CITY HALL 3.
178
(Hear, hear). Then again it was but recently that the explosion of their powder depot had shaken their walls and nerves. Yet with so much to depress that day had nevertheless witnessed the community, unaided by Government or by anything except by enduring pluck and self-reliance, laying the foundation of the largest and most costly edifice yet attempted to be raised in this part of the world. (Hear, hear).
That was a good practical refutation of Hongkong residents having thought an exodus from the city feasible or desirable. As for the building, the first stone of which had been laid that day, he did not hesitate to say that, if completed, there would not be, with three or four exceptions at the utmost, any edifice in her Majesty's colonies so commodious and so thoroughly adapted to its intended objects, not one more elegant in its design. (Hear, hear). It would comprise at once the means of meeting and satisfying adequately long-existing wants. There would be space and room for a large library, a museum, Chamber of Commerce, hall for public Assemblies, ball room, supper room, and theatre, all under one roof.
The plans of the building were suspended from the walls near then. The architect had not shrunk from criticism, and he thought they would all agree that the plans exhibited that rare gift, genius, so often fatal to its possessor, but he trusted in the case of M. Hermite destined to prove only a source of profit and fame. (Hear, hear).” He had himself been specially pleased at the provision made for library and museum. Let them but provide accommodation and they might rely on private munificence soon furnishing their shelves with the useful and curious in abundance. In Australia, he had some years ago been identified with the establishment of a Central Museum, as a medium of instruction for youth. It was suggested by many that the space allowed was unnecessarily large; he was glad, however, to learn from recent papers that the South Australian Government was now being pressed by demands for increased space, the trustees being actually embarrassed by the number of cases still unopened, for the contents of which they had no room. So it would be with their own museum after a time, and the want of a good and full library would also in due course be satisfied.
Entertaining as he did a very high opinion of the architect, M. Hermite, who had designed a City Hall so worthy of the place and equally graceful as massive, they must, he was certain, all feel that an additional interest had been given to the ceremony of the day by the presence amongst them of His Royal Highness the Duke de Penthievre, the history of whose illustrious house was so closely interwoven with, and formed so large a portion of, the history of that France which the Orleans family loved above all things.
CITY HALL 3.
178
(Hear,hear). Then again it was but recently that the
explosion of their powder depot had shaken their walls and nerves. Yet with so much to depress that day had nevertheless witnessed the community unaided by Government or by anything except by enduring pluck and self reliance, laying the foundation of the largest and most costly edifice yet attempted to be raised in this part of the world. Hear, hear).
That was a good practical refutation of Hongkong residents having thought an exodus from the city feasible or desirable......As for the building, the first stone of which had been laid that day, he did not hesitate to say that, if completed, there would not be, with three or four exceptions at the utmost, any edifice in her Majesty's colones so commodious and so thoroughly adapted to its intended objects, not one more elegant in its design. (Hear, hear). It would comprise at once the means of meeting and satisfying adwquately long existing wants. There would be space and room for a large library, a museum, Chamber of Commerce, hallfor public Assemblies, ball room, supper room, and theatre, all under one roof.
The plans of the building were suspended from the walls near then. The architect had not shrunk from criticism, and he thought they would all agree that the plana exhibited that rare gift, genius, so often fatal to its possessor, but he trusted in the case of Mgns. Hermite destined to prove only a source of profit and fame. (Hear, hear).” He had himself been specially pleased at the provision made for library and museum, Let them but provide accommodation and they might rely in private munificence soon furnishing their shelves with the useful and curious in abundance. In Australia he had some years ago been identified with the establish- ment of a Central Museum, as a medium of instruction for youth. It was anggested by many that the space allow- ed was unnecessarily large, he was glad, however, to learn from recent papers that the South Australian Government was now being pressed by demands for increased space, the trustees being actually embarrassed by the number of cases still unopened, for the contents of which they had no room, So. it would be with their own ́museum after a time, and the want of a good and full library would also in due course be satisfied.
Entertaining as he did a very high opinion of the architect, M. Hermite, who had designed a City Hall so worthy of the place and equally graceful as massive, they must, he was certain, all fell, that an additional interest had been given to the ceremony of the day by the presence amongst them of His Royal Highness the Duke de Penthievre, the history of whose illustrious house was 30 closely interwoven with, and formed so large a portion of, the biostory of that France which the Orleans family loved above all things.
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