132
THE FRIEND OF CHINA AND HONG-KONG. GAZETTE,
to the instructions from England, although it has not been considered that a positive stipulation on the subject could be introduced into the Leases, yet Her Majesty's Government will be moved to place on record that it shall be understood that at the expi- ration of the present lenses, the offers of the occupants of the different premises shall have a preference over all, others (cæteris paribus) and that they shall be allowed to renew their Lesses on favorable terms for such further period as may be then deemed just and expedient.
I have the honor to be
Gentlemen,
Your Most Obedient Fumble Servant,
RICHARD WODSNAM.
MESSES JARDINE MATHESON & CO. -2 Messrs. Dent & Co.
Missue. Torney & Co.
&.c.
配じゃ
To RicnsaD WODSNAM, Esq
c.
&c.
&c.
Sir, We have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 6th instant in reply to one we address- ed to 1. E. Sir Henry Pottinger off 4th inst; and we beg to be allowed to offor the following observations in reply.
You remark that we must ha
seen from varions Notifications which have been published regarding "Crown Lands that "Her Majesty's Government did * not see it to recognise Grants or Bales of land that "had been made by or under any authority whatsoever up to the period of the exchange of the Fatification the Treaty of Nunkin;” but it is proper to remark that in the Government Notification of 21st August 1843, it is added that an enquiry should be instituted into the equitable claims of all holders of Land to a confirmation either permanent or temporary of their Titles so far as they could be confirmed consistently with a just regard to the interest of Society at large. The Sales of Land under the authority of Capt. Elliot, IL M. than Plenipotentiary in China, y
were first held on 44th June 1841, and in the interval between that date and 26th June 1843, the date of the exchange of the Ratification of the Treaty of Nankin, muny of us had invested considerable sums in Buildings, on the faith that the acts of all H. M. Authorities in China would be fully confirmed; in this conviction we have been borne out by the decision of H. M. Government above quoted, in which the principle of a complete confirmation is recognised with mercly the qualifi. cation that it is to be granted with a just regard to the interests of Society at large,
deemed a valid Title, they had expended considerable sums. Of the whole 116 lots only 3 have as yet any buildings commenced on them; and we beg leave to subjoin a memorandum showing the nature of such buildings,
We have not the most remote intention of imputing to the Committee any but the most fair and impartial feeling, and had all proceedings and building in the Colony commenced with the Ratification word to say
of the Trea ty of Nankin we should not have had a on the subject; but we cannot too strongly urge upon
ex
the Government at Home, thro' H. E the Governor our claim as holders of land under grants and sales which we have so an account of time and money, to as moderate conditions and tenure of a prin- property as obtain in other British Colonies; ciple which, under the circumstances, we feel the greatest confidence will be conceded.
We have the honor to be
(Signed)
Sir,
Your obedt, humble Servants, JARDINE, MATHESON & C6. DENT & Co. and the others,
Victoria, Hongkong, 25th March, 1814.
Buildings in the course of erection at Hongkong on. lenges sild February 22d.
Purelinser.
Lots
11 Revd. Wm. Legge £20, 5
31 W. Scott
£13,10
£21,00
116 E Strachan.
MARCH,
Description of Building Out offices for the Malacon College
A Bungalow to cost about $2,000.
||
cating the right of the commercial community, which it represented, with candour andim partiality................. Personally we have always been treated with ocurtesy, and we wish the Gentleman, by whom it was edited, a more profitable employment for his talents, than any Newspaper in China can offer.
⠀ CAN any of our readers inform ys whether the Colonial
establishment, can boast of such a ser vant as an Inspector of Streets and Buildings. We think we have heard of a Gentleman's being ap pointed to that important office, probably how.
ever we were mistaken, or from some cause or
another, he did not accept. If we reinsbor aright, in the several colonies where we havo so- journed, this nec
i necessary appointment, as well as that of Colonial Engineer, was always considered of the first importance, and never by any chance left vacant. In other colonies the services of a Colo. || nial Engineer are found indispensable; and when this office is united to that of Royal Engineer, the joint appointments are held by Gentlemen of rank in that branch of Her Majesty's service.
