CO129-542-3 Foreshore and Sea-bed Works Bill- correspondence 9-1-1933 - 16-8-1933 — Page 83

TELEPHONE

MANSION HOUSE 5856.

Sir,

9973

83

社中英

會華商

CHINA

AssociatION.

99, CANNON STREET,

ANDWA

LONDON, E. C. 4.

9th August, 1933.

Hongkong Foreshore & Sea Bed Draft Bill.

The Committee has had under consideration your letter of 18 the 23rd June and the revised draft of the Bill submitted there-

with; also the answers given in Parliament to the questions put

to the Secretary of State for the Colonies on the subject of the

proposed Bill.

2. I am directed to point out that the Hongkong General

Chamber of Commerce, in a letter to the Colonial Secretary of Hong

Kong of 5th May last, again emphasised the grave objections in

principle to the enactment of general legislation of the type pro-

posed by the Bill and, once more, submitted that, in place of a

Bill as general in scope as the proposed measure, the introduction

of a separate and special Bill for each public work contemplated

was greatly to be desired.

Save as hereinafter indicated the Committee, after care-

ful consideration find no reason to alter its original endorse-

ment of this view.

3. At the interview which Mr. Bernard and Mr. Looker had

with Mr. Cowell recently on the subject of this Bill, Mr. Cowell

read to them an extract from the despatch of the Governor of

Hongkong in which the reasons for desiring a Bill of this nature

were indicated.

H. M. Under Secretary of State

for the Colonies,

Colonial Office.