CO129-389 - Governor Sir Lugard Acting Governor Claud Severn - 1912 [3-4] — Page 132

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

OP Y.

Sub Enclause in HE' of 13.3.19. 1

بیم

133

ara.

2.

I shall be glad of the Hon. Attorney-General's opinion

to the feasibility of legislation in this sense.

ara. 3.

Let the Director of Public Works say how far this can

be done. Presumably large blocks in the New Territories could be

eliminated.

ara. 5.

The feasibility depends on the extent of the defined areas. But I shall be glad if the Attorney-General will record his opinion how far it is possible even in the case of a limited area thus defined to make legislation operative in the case of property already alienated from the Crown and in private ownership and what sort of

claim for compensation would be involved.

ara. 5 (b).

For Attorney-General's opinion. How can it possibly be enacted that any private person purchasing a lease of land, or already

holding a lease cannot use the land for the purposes of a Firm or

Company, or transfer it to a Firm or Company, under the restrictions

proposed?

era. 6. i.

It is possible to furnish the Naval Authorities with a

plan of the Port showing all foreshore and deepwater sites still

unalienated, and to consult them before making any lease, but as

regards foreshore and sites already leased the same applies as above to

land.

ii.

Unless the Colony is to be treated as a "Fortress" with

consequent dislocation and most serious restriction to commerce and

trade I do not see how this is to be dealt with, except by ordinary

Police precautions.

Comments by Committee on i. The case in point shows

that I considered it advisable to refer to the Secretary of State be-

-fore leasing an important foreshore and site to a Foreign Firm. But the difficulty lies as stated in my 5 (b) in defining "Foreign" and preventing subsequent transfers.

See my note on 5 and 5 (b).

(iii).

ara. 7.

It is here admitted that it is probably impossible to impose any restrictions on land already leased", the preceding part of the letter did not give this impression of the views of the Committee.

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