they agreed to take by their Lots;- and, secondly, I do not think that His Excellency, on further consideration, would feel himself authorized, nay, I doubt if the Crown and the Council have the power to grant to 18 persons more than 483,000 Square feet of the most valuable land in the Colony rent free!
As it is, the proprietors of the 18 Lots, in front of which the Esplanade, in the first instance, was to be made, rejected the proposal, and requested His Excellency, through a deputation, to abandon the object altogether;
Being fully convinced of the general usefulness of a Praya, besides thinking of preventing further illegitimate encroachments in the harbour by the Marine Lot-holders, and securing by its construction greater facilities for landing - (which are much needed) - I hope that Government will not abandon the object, the more so as the recent purchasers of the Lots in front of the Praya Grand and Cant Have have already commenced erecting their premises on the proposed Strand Road.
I afford you herewith a Return, which shows the quantity of land retained, and for which no rent is paid. I have prepared the inclosed Return, which may not be minutely correct, but which, I feel sure, is not far from being so.
From this Return you will perceive. 1. That the quantity of Land leased to the 18 Landholders is 260,326 Square feet, for which they pay, at rates varying from 28½ to 36½ pence per 100 sq. feet.
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