Note:—A Treasury Minute, dated December 7, was issued on December 13 as a White Paper. This minute related to the Crown Leases in British Concessions in China, with particular reference to Tientsin, Hankow, Kiukiang, Chinkiang, Amoy, and Canton, It' stated that 'a government's occupation of the position of ground-laudiand in important town areas in a foreign country has long been recognized as an anomaly, and such a position now clearly incompatible with the declared policy of the British Government in China, Accordingly, on December 18 last, His Majesty's Government nounced its purpose, in negotia with the Chinese authorities, modify the constitution of Municipal Administrations of these Concessions. This involved abandonment by the British Government ground-landlord 1s. The British Government considered whether its Purpose could be effected by outright sale of the head leases to the present lot-holders, which would have yielded £400,000, but the position in China prevented proceeding with the scheme of sale of the Government's reversionary terests without a guarantee of tenure, which would be wholly inconsistent with the policy of the British Government.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.