(5)
383
1879.
(+)
3.-I would also be glad to be favoured with instructions as to whether I am to design houses for the Assistant Masters upon the School grounds themselves, as recommended in the last paragraph of Mr. STEWART's letter.--I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient Servant,
Honourable W. H. MARSH,
"Colonial Secretary.”
"J. M. PRICE,
"Surveyor General.
spect to the harbour of refuge for Chinese junks, that also is a subject to which I have given a good deal of attention from the moment I arrived in the Colony. I ascertained on my arrival that four or five thousand of the Chinese were drowned in their boats in the typhoon of 1874, and I also found, on calling for the papers, that the leading Chinese gentlemen had memorialised the government for something to be done in the way of a breakwater. However, for some years nothing was done, and accordingly in 1877 I referred the matter to a committee of local gentlemen. That committee made a report, and upon that report I have acted. Her Majesty's Government, in accordance with the request I made to them, have allowed me to expend $40,000 upon that work, to be taken from the Special Fund Enclosed in the Surveyor General's letter was the correspondence with Dr. STEWART. I need not now, my honourable friend having touched on these two points which are in the Estimates, also deal with that correspondence. I will lay it upon the table. It simply consists of a letter with certain omissions. He called attention to the omission with respect to fire tanks, the water supply and the Central School. I told the Council at the last meeting, or the meeting before last, that our school should be designed for, and the reply. When the papers came before me I saw, no doubt, the expenditure for 1879, though returned, as audited by Mr. MARSH in April this year, at a sum of $926,000, was in fact much larger, and I said that I would lay before the Council the actual expenditure of the Colony during that period, inasmuch as Mr. MARSH had omitted from his statement all expenditure on the Praya wall. Now, we laid out, I find, on the Praya wall $152,846 in the year 1879. The total expenditure of the public works department in the year 1879 amounted to $272,922. The total expenditure of the Colony was $1,079,000. I have mentioned these practical facts, because they bring me to the general statement why it is that we did not make the breakwater, the Observatory building, the Central School building, the separate system prison—why all these things were not done in 1879. Now, it may be said that the Governor, with a full knowledge of the fact that the Surveyor General was expending the largest sum that any Surveyor General ever before spent in this Colony, could hardly press the Surveyor General to take on any of these works. Well, I think a good deal may be said to the effect that having in hand that large work, the repair of the Praya Wall, the Surveyor General was really incapacitated from doing any of these other works. However, I had carefully considered the question, and it did occur to me that it was possible, inasmuch as the scheme for the Praya works had been sent to London to a first-rate consulting engineer, that all the Plans and Estimates had been considered and returned, and inasmuch as four European overseers had come out for that work, and as the work was going on—I say it did occur to me that early in 1879 the Central School Plans and Estimates, and the Plans and Estimates of a gaol on the separate system might be undertaken by the Surveyor General. I know there is some little misapprehension in the Colony on this subject, and therefore I will read to you a few extracts from the official records bearing on this question. I find a minute of mine to this effect: --
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 28th March, 1879. Having placed in Mr. STEWART's hands the despatch of Sir MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH, No. 15 of the 6th of February, 1879, he has read the decision of the Secretary of State on the various points respecting Education in Hongkong raised in my despatches and Mr. STEWART's reports upon them.
2. Having thus before him the views of the Secretary of State on the resolutions of the Education Conference, and on the question of raising the fees at the Central School, he will be able to let the Surveyor General know the probable number of pupils the new School should be built to accommodate, and thereupon, Mr. PRICE can at once prepare the final Plans and Estimates for approval.
3. As to the future fees payable at the Central School, the Secretary of State thinks it might be sufficient to commence by raising the fifty cents fee to a dollar; but if Mr. STEWART should be of opinion that this increase is too much to begin with, I shall sanction (subject to the Secretary of State's approval) any other arrangement Mr. STEWART might prefer, so as not to materially diminish the number of his pupils.
