CO129-537-6 Foreshores and Sea Bed Amendment Ordinance 1932 18-8-1932 - 17-1-1933 — Page 40

(F 8679/8204/10)

At

ANSWD

10

RECEIVED 29DEC 1932

Dear Cowell

COL.OFFICE

49

FOREIGN OFFICE, S.W.1.

28th December, 1932.

We are rather worried as to possible repercussions

of the Hongkong Foreshores and Sea Bed Amendment Ordinance,

1932, a copy of which was enclosed in your official letter

No. 92583/24/32 of December 15th.

The ordinance is no doubt a perfectly proper and

reasonable one and any riparian owner or lessee affected

by it will no doubt receive fair compensation when

compensation is due. What we are afraid of is that the

Chinese will find support in its terms for their

extravagant ideas as to the rights of the territorial

authorities as against the owners or occupiers of riparian

properties, and that compensation machinery which would

work quite fairly in British territory will either not be

set up or not be allowed to work fairly in China in short

that the Chinese will pick what suits their book out of the

H.R. Cowell, Esq., C.M.G.

Hongkong

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