Old Hong Kong-5 — Page 182

CITY HALL (4) CONTINUATION.

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A rather full history of the City Hall has already appeared in these articles but perhaps the exact position as regards proprietorship of the building (by trustees) and of the land (by Government) may not be clear to everyone. I find in an old comment, made shortly before the building was completed a fairly lucid exposition of the position: also some interesting forecasts as regards the Library and Museum which are of historical interest, so I intend to reproduce some extracts here. Writing on May 5, 1869, a local scribe declared:

"As the City Hall building approaches completion, public interest in its existence and welfare begins to revive. There appear, however, to be some misapprehensions afloat as to its status, which it may be well to prevail that it is at the present moment a "Public" institution and that it is "the people's" property. This idea, doubtless based upon the fact that it is built on a public site and that a Government grant has been promised in aid, is quite erroneous. It is at the present moment, as much a private building as any other edifice. It is the property of certain shareholders, represented by a Committee, who until the building be opened, have its entire ownership and control. When completed, however, the owners in pursuance of an agreement entered into, and in the consideration of the site being given and a grant in aid promised by the Government, will throw open to the general public, irrespective of nationality or residence, that portion of the building devoted to the Library and Museum. Arrangements for the use of the remainder, the Theatre, Meeting rooms, Ball rooms, etc., will be readily entered into, but the ownership of the shareholders will of course be recognised as regards them....

"Enquiries have been made as to the right possessed by the gentlemen who gave the order for excluding visitors. To so act - a question very simply answered by the statement that he is the clerk of works.... the contractor for the City Hall, has as much right as the builder of a private house to remonstrate against undue interruption.

"These trifles apart, however, it cannot be denied that Hongkong is beginning to take pride in the building which before long will be officially in part and practically as a whole, one of our public institutions. Situated in one of the best sites of the Colony, it is neither choked by adjacent buildings nor too far removed from the business quarters of the town. The library room, which will be entirely completed in a few days, will before long contain 'a collection of books properly sorted and catalogues which, if not very extensive, will at least be the best collection in South China. It may be confidently hoped that its resources will be increased by private gift, some gentlemen having already presented copies of works they have published, and others promised similar contributions. The Morrison Library, which forms the nucleus of the collection, is, as we have already intimated, in a state which necessitates the outlay of nearly a thousand dollars to enable the volumes composing it to take their places on the shelves, and this sum it is greatly to be hoped will be appropriated by the Morrison Society to that end. The former Asiatic Society's Library