267
COURTS 14 Continuation.
Owing to the rapid growth of the Colony, the inadequate accommodation of the existing Law Courts soon made itself felt and complaints were frequent and oftentimes bitter. A Committee was appointed on the 8th September 1894, by His Excellency Sir William Robinson, to report on the advisability of constructing new public buildings. The outcome of the report was that it was deemed of absolute necessity to construct new and more spacious Courts and, in 1896, a scheme was submitted by Mr. Cooper, then Director of the P.W.D., to erect a construction, including in one building the Law Courts, Post Office, and other departments, on a site to the north of the present one on the Praya reclamation, that is where the Cenotaph now stands. The scheme was disapproved by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the area proposed being declared insufficient, and at a meeting of the Legislative Council on the 28th February 1898, at which His Excellency the Acting Governor, Major General Black, C.B., presided, it was decided to adopt the present site for the erection of the new Law Courts. The acquisition of the land, however, through protracted negotiations, was not accomplished until the closing of Sir Henry Blake's administration in Hongkong.
There were further delays to come, moreover, and the building took some years to complete despite the accomplishment of the foundation-stone laying.
It might be noted that the building which housed the Supreme Court for so many years in Queen's Road was originally known as Exchange Building and formed one of the oldest premises in the Colony, being for some time in the possession of Messrs. Dent and Co., who sold the building to the Government in 1847. It had, for those times, an imposing front, with a colonnaded portico, and at the time of its demolition about eleven years ago was nearly eighty years old.
COURTS (15)
The earlier history of the Supreme Court in Hongkong was dealt with yesterday, up to the time when the foundation stone of the present Court premises was laid in 1903. As we shall see, a series of delays - mainly owing to the nature of the structure - resulted in the work of erection taking a full eight years. Even the preliminary foundations took a considerable time to complete.
Of November 11, 1903:
We read in the Hongkong Telegraph
"For some three months past, there has been renewed activity on the vacant land lying between the Queen's Statue and the City Hall, and the outline of the new buildings can now be readily traced by means of the brick walls which are daily increasing in height. H.E. the Governor will lay the foundation stone tomorrow afternoon, and it will be of interest to learn a few particulars of the proposed Courts.
The building, consisting of the New Law Courts, Land Offices, etc., will, when completed, form a very valuable addition to the architecture of the city. The site lies between Des Voeux Road and Chater Road, and is adjacent to the cricket ground on the west side. The designs for the buildings were prepared by Messrs. Aston Webb, R.A., and E. Ingress Bell, F.R.I.B.A., of 19 Queen's Anne's Gate, London, the Consulting architects to...
267
COURTS 14 Continuation.
*
A
Owing to the rapid growth of the Colony, the inaçquate accommodation of the existing Law Courts soon made itself felt and complaints were frequent and oftimes bitter. Committee was appointed on the 8th, September 1894, by His Excellency Sir William Robinson, to report on the advisability of constructing new public buildings. The outcome of the re- port was that it was deemed of absolute necessity to construct new and more spacious Courts and, in 1896, a scheme was sub- mitted by Mr. Cooper then Director of the P. W. D. to erect a construction, including in one building the Law Courts, Post Office and other departments, on a site to the north of the present one on bhe Praya reclamation, that is where the Cenotaph now stands. The scheme was disapproved by the Secretary of Sta- te for the Colonies, the area proposed being declared insufficient and at a meeting of the Legislative Council on the 28th February 1398, at which His Excellency the Acting Governor, Major General Black, C. B., presided it was decided to adopt the present site for the erection of the new Law Courts. The acquisition of the land however, through protracted negotiations was not accomplished until the closing of Sir Henry Blake's administration in Hongkong.
There were further delays to come, moreover, and the building took some years to complete despite the accomplishment of the foundation-stone laying.
}
It might be noted that the building which housed the Supreme Court for so many years in Queen's Road, was originally known as Axchange Building and formed one of the oldest premises in the Colony, being for some time in the possession of Messrs. Dent and Co., who sold the building to the Government in 1847. It had for those times an imposing front, with a colonnaded portico, and at the time of its demolition about eleven years ago was nearly eighty years old.
COURTS ( 15 )
The earlier history of the Supreme Court in Hongkong was dealt with yesterday, up to the time when the foundation stone of the present Court premises was laid in 1903. As we shall see, a series of delays - mainly owing to the nature of the structure - resulted in the work of erection taking a full eight years. Even the prebiminary foundations took a considerable time to complete.
of November 11, 1903:-
We read in the Hongkong Telegraph
" For some three months past there has been renewed acti- vity on the vacant land lying between the Queen's Statue and the City Hall, and the outline of the new buildings can now be readily traced by means of the brick walls which are daily increasing in height. H. E. the Governor will lay the foundation stone to-morrow afternoon, and it will be of interest to learn a few particulars of the proposed Courts.
* The building consisting of the New Law Courts, Land Offices, etc., will when completed, form a very valuable addition
to the architecture of the city. The site lies between Des Voeux Road and Chater Road, and is adjacent to the cricket ground on the west side. The designs for the buildings were prepared by Messrs. Aston Webb. R. A., and E. Ingress Bell, F.R.I.B.I. of 19 Queen's: Anne's Gate. London, The Consulting architects to
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