301
No. 18
87.
HONGKONG.
MEMORANDUM BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE OFFICER ADMINISTERING THE
GOVERNMENT ON THE QUESTION OF THE PRAYA EXTENSION.
Presented to the Legislative Council, by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government,
on the 25th March, 1887. -
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 22nd March, 1887.
1. In 1883, the Surveyor General submitted, at the request of Sir GEORGE BOWEN, plan and estimate of an extension of the Praya in front of the Naval and Military Buildings, with the view of providing a public thoroughfare connecting the Eastern and Western parts of the City of Victoria. Seven acres of reclaimed ground would be added to the Naval and Military properties. The cost of this extension of the Praya was estimated by Mr. PRICE, at £45,000.
2. Sir GEORGE BOWEN recommended this scheme to the Secretary of State. He said that the scheme was approved by the Finance Committee on condition, that a. fair proportion of the expense should be borne by the Imperial Government, in, consideration of the valuable extension of ground that it would gain; and he proposed that the Colony should pay two thirds of the cost, and the Imperial Government the rest.
3. The Local, Naval, and Military Authorities, however, did not approve of the Surveyor General's plan, and asked for modifications, which were at first so extensive and costly that the scheme could not be entertained, especially as they refused to pay any part of the cost.
4. Subsequently, however, another plan was proposed by the Naval and Military Authorities which would raise the cost from £45,000 to £64,000. At the same time the Admiral insisted on the Artillery Barracks being handed over by the War Department to the Naval Authorities, free of charge, as an extension of the Naval Yard; the Civil Government having to provide the War Department at its cost with new Barracks for the Artillery, in addition to the whole cost of the extension.
5. A further modification was afterwards proposed by General SARGENT on the recommendation of Colonel WALKER, which would add £7,000 more to the cost, bringing it up to £71,000. (This is described as Plan, No. 3).
6. According to this last plan the Military would gain six acres of reclaimed land and the Naval Authorities two and a half acres, the whole valued by the Surveyor General at £160,000, one hundred and sixty thousand pounds sterling.
7. This last scheme, (No. 3), was finally agreed to by the Military, Colonial, and Naval Authorities, the latter relinquishing their claim to the Artillery Barracks, the only question remaining unsettled being the share of the cost that would be defrayed by each. Both Naval and Military Authorities declined to bear any part of the cost. The Secretary of State for the Colonies on the other hand would only consent to the work being undertaken on condition of the Imperial Govern- ment paying half the cost. This was no doubt in consequence of the original estimate having been raised, in order to meet the convenience of the two Imperial Departinents from £45,000 to £71,000.