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[This Document is the Property of Her Britannic Majesty's Government.]

Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. January 23, 1899.

SECRET.

No. 172 M.

HONG KONG.

C.O. Nos. 16098 S, 20545, and

23608.

Boundaries and Defence of New Territory.

Memorandum by the Colonial Defence Committee.

THE Colonial Office have referred to the Colonial Defence Committee the following papers concerning the boundaries and defence of the new territory at Hong Kong:-

(i.) Extract from a despatch from the Officer Administering the Government of Hong Kong, dated the 13th June, 1898, dealing with the defence of the recently acquired increase of territory.

(ii.) A letter from Mr. Long to Colonel McSwiney, dated the 20th July, 1898, communicated to the Colonial Office by the Foreign Office, and containing a suggestion as to policing the new territory.

(iii.) Report by Mr. Stewart Lockhart, Colonial Secretary at Hong Kong, dated the 8th October, 1898, containing a description of the new territory and various recommendations for its future government, including its police, as well as a proposal for the further extension of the Colony.

Extracts from the communications of the Governor and Mr. Long are annexed, as Appendices (A) and (B), to this Memorandum. Mr. Stewart Lockhart's Report is separately printed.

""

2. With regard to the boundary the Committee suggested in their Memorandum, No. 189 M, that the land boundary of the British sphere of influence should be "a line following suitable natural features from Lamkao Bay (Deep Bay) to Mirs Bay,' and it is observed that the Convention lays down that "the exact boundaries shall be hereafter fixed when proper surveys have been made by officials appointed by the two Governments. In fixing these exact boundaries the Committee recommend that an effort should be made to include within them the town of Sham Chun, as recommended by Mr. Stewart Lockhart, as it would be an advantage that this place should be under the control of the Government of Hong Kong and, therefore, within the British northern boundary.

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They would point out that Mr. Stewart Lockhart appears to be in error in stating that according to the Map attached to the Convention the south-west part of the Island of Lantao remains outside the area to be leased. The whole of this island is included in the British area.

The Colonial Defence Committee do not concur with Mr. Stewart Lockhart, who consulted in the matter Commander Horsey, R.N., and Lieutenant Rundall, R.E., that the frontier, as settled by the recent Convention, should be rectified, in order that

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