CO129-314 - Public Offices - 1902 — Page 221

Postal Authorities have in reply strongly objected

to disposing of the land to outsiders, and the Gover-

nor of Hongkong, in a despatch to Sir E. Satow on

the subject, states his opinion that it is most desir-

able that the land should be acquired by the British

Post Office in Shanghai and suggests that the land

should be granted to the Post Office, as an Imperial

Institution, free of charge.

It is, in my opinion, advisable to keep the

land in the possession of His lajesty's Government.

A factor in the matter is formed by the entry short-

ly of the Imperial Chinese Post Office into the Inter-

:

national Postal Union.

China will then presumably

have the right to ask foreign Post Offices to cease doing business in China, and accordingly the British

Post Office may be liable to removal.

If so the

si te of the British Post Office would revert to this

Tepartment, and the whole area, 1.e. the Post Office

site and the "Old Gaol Site" way same day be very useful in providing a site for a Consular Gaol, if and when

the question of disposing of the present enormous Gool

comes up again. In any case the value of the land

will not deteriorate, and a sale can I think be ef-

fected, without difficulty or loss on the present

offer, if so decided, at any time.

I would therefore recommend that the land be

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leased to the British Post Office. The Board will

no doubt decide whether the lease should be on busi-

ness terms or on terms similar to those of the Agree-

ment dated 18th. March 1875 under which the Hongkong

Government rent the adjoining piece at one Mexican

cent per annum.

I forward a plan of the land, shewing elevation

of the Post Office.

This report has been delayed owing to the Hong-

kong Government having corresponded direct with the

Minister, copies of which correspondence, containing

the views of the Hongkong Government, I have only

just received from Peking.

the