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Land Court:-
19.
"Sir r,
"Land Court,Hongkong.
4th.March 1903.
307
"Claims U and K.
"I am directed to inform you that His Excellency the Governor deems it inexpedient, "having regard to the public interests of the Colony, that any title should be granted in res- "pect of your claims U and K.
"The matter has been referred back to this Court under Section 14 of Ordinance No. *18 of 1900. I am to inform you that the Court will sit on March 17th at 10 a.m.to take evi- "dence as to the value of your claim and to decide what compensation should be paid to you "in respect thereof.
*ur. Lan Tai (★★★ J="
"I have the honour to be,
"gir,
"Your obedient servant,
*S.B.C.Ross,
"Registrar.
Your Petitioners submit that the said letter constituted an election by the Government to adopt the second course indicated above as being open to them under Section 16 of Ordinance No.18 of 1900.
20.
On account of the said New Territories having been taken over by the British Government the said property had risen greatly in value. For the purpose of assisting the Land Court to decide what compensation the Claimants were entitled to, Messrs.Leigh & Orange, a leading firm of surveyors and va- luers were requested to make a Valuation of the land in question. Their valuation was dated the 2nd day of April 1903. They estimated the cost of reclaiming the said ground at $86,500, and according to the amount which had been paid up to that time on sales of Kowloon Marine Lots, they estimated the va- lue of the Lot, after deducting the cost of reclamation, at 25 cents per square foot,making the sum of $442,025, to which they added 10 per cent for compulsory purchase, equals $44,202; and a Claim was accord- ingly filed in the Land Court for the said suns together with $2,000 for legal and professional ex- penses,making the sum of$488,227 as the total amount of claim. The claim came before the Land Court, and on the 13th.July 1903 it was adjourned sine die for a further date to be agreed upon by the parties for the hearing.
21.
On the 16th. August 1903 the Government, through the Attorney General,brought in and secured the passage through the Legislative Council of a new Ordinance,No.13 of 1903, amending Ordinance No.18 of 1900.
22.
The purport and effect of this Ordinance may be gathered from a perusal of Section 2 thereof which reads as follows:-
"The Chief Justice may at any time before a title has been granted under Section "14 of the Principal Ordinance, upon good cause shewn,grant to the Attorney General leave to "Appeal to the Full Court of the Supreme Court from any decision of the Land Court heretofore
made
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