British Concessions at Hankow and Kiukiang

Presented by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
to Parliament by Command of His Majesty

LONDON:

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE To be purchased directly from H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE at the following addresses: Adastral House, Kingsway, London, W.C.2; 120, George Street, Edinburgh; York Street, Manchester; 1, St. Andrew's Crescent, Cardiff;

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Papers respecting the Agreements relative to the British Concessions at Hankow and Kiukiang.

No. 1.

Agreement relative to the British Concession at Hankow.

THE proper British authorities will summon the annual general meeting of ratepayers in accordance with the Land Regulations on the 15th March. The British municipality will thereupon be dissolved and the administration of the concession area will be formally handed over to a new Chinese municipality. Pending the handing over to the new Chinese municipality on the 15th March, the policing of the concession and the management of the public works and sanitation will be conducted by the Chinese authorities now in charge thereof.

The Nationalist Government will upon the dissolution of the British Council forthwith set up a special Chinese municipality, modelled on that of the Special Administrative District, for the administration of the concession area under regulations which will be communicated to His Britannic Majesty's Minister by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Nationalist Government. These regulations will remain in force until such time as arrangements have been negotiated for the amalgamation of the five Hankow concessions and former concessions into one unified municipal district.

Dated this 19th day of February, 1927.

CHEN YU-JEN,

Minister for Foreign Affairs,

For His Britannic Majesty's Minister,
OWEN O'MALLEY.

Nationalist Government.

No. 2.

Agreement relative to the British Concession at Kiukiang.

A SETTLEMENT on similar lines to that concluded in the case of the Hankow concession will immediately be made in the case of the concession at Kiukiang.

If any direct losses due to the action or culpable negligence of the agents of the Nationalist Government were suffered by British subjects during the recent disturbances at Kiukiang, such losses will be compensated by the Nationalist Government.

Dated this 20th day of February, 1927.

Sir,

No. 3.

Mr. Chen to Sir M. Lampson.

February 19, 1927. I HAVE the honour to communicate to you the regulations which the Nationalist Government will promulgate for the administration of the British concession area at Hankow.

I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to you the assurance of my highest consideration.

CHEN YU-JEN,

Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Enclosure in No. 3

Regulations of the Municipal Bureau of the Special Administrative District No. 3 of Hankow.

Chapter I.-General.

Article 1. The territorial limits of the Special Administrative District No. 3 of Hankow within which these regulations are binding are the same as those of the area heretofore known as the British concession, including the foreshore down to the river at low water.

Art. 2. The Special Administrative District No. 3 of Hankow shall be under the control and management of a Municipal Bureau (Chapter II) in accordance with these regulations.

Art. 3. Certificates of title to land within the district or certificates of permanent lease shall be issued by the Bureau upon the application of the parties concerned or their duly authorised agents within sixty days after execution.

Charges by way of mortgage shall, within one month of execution, be registered at the Bureau upon application of the parties concerned or their agents.

Art. 4. Extra-territorialised foreigners, before leasing land and/or buildings within the district shall obtain from their respective consul or consul-general for presentation to the satisfaction of the Bureau a written guaranty wherein the said consul or consul-general guarantees to enforce against the person about to lease the land or buildings in question all the regulations and bye-laws of the district for the time being in force.

Art. 5. Individual property rights and other rights partaking of the nature thereof being recognised, there shall be no interference with current bund frontage licences, and such licences shall continue to be issued by the municipal administration on existing lines with an option of renewal upon expiration to the holders; and future bund frontage facilities shall be offered in the first instance to British and Chinese firms.

Chapter II.-The Municipal Bureau.

Art. 6. The Bureau shall have a director, who shall be selected and appointed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. His appointment shall be confirmed by the Nationalist Government. The director shall be the chief executive officer of the district and the ex officio chairman of the council, as provided for in article 7 hereof.

Art. 7. The Bureau shall have a council of seven members, including the Director of the Bureau, who shall be the ex officio chairman of the council. The remaining six members shall consist of three Chinese and three British, who shall be elected at the annual general meeting (vide article 30 hereof) from amongst those voters of the district who are qualified for election.

No one shall be qualified to be a member of the council who is not entitled under article 38 hereof to at least two votes.

The Chinese and British members of the council for the year 1927 will be nominated by the Chinese and British authorities. respectively and thereafter elected in accordance with these regulations. If any vacancies occur during the year 1927 owing to any member's inability to serve, illness or death, the Chinese and British authorities respectively shall have the power to fill such vacancies by nomination as in the case of the original members. Thereafter vacancies will be filled in accordance with these regulations.

Art. 8. The Bureau shall have an executive secretary, who shall, subject to the direction and supervision of the director, direct and supervise the work of all officials and employees of the Bureau.

Art. 9. The Bureau shall have an assistant executive secretary, who shall assist the executive secretary in conducting all affairs of the Bureau.

Art. 10. The Bureau may appoint and employ such other officials and employees as are required to attend to the various kinds of work of the Bureau. These officers and employees shall be under the control of the director and subject to the direction and supervision of the executive secretary.

Art. 11. The Bureau shall have a chief of police, who shall be under the control of the director and in consultation with the executive secretary have charge of and attend to the police affairs of the district.

Art. 12. The executive secretary of the Bureau shall be appointed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs upon the nomination of the director and with the approval of the Council as recorded by a majority vote.

The assistant executive secretary and the chief of police shall be appointed by the written order of the Director of the Bureau. These appointments shall also be subject to the approval of the council by a majority vote.

All other appointments shall be at the discretion of the director, provided that the total personnel shall be commensurate with the actual requirements of the Bureau, with a view to avoid over or understaffing. The total sum expended by way of remuneration of