Our impression is, that Hongkong was once favored with the services of an Inspector, although we cannot tax memory with his name, and from external appearances, the benefits derived from his talents are not sufficiently evident to satisfy us of the fact. Last summer
The Colony
may be said to have lost the best of her servants, with the to cost $1,000 exception of His Excellency himself. Some of
A Cottage 54 & 31
SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.
29th Kappa,
ARRIVED. Whampoa. Eagle (Am), Sherman, Whaimpon, 80th Rouble (Am), Procter, Macao.
Arab, Nicholls,
?!
31st
+
Surat (Am), Peirce, Maniku. Petrel, Gibbons, Macao.
12
MARCH,
1844.
H.M.S. Castor, Capt. Graham,R. N. from a cruize
SAILED.
29th. Candahar, Keir, Macao, 31st Bombay Castle, Fraser, Bombay.
As the Local Government has in all cases resumed" Land, and altered Boundaries wherever the general interests of Society required such interference, we qubmit that the existing holders of
Leases are now in course of prep, and, for which
are Possessed
of property of which it is admitted they are Proprietors without any injury to the interests of Society or the just rights of the Crown; and we beg
respectfully to observe that we cannot buti consider the spirit of the instructions from II. M. Government above alluded to would appear to sanction o our expectation that our Property should be held on the terms and conditions. which wo were first led to expect would be imposed. we mean either on the principle named by Capt. Elliot, or at any rate on as favorable terms and conditions ne those to which Land in other British Colonies is subject,
With reference to your remark that perhaps more "there three fourths of the money laid out in this Co- lony has been expended since the publication of the notifications already quoted, or in other words since the island became a bonafide possession of the British Crown," we beg leave to observe that we cannot subs- cribe to the correctness of this statement. The noti fication named was published on 26th June, 1813; but on 10th April, 1843 a Government Notification was published in which there was the following clause the land Officer has been authorized and instructed "to prevent the commencement of any further Buil- *dings or
24
REPORTS.
Harlequin" for East Coast, William 4th," for South Sea Island.
Chusan. Falkstone"
Whampoa. Mercury,'
»
SPOKE AT SEA.
1844.
Shortly.
those who now are no more will not soon be for- gotten zone at least, though not long associated with public affairs here, has left a name, which will be re- corded in the history of his country, as one of the many bright spirits who have passed away, at the outset of a career which would have lead to honour and glory. To return from great to small people, we do not remember the demise of the Inspector of Buildings and Streets, neither are we fully satished that he has not
been invalided, or at pre- sent unablo to attend to public duties. On this supposition we would respectfully call the atten tion of Sir Henry Pottinger to the tenements about being erected on the allotment to the westward of Mossro
Wise, & Co's house. These
unsightlolliday allowed to encroach sove-
are
ral feet upon the public street, the line which other parties have been confined to is broken, and the chaste and respectable style of architecture, exhi- bited in the Mercantile
by the vulgar housesablishment adjoining, hid
which, with truc plebeian spirit, are thrust forward beyond the proper boun-
Jany, 28th Brit ship John o'Guant, 10 days daries, from China for Liverpool, off the Brothers.
Feby 18th British barq. Slams Castle, from Chinu for London, off Minto.
ENOLAND UNITED STATES CALCUTTA BOMBAY SYDNEY
LATEST DATES,
Jan.
SINGAPORE Nov. 17
JAVA Jan. 31 MANILA
Jan-19- Jun. 6
BUSANA SHANGHAI AMOX
NOTICE
Feb. 22 Ján, 10 Mar, 11 Feb. 18 Feb. 23 Feb. 14
Parties sending advertisements, are requested to write on the face of them, how often, or how long, they wish them inserted. In all instances, nou-subscribers, will pay
in advance New advertisements, oill be received, until 4 O'Clock, on the evenings previous to publication, Fiz. Mondays and Fridays.
