 2 to 32 (even Ns) Chinese Sheet-

2. In accordance with the requirements of the Hong Kong Government in or about the mouths of August 8 September 1892 Your Petchouer was compelled to redrain the whole of the above mentioned Kity two houses under the new seperate dracirage system and the works were carried out unter the supervision of the proper Government Officers and approved of by the ébenitary Board -

as

3. The new system of drainage has not however been at all, satisfactory on the 18th December 1893 Your Petitiouer received a letter from king to Cehring the kuant of th

the House Ne 32 Praya Central set out in the Appendix hereto Apprudix N2.1. (Appendix.

No 1. complaining of the stake of the drainage and threatening an Action against other the Hong Kong Government & against Your Petitioner

Landlord for the serious illness he had contractul there through as he stated the defective sanitary arrangements of the premises. This was no fault of Your Petitioner who had no power to alter the system of drainage.

4. Your Petitioner thereupon wrote to the Colonial koretary the letter Appendix No. 2. of the 24 December 1893. set out in the Appendix hereto (Appendix N°2)

enclosing for the perusal of this Expellency the Governor the letter 18 formed to pointing out the kuants of houses crocked upon. Marine Lot No. 14 were "Coustantly complaining to Your Setitiouer of the defective state of the drains In reply to this letter Your Petitioner received the letter of the 27th December. 1893 from the Colonial Sveretary hausmitting a copy of the report of the Acting Director of Public Works relation to the Complaint and informing Appendix N2384. Your Petitiover the matte would be referred to the Sanitary Board (Appendie N$ 384.) A copy of the Sanitary Sewryor's Report dated the 13th Juniary 189/4+

1