CO129-298 - Governor Sir Blake Administrator Major Gen Gascoigne - 1900 [3-4] — Page 149

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Sections 9, 10 and 11 are similar to rarictions 7,8,

and 9 of the Squatters Ordinance. Section 12 is intended to prevent Chinese in the New Territories who are not accustomed to lawyers, being compelled either to pay what, to them, would be very large fees or else to find themselves at a disadvantage as compared with rival claimants who had long purses and had engaged legal assistance. Section 13 will give an opportunity of dealing fairly with people who have squatted on land without any title and improved it and are willing to pay a small

rent.

Section 14. I think it important that all the inha- bitants should feel that during the 99 years, they are holding from the Crown and not from the Emperor of China or the Chinese Authorities, but this clause leaves the Governor to settle the appropriate form

of title.

Some Chinese may rlain perpetual tibles but I have

grave doubts whether these titles would have been

recognised in China as lasting any longer than du-

ring such time as the rent was duly paid and the

land cultivated or occupied.

The latter part of section 14 (compare with section

12 of the Squatters Ordinance) is intended to meet such cases as for instance, a man producing a sort

of title from the Sun On Magistrate giving hin vague

fishery and foreshore rights for which his grand-

father, as he alleges, paid some trifling sum. The

use he makes of his clain is to "squeeze" the poor

fishermen if they fish near his preserves and "squeeze"

them again if they dry their nets on what he would

call his foreshore. He alleges that his rights go

to