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5. Their Lordships' first duty is to provide for the necessities of His Majesty's Ships on the China Station, present as well as future, and under no circumstances can they assent to abandon the present works, the early completion of which they believe to be necessary to security.
6. Subject, however, to the requirements of the Navy being met, their Lordships are anxious to place no obstacle in the way of the commercial expansion of the Colony, and they fully recognise that it is best whenever possible to establish Naval Stations outside the boundaries of great Commercial Harbours.
7. Whilst, therefore, their Lordships for the reasons already stated cannot see their way to themselves negotiate for any new site for the Naval Yard, they would not refuse to consider an offer from the Colony to re-provide equivalent accommodation on an approved site.
8. In suggesting equivalent accommodation, their Lordships have in view not only the Docks, Basins, Stores, Magazines, Workshops, and other accessories to a Naval Yard, but also the available anchorage and whatever defences are necessary to ensure security equal to that obtained under present conditions, and it might also be necessary to replace the Naval Hospital which is in the vicinity of the present Yard.
9. It is further necessary that the Navy should continue to occupy the present Yard and anchorage until the new establishment is ready, and can be handed over to them.
10. If the Colonial authorities are prepared to deal with the matter on this basis, I am to suggest that they should in the first instance forward full particulars of any sites they propose to offer, which must not be on the mainland.
11.
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5. Their Lordships' first duty is to provide for the necessities of His Majesty's Ships on the China Station, present as well as future, and under no circumstances can they assent to abandon the present works, the early completion of which they believe to be necessary to security.
6. Subject, however, to the requirements of the Navy being met, their Lordships are anxious to place no obstacle in the way of the commercial expansion of the Colony,
and
they fully recognise that it is best whenever possible to establish Naval Stations outside the boundaries of great Commercial Harbours.
7. Whilst, therefore, their Lordships for the reasons already stated cannot see their way to themselves negotiate for any new site for the Naval Yard they would not refuse to consider an offer from the Colony to re-provide equivalent accommodation on an approved site.
8. In suggesting equivalent accommodation, their Lordships have in view not only the Docks, Basins, Stores, Magazines, Workshops, and other accessories to a Naval Yard, but also the available anchorage and whatever defences are necessary to ensure security equal to that obtained under present conditions, and it might also be necessary to replace the Naval Hospital which is in the vicinity of the
present Yard.
9. It is further necessary that the Navy should continue to occupy the present Yard and anchorage until the new establishment is ready, and can be handed over to them.
10. If the Colonial authorities are prepared to deal with the matter on this basis, I am to suggest that they should in the first instance forward full particulars of any sites they propose to offer, which must not be on the mainland.
11.
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