CO129-317 - Governor Sir Blake - 1903 [4-6] — Page 265

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to the Colonial Government, but it is not considered that any

money payment can be demanded.

At Hong Kong questions have been at issue between the

Admiralty and Colonial Office for many years, and have been dealt with in voluminous papers. These mainly concern the

Praya scheme, i.e., the embankment of the foreshore east and

west of the Naval Establishment, and the joining of these por-

tions by means of a road carried in front of the Dockyard.

The Admiralty always resisted this scheme as far as tle

frontage of the Dockyard was concerned.

It was finally arranged that the Admiralty should at their own cost widen the Queen's Road, on the land side of the Dockyard to improve the communication between the Eastern and Western Praya, and that the Colony would withdraw their scheme of forming a road in front of the Dockyard.

The Admiralty remarked in letter of 13th. December 1895

to Colonial Office :-

"It is considered essential that the Praya scheme should be "abandoned as far as the Dockyard is concerned, and that the "Admiralty shall have full powers over the foreshores and "water area in front of their property, as well as in front "of all the property to be acquired from the War Office or "from private individuals."

The Colonial Office replied 4th. February 1896 :-

"MF.Chamberlain is very reluctant to give up the long "cherished scheme of providing a second channel of communi- "cation, by means of the completed Praya Road, but in defer- "ence to the strong views expressed by Their Lordships "against the projected public road passing through the

"Naval