Sessional_Paper_1898 — Page 73

HONGKONG. No. 198.

SIR,

69

No.9%

2

98

HONGKONG.

FURTHER PAPERS RESPECTING THE PROPOSED NEW GOVERNMENT OFFICES.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor.

(Secretary of State to Governor.)

DOWNING STREET,

9th October, 1897.

I have the honour to forward, for your consideration, the enclosed copy of a Report by the Consulting Architects on the plans of the proposed new Government Buildings at Hongkong.

2. In view of this Report I consider that the general arrangement of the buildings should be further carefully considered by you, and if you are prepared to recommend the adoption of the suggestions of Messrs. WEBB & BELL, I request

Ι that you will send home revised outline or sketch plans to be again referred to the Consulting Architects.

3. These plans should show clearly the general arrangements proposed, but need not give details or be highly finished up; the details can be proceeded with, when the further Report from the Consulting Architects is received.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient, humble Servant,

SELBORNE,

Governor Sir W. ROBINSON, G.C.M.G.,

&C.,

&c.,

&c.

for the Secretary of State.

GENTLEMEN,

(Messrs. Aston Webb & E. Ingress Bell to Crown Agents.)

19, QUEEN ANNE'S GATE, WESTMINSTER S.W., September 15, 1897.

Hongkong--Plans for Government Buildings--Reqn. 2642.

Having carefully considered the matter and after two interviews with Mr. GALE, we beg to report as follows:-

We are of opinion that the best method of providing a secure foundation for the buildings is by piling with hard wood piles as proposed. But we would urge that instead of grouping the piles under each column, they should be placed at equal distances along the frontage, that their heads should be connected by a grillage in the usual way, and that the Portland cement concrete laid thereon should be continuous. By this construction there would be less likelihood of a dislocation of the entablatures of the colonnade, by the subsidence of any individual point of support.

With reference to the question of cost, we are of opinion that a less costly style of building cannot properly be adopted considering the uses and importance of the buildings. Granite is the local, and, indeed, almost the only available, inaterial, and as the cost of granite, worked and set, is in Hongkong only the price of Bath stone in England, we do not think its use, for the proposed Government buildings, in any way extravagant.

We may as well say here that we have had a careful detailed estimate prepared and priced in accordance with the Government schedule in local use; although the cost appears an astonishingly low one, for buildings of this character, our inquiries have all tended to confirm the official estimate.