The Friend of China is regularly filed in London, by Mr. P. L. Simmonds. Agent for the Colonial papers, office, 18 Cornhill (opposite the Royal Exchang), who British and Foreign Newspaper and advertising agency will receive any communications, orders and advertise.
gemenearing sway of Locations until final arran
ments can be made," and this restriction has
never been removed until the sale of land on 22nd January, 1844. We submit therefore that on enquiry it will appear altho many buildings prevlonsly cum- menced may have been finished in the interval, that no private buildings have been undertaken during the period in which you seem to suppose nearly all the money has been expended; and that in point of fact mearly the whole of the expenditure or at least such outlay as rendered the remainder unavoidable has been made long antecedent to the holders of Land being led to anticipate that any onerons conditions would be im posed ou them,
It remains for us to observe on your remark that the valuation and hirangements of the Committed prior to The recent sales of land were absolutely demonstrated and confirmed to have been liberal and just by the fret that at that sala every lot fetched above the price. With reference to this strong and important doclaration we foelit jncumbent on us to queuro 11 D in 1 inast varserved manner of our firm convidu that result will prove such sole to have been in a great and delusive chardglor Bud that probably not one pnl of five of the prohi
nt thaters will ever he carried into.
The publication of in Fucks or CHINA, AND HONGRONO
GAKETTE Commenced on Saturday last at 6 o'clock N,
THE FRIEND OF CHINA,
AND HONG-KONG GAZETTE.
VICTORIA, TUESDAY, APRIL 2ND, 1844.
We publish ad ondence, between the band holders on this Island, and His Excellency Sir Henry Pottinger, which wil command the atten- ton of the European population of China. We reserve our remarks for our next issue.
Our respected contemporary, the Canton Press, after a useful and creditable existence, of eight years, has been given up. From the many changes bout to take place on China, it has not been deem
visable to continue the publication of this po- ben the European ave, there will no longer be u held for
Al
We bog His Excellency will excuse our brings We are ing this circumstance before his notice. aware that from the incomplete state of the Co- lonial establishment, there is more work thrown upon his shoulders, than usually falls to the Gover nor of a small place. He may be in ignorance, and undoubtedly is in ignorance, of much that takes place in the subordinate branches of his govern- ment. If we occasionally bring facts before
his notice, we trust we do not go beyond proper bounds of a public Journalist, nor trespass upon the privileges of individuals. Public men are public pro- perty, and temperate animadversions upon their conduct, is not the least responsible duty of the
press,
Among the many useful Ordinances, about being passed the Legislative Council, a building act is not the least called for.
r. The gentleman, whose legal acquirements, have already laid the colony under deep obligations, would add to the fame already aequired as Clerk of the Legislative Ordinance, the subject of his immediate attention. Council, by making the compilation of such an It would assuredly be moro beneficial, than the
late sapient attempt to protect the revenue of a Free port by an Act prohibitory of distillation,
The Naval and Military Commanders are both absent from the Colony Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane, in H. M. steam frigate Driver, has proceeded to the Northern Ports, previous wo hear to his departure for India. General D'Aguilar, in the 11. G. steamer Proserpine, is on a visit to Cauton. We are not aware whether the gallant General has any diplomatic affairs to arrango with the Imperial Commissioner, or whether his visit is merely of a private nature. His rank and personal character will insure him a hearty reception from his countrymen. We almost expect to hear, that before he returns from Canton, some definito plan will be fixed, for building upon the ground leased by government.
O'd rewidenta in China are of
that the
of 110 of which
farmerly grante
of That beris
Ground, on whic on the faith of what was previously | ducted on jurt and independant principle i
to ang healthy, with refe
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