CO129-494 - Governor Sir Clementi - 1926 [9-10] — Page 29

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in recent years, I am credibly informed, it has been usual for Chinese land-owners in Canton, when they found that the Canton Government intended to drive a road in the direction of their property, to insure such property against fire risks. and then have a fire, as this was their only means of obtaining compensation in any shape or form. Lastly, the Convention evidently contemplated the construction of a railway through the leased territory, and it is obvious that such a railway could not be constructed without compulsory powers of acquisition of land, and a railway would hardly be ejusdem generis with the objects specified in the clause, especially if, as was always possible, the

Little railway were constructed by private enterprise. assistance can be obtained from the Chinese version of the Convention, as it evidently is only an indifferent attempt at a translation of the English text, but I may mention that the ordinary meaning of the two characters used to translate the term "expropriation is to confiscate, i.e., to expropriate without compensation.

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Canton, the

Whatever may be the exact meaning of the letter of the Convention, it is patent that to its makers on either side, the present day development of this Colony was as little foreseen as a Republican China. capital of the province to which the New Territories belonged, was at the time of the Convention a walled city where wheeled traffic was impracticable. To-day the walle of Canton have been razed and wide carriage roads driven in all directions with a fine communistic disregard for

The Memorialists are careful the rights of private owners. to point out that the New Territories are only "leased" to Great Britain; and if they stress such a point, it would not be inequitable that the term "fair price" should be interpreted in the light of the present day practice of the lessor in dealing with a similar position, by

comparison