4. Any other modification in the future arrangement of the School that Mr. STEWART might desire shall also receive my most favourable consideration, as I believe the success of the School will mainly depend on leaving so able and experienced a Head Master as unfettered as possible in the arrangements and management of the institution.
"J. POPE HENNESSY."
On the 29th April, 1879, that is, the following month, a letter was received by Mr. MARSH, the Colonial Secretary, from Mr. PRICE, in which he says—
"SIR, I have the honour to hand you herewith copies of letters between Mr. STEWART and myself on the subject of the proposed new Central School.
2. As I have understood accommodation would only be required for 500 scholars, and as Mr. STEWART's suggestion of 700 is considerably in excess of this estimate, I would be obliged by your informing me, before I proceed to prepare the design, whether the larger figure has the Governor's approval.
No doubt, to provide accommodation for 700 instead of 500, and to build houses for the Assistant Masters, will not diminish the cost of the new School, but as I am anxious to meet Mr. STEWART's views in all arrangements relating to the Central School, let the Plans and Estimates be prepared in accordance with his wishes.
"J. POPE HENNESSY."
I find that was minuted by the chief clerk, Mr. WODEHOUSE, on the 10th May, "to the Surveyor General for his guidance." It was noted by the Surveyor General. I left the Colony on the 31st May, and nine days after I left the Colony the Surveyor General proposed to the Administrator, MARSH, to reverse my decision. I make no remark on the course Mr. MARSH took in doing so beyond this, that I have no doubt he did what he conceived to be his duty, and that though I had twice directed the Plans and Estimates to be prepared before leaving for Japan, in one minute saying, Let them be prepared at once," nevertheless, when in the month of June, during my absence, an application was made by the Surveyor General to Mr. MARSH to postpone the Central School and the gaol on the separate system, Mr. MARSH approved of that postponement. By the time the letter of the 9th June from the Surveyor General, proposing to postpone these works, came into the Colonial Secretary's Office, my honourable friend Dr. STEWART, Head master of the Central School, had been appointed by me to be Acting Colonial Secretary, and he therefore saw the letter of the Surveyor General and upon it he made this very sensible remark :--
66
Speaking of the Central School, as the Plans would go home for approval, it will, on this proposal, be next spring before anything can be done; and I suppose the same holds good for the others.
Submitted.
F. STEWART.
"Acting Colonial Secretary."
But in that letter of the Surveyor General, though the Administrator thought fit to reverse my decision, the Surveyor General stated the case, at all events as far as language went, very strongly indeed, for this is what he said :-----
"SURVEYOR GENERAL'S OFFICE,
"9th June, 1879.
'SIR,—With reference to any delays that may have lately arisen, or that may yet arise, during the despatch of public business in this Department, and in explanation of what may appear a want of promptness on my part in attending to the every-day official matters referred to me by Government, it is my duty to bring to the notice of His Excellency the Administrator the extraordinarily heavy press of work under which the Public Works' Staff is labouring at the present moment in connection with the Praya works.”
$1
this monsoon,
The whole of the letter will be laid before you. It concludes thus :--
"In consequence therefore of what I have set forth, I would request you to move His Excellency the Administrator to be good enough to approve of my postponing the elaboration of the Central School, Hospital, and Stone Cutters' Island Gaol projects until the expiration of the typhoon season September next, when, public anxiety being allayed, I may relax the pressure under which the Praya reconstruction is being carried on, and thus be enabled to turn my undivided attention to the other works just enumerated. I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient Servant,
J. M. PRICE,
"Surveyor General.
"Honourable F. STEWART,
Acting Colonial Secretary"
(5)
383
1879.
(+)
3.-I would also be glad to be favoured with instructions as to whether I am to design houses for the Assistant Masters upon the School grounds themselves, as recommended in the last paragraph of Mr. STEWART's letter.--I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient Servant,
Honourable W. H. MARSH,
"Colonial Secretary.”
