Porter - Had the question of removal ever come under my decision (instead of being carried out before my arrival in the Colony) the population of squatters and consequent heavy exposure to the Government would probably have induced me to let the former tenants of Chungwan retain their possessions. Notwithstanding the compensation given, the Government has been subjected to severe obloquy in the newspapers on this account.
Other questions of compensation originated by a plan for streets sanctioned by Sir Henry Pottinger, and reported on in His Excellency's Despatch No. 30 of 22nd December, 1843, with its Enclosures. Mr. Gordon there observes, "In laying out the streets I have avoided as much as possible interfering with buildings of a class likely to be permanent," and only one of this description will have to be removed, "the house and godown of Mr. Burd, which interferes with the improvement of the western end of the Queen's Road, and also with a Street which commences at that place." This, however, was not exactly the case, as another house, though of an inferior description, had also to be removed, belonging to a Mr. Edwards. The two Enclosures herewith forwarded were the valuations certified by the referees in the two above cases.
In taking Mr. Burd's claim into consideration, the Council did not forget that a portion of his premises were an encroachment on the public road. Looking, therefore, on one side at the value of the house and warehouses, fixed by arbitration at $12,900, ...