18.2.
To complete the work without the co-operation of the rich merchants, it would stick halfway. Government, under the arrangement which I now propose, might either defray the outlay of these reclaiming tenants by way of preliminary to the assessment of their rents, or it might, if unable to bear that outlay, forgive their rents for a certain number of years as a fair equivalent.
I see no reason why the Bonham Strand portion mentioned in the Fourth Question ought to be treated otherwise than as a general work. The general rule should be assumed.
5th part of the "When the completion of the Praya, by the 5th and last Question, shall take place, the existing number of public wharves should be much increased. This should be done with reference not only to the actual state of the trade but also to what it is likely to be. I cannot undertake to say how many additional public wharves should be provided. The means of access to the wharves should also be much increased. If this is done, I think any person ought to be allowed to construct his private wharf as he pleases. Otherwise, you may find the public wharf monopolised by one person having a number of large boats; and I do not see how you are to prevent that.
A man with a private wharf can have his own boat moored securely there, whereas at a public wharf, what with the crowding at the moorings and what with the inefficiency and extortions of the police, you will have a never-failing scene of loss and damage to goods. The security of goods...
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83.