CO129-322 - Acting Governor May - 1904 [1-5] — Page 741

No.221

Hongkong.

Goverment House,

21681

737 1

In 20 JUL 04

Hongkong, 20th. May, 1904.

sir.

I have the honour to transmit for your

information the enclosed copies of two minutes written by Mr.

anuary, 1904, +

28fd February, 1904.0

A

H. H. J. Gompertz,recently President of the Land Court and

bir. C. Clementi, now Member of the Land Court, on the position

of so-called Taxlords in the New Territories, and on the

question of how their claims to be re-cognised as Landlords

should he dealt with.

2.

These minutes show how complicated the

question is. There is no doubt that according to strict Chinese

Law the title of Taxlords and their lessees is unsound. At the

same time it cannot be denied that the Texlord system has, as

Mr. Gompertz points out in paragraph 5 of his minute, been

encouraged by the local Chinese Officials.

3.

In these circumstances I have issued the

following instructions to the Members of the Land Court for

their guidance.-

(1.) In determining the claims of Taxlords the

Liombers of the Court are to be guided by what the title of

each claimant was as against the Chinese Goverment at the

date of the Convention according to Chinese Law.

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

ALFRED LYTTELTON, K.0., M.P.,

ExC...

(2.)

&cc