CO129-328 - Governor Nathan - 1905 [1-6] — Page 175

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( 'A' to sub-enclosure 1 in Enclosure 3.)

Sir,

B. M. Office of Works, etc.,

Storey's Gate, S...

27th. March, 1902.

The Secretary.

Treasury.

Adverting to your letter of the 23rd.

February, 1900, and to previous correspondence on the subject of

the Cid Gaol Site at Shanghai, I am, etc., to acquaint you, for

the information of the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's

Treasury, that last August an offer to purchase the land for the

sum of Taels 25,000 (equivalent to about 3,125 Sterling) was

received by the Board's Acting Surveyor at Shanghai, but that

the consideration of the question of accepting the offer was

deferred by him in the circumstances referred to in the full

report, copy of which is enclosed herewith, which that Officer

has made to them on the subject.

Their Lordships will observe from Mr.

Simpson's report and from the (copy) correspondence with the

Foreign Office, which is also enclosed, that the Secretary of

State for Foreign Affairs concurs with the Secretary of State

for the Colonies in the view that the land should not be dis-

posed of to private individuals, but should be leased to the

Hongkong Postel Agency at a nominal rental.

The Ecard will be glad to receive Their

Lordships' instructions in the matter, observing that they con-

cur generally in the views expressed by their officer, and that

the only point which seems to be in question is whether the

land should be leased to the Postal Agency on business terms or

at a nominal rent as was done in the case of the adjoining piece

of ground in 1875.

1 etc., (Sa.) W. J. Downer.