CO129-241 - Governor Des Voeus - 1889 [1-7] — Page 16

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Harry

Smith Parkes, Exquise, Com.

-passion of

the Bath,

A

Member

д

art

the Allied Commission at Canton

Her Britanie Majesty's

behalf of Ster

Government, by Law Tsung- kwang,

Cancelled

C. O.

3473

15

(be amended)

Leve

cop attacher)

Governor General

of the

Two Arany.

N 11.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONGKONG, 15th January, 1889.

Enclosure 2nd Jan 7.1889.

MY LORD,

Referring to previous correspondence on the subject I have the honour to transmit Your Lordship the enclosed Report of the Surveyor General on a proposal

for the Junction of the East and West Prayas by the construction of a sea-wall and roadway of the same character in front of the Royal Naval Yard and Military Cantonments, together with a general plan and estimate of the cost of the work.

2. The design in its present shape differs materially from the plans previously submitted, the serious shoaling of the foreshore during recent years having rendered it necessary to move out the line of embankment into deeper water." But this alteration, though it will increase the cost of the work, will afford more than full compensation by the much larger area which will be made available for reclama- tion, and as the new design is still more favourable to Naval and Military interests than any previous one, there has been no difficulty in securing for it the approval of Vice-Admiral Sir N. SALMON and Lieut.-General CAMERON, both of whom have, I understand, communicated with their respective Departments at home in support of the Project.

3. Having therefore no reason to apprehend that either the Admiralty or the War Office will require further modifications of the plan, and presuming that Your Lordship should accede approval to it, the only question which remains to be settled is the important one of contribution towards the cost of the work on the part of the Imperial Government,

4. Before entering upon the subject of the Admiralty portion of the proposed work, I should mention that the scheme, lately contemplated, of removing the Naval Yard to Kowloon, and obtaining for the Colony the land now occupied by it, has on further consideration appeared to be a very undesirable one for the Colony. Land is becoming of such value in Kowloon, that the sum likely to be obtained for the present site of the Naval Yard would not be sufficiently in excess of the summ which could be realised for the very much larger area required for the new site to prevent an exceedingly heavy loss to the Colony on the re-erection of the buildings.

The Right Honourable

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES.