Government Offices and the Church, I trust this explanation will prove satisfactory.
02: Work Public Works save the There is no 4. Public Building progress, of any description new in, extension of the Harbour Master's Per. This will, when finished, be a work of utility; but its completion has been retarded by its being found that it can only be worked upon at very low tides, which only occur in the southerly monsoons and I hope that it will be completed during that now approaching.
With the exception of a Government House, the Colony is not at present in want of any more Civil Buildings. Your Lordship's Despatch No. 57 of the 21st September, 1848, rendered it imperative upon me to stop trifling Public Works and improvements in progress; but when I have stopped such of them as appear to me to be essentially necessary, will be completed. Since the report in the Blue-Book of 1847, the Court House has been occupied; the Government Offices with out-Offices have been completed and in occupation since the 6th November, last; the Church finished, and service performed therein for the first time yesterday.
The new Bridge at the Nullah near the North Barracks was opened during the past year. The site for the Government House has also been levelled and prepared, and the jails have been considerably improved, and are now healthy and well ventilated, and secure.
The several yearly Reports by the Surveyor General are herewith enclosed.
5. Military Expenditure. I am happy to say, the Military Expenditure has considerably diminished when compared with 1847, in which year it amounted to £115,149, whereas that for 1848 is only £80,778, being a decrease of £34,871;