CO129-298 - Governor Sir Blake Administrator Major Gen Gascoigne - 1900 [3-4] — Page 370

*

Copy

Enclosure in no

14000

N

Rec 7 MAY 00

369

Translation.

From Viceroy Li.

Sir,

March 17,1900.

I have the honour to state that I am in receipt of a communication from Admiral Ho, in which he informs me that Colonel Chang Lien Chi, Acting Hsieh T'ai at Ta Pổng, has sent in a petition to the following effect:-

The offices of the Colonel in command at Ta Peng, of the First and Second Captains, as well as the othe large and small public buildings were formerly established inside the walls of Kowloong-chai for the transction of public business. On May 16 and 18 last, Englishmen sudgeř ly entered Kowboong and Tung Chung. This has already been reported by the late Acting Colonel Li as is on record, The Officers and soldiers of the left and right regiments

were ordered to return to Ta Peng city and to remain

there. The Acting Colonel Li conducted the petty officers

and soldiers of his command to Ta Peng and quartered them

in that town. But for many years past the official build-

ings in Ta Peng have fallen down and there are none re-

maining. My office is in an ancestral temple which I have borrowed. The first and Second Captains have also borrowed

temples to live in. The guard houses are only established

in temporary quarters and it is impossible to transact

public business properly. Every one says that, although Kowloong has been leased to Great Britain, still according

to international law if an official communication is made

to the British Government a valuation of the public

offices can easily be made and the value paid. I beg that

there

your Excellency will write to the British Consul that an

estimate