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advisable. I have no objection to all the Military Buildings that are now in progress.
on.
to the Island being suspended until that officer's arrival. On the other hand, I am quite ready, so far as it rests with me, to take on myself the responsibility of allowing the work on those Barracks to proceed, the completion of which Your Lordship may look upon to be urgently required for accommodation of the Troops, the safety of the Stores &c.
is aware
the
With regard to the survey of the Northern side of the Island, Your Lordship is aware that my expediting it as I have done has been chiefly in the hope, that a sketch of it, at least, would be ready to be sent to England with Lieut: Col: Malcolm and likewise because it is most desirable that such a Survey should be completed as quickly as possible to enable me to grant permission to the numerous applicants who are waiting for hand to build in the Colony.
It obviously however accords with the intentions and wishes of Her Majesty's Government that the entire control of the Survey shall be left to Major Aldrich, and therefore from the day of his arrival at Hongkong, Captain Edwards and the officers employed with him (including Captain De Havilland and Lieut Sargent, who have lately come down from Chusan in Her Majesty's Steamer Vixen) must understand that their present duty is ... though it is possible that arrangements may be hereafter made for any of them who desire to cease.