No,
Page.
SYNOPSIS OF CONTENTS.
From and to whom,
and date.
Subject.
491
Correspondence Relating to the Purchase of
Lands, &c., Hong Kong.
No. 1.
1
1
War Office to Treasury, 13th Requesting authority to purchase a piece
November, 1898.
of land (and building thereon) within
the cantonment of Hong Kong, belong- ing to a private individual, for a sum not exceeding 30,000 dollars. Building to be utilized to meet requirement indi- cated by Items 7, 8, and 15 of the Barrack Accommodation Scheine. (See [A 385].)
Sir,
2
4
Treasury to War Office, 29th
November, 1893.
3
4
4
5
:
5
5
6
Cannot concur in proposed expenditure until an agreement has been arrived at with the Colony as to the proportion of cost of the Barrack Scheme to be borne by Colonial funds.
War Office to Treasury, 23rd Pressing for sanction of above proposal in
December, 1893.
view of the urgent necessity of housing the increased garrison, and the desira- bility of acquiring all property within the cantonment.
Treasury to War Office, 4th Sanctioning proposal in No. 1.
January, 1894.
Colonial Office to War Office, Transmitting despatch from the Governor,
4th July, 1895.
and proposing to approve suggestion contained in last paragraph thereof.
5
The Governor, Hong Kong, to Colonial Office, 10th May, 1895.
7
6
Enclosure in No. 5. Stating that the above-mentioned land, which is subject to a Crown rent, has been purchased by the military authorities, who claim that they should be exempt from paying the rent. The Governo thinks that the old ruling, under which such a course would have been admissible, has been superseded by the Colonial Office de- spatch of 30th December, 1894; and proposes, following the spirit of that circular, that the amount of the Crowu rent should be entered to the credit of the Colony in the special account re- ferred to in paragraph 4 of the despatch.
War Office to Colonial Office, Agreeing to proposal in preceding de-
3rd August, 1895.
epatch, but suggesting that, instead of recording the rent annually in the special account, it would be better to enter the capitalized value thereof at, say, 23 years' purchase.
Colonial Office to War Office, Agreeing to above proposal, but stating
8th August, 1895.
that the land will, in other respects, remain subject to the Crown lease.
War Office to Treasury,
War Office,
13th November, 1893. I am directed by the Secretary of State for War to acquaint you, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury that, ever since 1885, the great importance of acquiring all land belonging to private individuals within the cantonment at Hong Kong has been fully recognized.
In consequence, funds were voted in the Army Estimates for 1885-86 and subsequent years, with a view to carrying out a scheme of purchase, estimated at 64,170, and property was actually purchased from willing sellers to the amount of 36,0687.
The purchases there came to an end, because the owners of the remaining two properties were unwilling to sell at a reasonable price, and there was no power to compel them.
The owner of one of these properties has now offered his building (Lot 73 B) to the Secretary of State for War, who has had it valued by the Director of Works for the Colony.
The plot in question is 7,040 square feet in extent, about three-fourths covered with substantial three-storey buildings of granite and brick, and the Director of Works reports that a fair value is from 25,000 dollars to 30,000 dollars.
In 1885 the then Surveyor-General valued it at 28,025 dollars, with the remark that in times of speculation it might bring in as much as 30,000 dollars, but at that time the owner asked and insisted on 45,000 dollars as the price of the lot.
Mr. Secretary Campbell-Bannerman considers it possible that he might be enabled to obtain the property for 25,000 dollars, but I am to solicit their Lordships' sanction for its acquisition for a sum not exceeding 30,000 dollars (which at the present low rate of exchange of the dollar would amount to 3,875), which sum, or so much thereof as may be required to effect the purchase, it is proposed to charge to the Imperial Defence Loan--" Barracks at Coaling Stations."
The building in question would be utilized in the two upper stories as quarters for Warrant Officers and married soldiers, and on the ground floor as a school, and would be covered therefore by Items 7, 8 and 15 of the Scheme of Barrack Accommodation at Hong Kong which accompanied the War Office letter of the 27th July, 1893, Hong Kong 2
and the Colony will therefore 4568 eventually be called upon to contribute half the cost, or whatever proportion may be ultimately decided upon, as their share of the cost of providing barrack accommodation for the increased garrison.
*
Items 7 and 8 came fourth and fifth in order of precedence in Return B, which was forwarded to you with the War Office letter of the 31st October, 1893,
Hong Kong 2 ++
4597
Item 15 came much lower down in that Return; but as the ground floor, is not well adapted for quarters, yet is very suitable for a school (which is much required), it is considered that it would be best to utilize it in that way.
WM. WOODALL.
* No. 3 of "Barracks" Correspondence (A 335].
+ No ĥ of 66 Barsanten” (9-------
Hong Kong 2
4608
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