CO129-449 - Governor Sir May & Acting Governor Claud Severn - 1918 [7-9] — Page 285

Enclosure 1.

Dear Sir Henry,

-52013

Her

282

Hagkong, 27th. April,1918

Pre 28 OCT 191

Ra *Homestead"

With reference to the Colonial Secretary's

latter of 22nd. instant to me, as I informed Your Excellency at my subsequent interview with you, I have been advised that if the Government is determined to resume the site, I can have recourse to a petition to the Governor-in-Council, fail- ing which an appeal to the Secretary of State for the Colonies and that the inherent merits of my case are so strong that the latter course has every hope of success; still, as I also informed Your Excellency at the interview, I have decided, out of personal consideration to yourself, to surrender the property to the Government upon the following terms:

(1) Price $2.00 per square foot of the area in the

Crown Lease,

(2) The Government to take over at cost price

(plus interest and charges) all steel and iron and other material which I have prepared for

building on the lot. In the meantime I am

negotiating for the sale of the material pri-

vately.

(3) The Government to pay all expenses incurred

by me for architects' and solicitors' fees in

connection with the contemplated development

of the property since suspended through the

proposed resumption, including valuation fees

and cost of surrender.

(4) The Government to sell to me at a fair price

the property on which the Fire Brigade Station

now stands or, alternatively, the Old Harbour

Office site in Victoria.