CO129-329 - Governor Nathan - 1905 [7-12] — Page 33

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-tory both to the Government and the owners.

(a).

To enable the Government to make

Regulations with regard to the recovery of Crown Rent by a

simpler process than that at present in force in Hongkong

under the Rent Recoveries Ordinance, which is unsuitable

to the multitude of small holdings of agricultural land in

the New Territories.

:

4.

The Governor has power under the

Ordinance, when he considers it advisable, to exempt any

lands from the operation of the Ordinance. While the large

bulk of the holdings in the New Territory are held under

block leases for the various demarcation districts, some

separate leases have already been issued under the ordinary

law of the Colony and it is considered probable that

Europeans and others who in future buy a number of agricul-

-tural holdings for industrial and commercial purposes will

prefer to have a comprehensive Crown Lease subject to that

law.

5.

The Chinese Members heartily sup-

-ported this Ordinance when it was under the consideration

of the Legislative Council, and I trust that its provisions

will enable the transfer of land and the many petty dis-

-putes concerning land to be dealt with in a manner satis-

-factory