6
5
Ping Chau lime-burners while the Shan Shui Fo lime-burners de-
clined to buy from them, both refusals being a protest against
the license fee charged by the Crown Lessees who are the Ping Chac
lime-burners.
On this evidence and on further evidence that had
become available of the practice of the Chinese Government to
grant licences for shell dredging (various licences of this nature
emanating from the San On Magistracy having been filed with
claims in the Land Court), the Land Officer, having explained the
matter to Wan Tim the originator of the petition, recommended
that the matter should be closed by a letter to the Petitioners'
Solicitors on the lines indicated in the 15th. paragraph of his
report.
A
As this was not in accordance with your instructions
after some further consideration of the basis on which compensa-
tion might be assessed, 1 caused the petitioners' Solicitors to
be asked (22nd. August 1904) to get their clients to nominate an
Arbitrator on their behalf who with one nominated on behalf of
the Government would assess what amount of 'darage, if any, should
be paid to those clairants who had been traced, as compensation for
any damage they might have suffered owing to the leasing of the
Warine Lots at Lantao.
The petitioners having derurred (25th. August, 1904) at the cost of paying an Arbitrator on their own account, i caused (31st. August, 1904) enquiry to be made of them through
their Solicitors as to whether they would be willing to accept
the decision of the Registrar-General (who had not been concerned in the case and whose position with reference to the Chinese Con-
munity seemed to make him the fittest person) as scie Arbitrator in the matter. To this Messrs. Wilkinson & Grist replied (1st. September, 1904) that their clients "would prefer that the sole
Arbitrator should be the Fuisne Judge and they would be willing
to
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