"J. M. PRICE,
"Surveyor General.
spect to the harbour of refuge for Chinese junks, that also is a subject to which I have given a god deal of attention from the moment I arrived in the Colony. I ascertained on my arrival that four or five thousand of the Chinese were drowned in their boats in the typhoon of 1874, and I also found, on calling for the papers, that the leading Chinese gentlemen had memorialised the government for some thing to be done in the way of a breakwater. However, for some years nothing was done, and accord ingly in 1877 I referred the matter to a committee of local gentlemen. That committee made a report, and upon that report I have acted. Her Majesty's Government, in accordance with the request I made to them, have allowed me to expend $40,000 upon that work, to be taken from the Special Fund Enclosed in the Surveyor General's letter was the correspondence with Dr. STEWART. I need not Now, my honourable friend having touched on these two points which are in the Estimates, also deal rouble you with that correspondence. I will lay it upon the table. It simply consists of a letter with certain omissions. He called attention to the omission with respect to fire tanks, the water dressed by Mr. PRICE to my honourable friend Dr. STEWART, asking what number of pupils the supply and the Central School. I told the Council at the last meeting, or the meeting before last, that our hool should be designed for, and the reply. When the papers came before me I saw, no doubt, the expenditure for 1879, though returned, as audited by Mr. MARSII in April this year, at a sum of effect of the raising of the number of pupils from 500 to 700,-500 being the figure mentioned by Sir $926,000, was in fact much larger, and I said that I would lay before the Council the actual expend- ARTHUR KENNEDY and approved by the Government, and for which the Surveyor General had from iture of the Colony during that period, inasmuch as Mr. MARSH had omitted from his statement all time to time said this piece of ground which had been secured would be sufficient, and seeing that number expenditure on the Praya wall. Now, we laid out, I find, on the Praya wall $152.846 in the year was raised to 700, I had to consider how far that would interfere with my minute that the Plans and The total expenditure of the public works department in the year 1879 amounted to $272,922. Estimates should be prepared. However, having carefully considered it, here is the minute I made In the history of this Colony that is the largest sum that in one year was ever expended by any Surn the 9th May, 1879- veyor General. The total expenditure of the Colony was $1,079,000. I have mentioned these practical facts, because they bring me to the general statement why it is that we did not make the breakwater, the Observatory building, the Central School building, the separate system prison-why all these things were not done in 1879. Now, it may be said that the Governor, with a full knowledge of the fact that the Surveyor General was expending the largest sum that any Surveyor General ever before spent in this Colony, could hardly press the Surveyor General to take any of these works. Well, I think a good deal may be said to the effect that having in hand that large work, the repair of the Praya Wall, the Surveyor General was really incapacitated from doing any of these other works. However, I bad carefully considered the question, and it did occur to me that it was possible, inasmuch as the scheme for the Praya works had been sent to London to a first-rate consulting engineer, that all the Plans and Estimates had been considered and returned, and inasmuch as four European overseers bad come out for that work, and as the work was going on---I say it did occur to me that early in 1879 the Central School Plans and Estimates, and the Plans and Estimates of a gaol on the separate system might be undertaken by the Surveyor General. I know there is some little misapprehension in the Colony on this subject, and therefore I will read to you a few extracts from the official records bearing on this question. I find a minute of mine to this effect: --
-
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 28th March, 1879. Having placed in Mr. STEWART's hands the despatch of Sir MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH, No. 15 of "the 6th of February, 1879, he has read the decision of the Secretary of State on the various points 'respecting Education in Hongkong raised in my despatches and Mr. STEWART'S reports upon them.
2.Having thus before him the views of the Secretary of State on the resolutions of the "Education Conference, and on the question of raising the fees at the Central School, he will be able "to let the Surveyor General know the probable number of pupils the new School should be built to "accommodate, and thereupon, Mr. PRICE can. at once, prepare the final Plans and Estimates for
approval.
