present day are used as Godowns, there was practically no difference in their value before and after the conversion; whereas the fact is, that the Western and larger block was converted into an Aerated Water Manufactory, and the net rents had decreased from $13,406 as a Marine Lot to $4,308 for 283 days in 1899 when the property was sold as an Inland Lot; thus his reasons are as unsound as his conclusion that the raising of the sea-bed and silting could have been further affected by the removal of our wooden pier when it was obvious that the reason was the depositing of the pierre perdue and the displacement of 27,000 tons of material as stated by Mr. Leigh.
He leaves out of consideration Governor Blake's offer to give us the new land in lieu of General Black's Award of $15,000, which land was sold at the rate of $5.78 per foot.
He disallows our claim for loss of rents for the reason stated in my letter of the 20th November last (par. 10) and further adds that he is satisfied that the alteration referred to did not detrimentally affect the property, as not rentals in 1895 were greater than any previous years, evidently forgetting the fact that up to 1895 we had a wooden pier running over the silting into deep water where cargo could be landed at all states of the tide, but after the removal of this pier by order of the Government, rents gradually decreased from $13,406 in 1895 to $4,308 for the 283 days to the 10th October in 1899, when the property was sold, and this disallowance regardless of the statement of his judicial assessor that if silting occurred, compensation for injury sustained may be awarded under the Ordinance.
That silting did occur is shewn by copy of photograph taken in May 1896 which I have the honour to enclose herewith, I also enclose copy of photograph shewing the Pier before the Reclamation.