(9)
His Excellency is disposed to approve of the proposed reclamation, and I am to add that whilst the Government would prefer having this great scheme carried out in its entirety by the marine lot-holders themselves, in preference to undertaking the reclamation as a public work at its own risk, it would have no objection in the general interests of the Colony, should a minority refuse to join in the scheme, to exercise the rights of the Crown and to undertake the reclamation itself in con- junction with the consenting majority of the lot-owners.
His Excellency is therefore prepared to recommend the project strongly to the Secretary of State, subject to tlie conditions which follow:-
(i.) That the proposed reclamation, including the extension of streets and a new Praya roadway, be carried out in accordance with the general plan dated the 6th of August, 1887, which has received the approval of the Acting Governor and which may be seen on application to the Surveyor General.
(ii.) That the whole of the works, including the removal and re-erection of piers, and the extension, formation, sewering and channelling of the proposed new streets and new Praya wall and roadway, except on such portions of the foreshore as are situated in front of Government properties, be carried out by the Public Works Department at the cost of the marine lot-owners.
(iii.) That the Colonial Government shall not be called upon to incur any expense whatsoever in connexion with the proposed works, other than the wall and reclamation in front of Government properties.
(iv.) That the proposed works, except as aforesaid, be defrayed from a General Fund to be constituted by the marine lot-owners for the purpose, and that before the commencement of the works each marine lot-owner enter into a written contract with the Government binding himself to take up such allotment of the general reclamation as may be appor- tioned him by the Government, and that each marine lot-owner deposit at the Bank 25 per cent of the total value of the contribution to the General Fund by way of a guarantee of his bona fides, such deposit of 25 per cent to be forfeited to the Crown in the event of the marine lot-owner subsequently failing to take up his allotment of the reclamation. The interest accruing on these deposits to be handed over by Government to the marine lot-owners.
(v.) That during the progress of the works all calls of money for works that may be made by the Government upon the marine lot-owners shall be duly honoured by the latter, provided that the amount of such calls does not exceed the value of the works actually done in their respective allotments.
(vi.) That immediately upon the completion of the reclamation of his allotment, including the construction of the extension of new streets and of the new Praya as aforesaid, each marine lot-owner take out a Crown lease for said allotments, paying an annual Crown Rent for the same at the rate of $200 per quarter acre.
(vii.) That no rebatement of annual Crown Rent shall be claimed by the marine lot-owners for their present holdings upon the issue to them of new marine lot leases for the reclamations, in consideration of which the Government undertakes not to levy any premium on the latter.
(viii.) That any houses to be erected on the proposed reclamations shall be subject in respect of light, space, and ventilation to the following struc- tural provisions:-
(a.) No private lane on which the houses shall front to be of a
less width than 15 feet.
(b.) Every one-storied house to have a back-yard not less than 10 feet in width, and such width to be not less than 15 feet for houses of more than one story.