3.-As to the future fees payable at the Central School, the Secretary of State thinks it might be sufficient to commence by raising the fifty cents fee to a dollar; but if Mr. STEWART should be "of opinion that this increase is too much to begin with, I shall sanction (subject to the Secretary of "State's approval) any other arrangement Mr. STEWART might prefer, so as not to materially diminish
the number of his pupils.
*
4. Any other modification in the future arrangement of the School that Mr. STEWART might desire shall also receive my most favourable consideration, as I believe the success of the School "will mainly depend on leaving so able and experienced a Head Master as unfettered as possible in "the arrangements and management of the institution.
"J. POPE HENNESSY."
On the 29th Aprill, 1879, that is, the following month, a letter was received by Mr. MARSH, the Colonial Secretary, from Mr. PRICE, in which he says-
"SIR,I have the honour to hand you herewith copies of letters between Mr. STEWART and "myself on the subject of the proposed new Central School.
2.---As I have understood accommodation would only be required for 500 scholars, and as Mr "STEWART's suggestion of 700 is considerably in excess of this estimate, I would be obliged by you informing me, before I proceed to prepare the design, whether the larger figure has the Governor & approval.
i í
"No doubt, to provide accommodation for 700 instead of 500, and to build houses for the Assistant Masters, will not diminish the cost of the new School, but as I am anxious to meet Mr. STEWART's views in all arrangements relating to the Central School, let the Plans and Estimates he prepared in accordance with his wishes.
"J. POPE HENNESSY."
find that was minuted by the chief clerk, Mr. WODEHOUSE, on the 10th May, "to the Surveyor meral for his guidance." It was noted by the Surveyor General. I left the Colony on the 31st May, and nine days after I left the Colony the Surveyor General proposed to the Administrator, MARSH, to reverse my decision. I make no remark on the course Mr. MARSH took in doing so beyond this, that I have no doubt he did what he conceived to be his duty, and that though I had twice directed the Plans and Estimates to be prepared before leaving for Japan, in one minute saying, Let them be prepared at once," nevertheless, when in the month of June, during my absence, an application was made by the Surveyor General to Mr. MARSH to postpone the Central School and the sol on the separate system, Mr. MARSH approved of that postponement. By the time the letter of the 9th June from the Surveyor General, proposing to postpone these works, came into the Colonial Secretary's Office, my honourable friend Dr. STEWART, Ilead master of the Central School, had been ppointed by me to be Acting Colonial Secretary, and he therefore saw the letter of the Surveyor General and apon it he made this very sensible remark :--
66
Speaking of the Central School, as the Plans would go home for approval, it will, on this proposal, be next spring before anything can be done; and I suppose the same holds good for the
others.
• Submitter.
F. STEWART. "Acting Colonial Secretary.'s
Bat in that letter of the Surveyor General, though the Administrator thought fit to reverse my decision, the Surveyor General stated the case, at all events as far as language went, very strongly indeed, for this is what he said :-----
"SURVEYOR GENERAL'S OFFICE, "9th June, 1879. 'SIR,-With reference to any delays that may have lately arisen, or that may yet arise, during in the despatch of public business in this Department, and in explanation of what may appear a want of promptness on my part in attending to the every-day official matters referred to me by Government, it is my duty to bring to the notice of His Excellency the Administrator the extraordinarily heavy press of work under which the Public Works' Staff is labouring at the present moment in connection with the Praya works.”
$1
this monsoon,
The whole of the letter will be laid before you. It concludes thus :--
"In consequence therefore of what I have set forth, I would request you to move His Excellency the Administrator to be good enough to approve of my postponing the elaboration of the Central "School, Hospital, and Stone Cutters' Island Gaol projects until the expiration of the typhoon season September next, when, public anxiety being allayed, I may relax the pressure under which the "Praya reconstruction is being carried on, and thus be enabled to turn my undivided attention to "the other works just enumerated. I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient Servant,
J. M. PRICE,
"Surveyor General.
"Honourable F. STEWART,
Acting Colonial Secretary"
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