PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.

Evening Star, Issue 2946, 29 July 1872, Page 4

PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.

No. I. THE COST OF HOLDING PARLIAMENT IN DUNEDIN. The ninth of the papers presented on the opening oi Parliament j.as reference to the above subject. With a view to ascertaining in what manner and at what cost it was possible to give ellect to the i\c ..mimndation of the House of Kepreseutatives that a session of Parliament should be held at Dunedin, the General Government, towards the end of November last, commissioned Mr Clayton, the Colonial Architect, and Major Campbe'l, Clerk of Parliaments, to proceed to Dunedin ‘ ‘ to report on the accommodation to be obtained there for the Houses of Assembly and Government departments in the event of the Government deciding to hold next session of Parliament at that place.” The instructions given to the Colonial Architect were very explicit. He was informed that it was not absolutely necessary that both Douses should meet under one roof, although it was, cf course, desirable that their places of meeting should be as near to each other as possible ; that accommodation would be required for the Government printing office, though it might, if necessary, be in a separate building ; that he was to consult the fcq eake/s of both Houses, and those members of the Assembly then in Dunedin; and piincipally that his estimates should be as economical as possible, due regard being had to the supply of proper conveniences. Air Clayton acted on the tjuperinteudent’a suggestion to utilise the Provincial Council Hall and apartments for the Upper House ; and the University building, for the House of Representatives, The first was at once considered satisfactory, the Council Chambers being suitable in every way. The University Council having agreed to place their building at the disposal of the Government, conditionally that the large hall was not injured more than was necessary, and that it should be given up in like condition to whatLw&s in when handed over, Mr Clayton proceeded to consider how he should adapt it to the purposes of the Lower House. In the first place, he proposed to connect both Houses by means of a bridge thrown across Water street, at the level of the terrace approaching the Provincial Council Hall, Icavi g twelve feet of head room under the bridge for the traffic of the street. The cost of the communication would be L 31 0; and Mr Bell considered it absolutely necessary. Its el ection, however, would provide lobbies, Bellamy’s, smoking room, library, and reading room, common to bo hj Houses, and save some expense in that mention. The large hall of the University, Mr Clayton states, would provide not only ample but convenient accommodation for the Lower House. The hall measures 60 x4O feet, and 30 feet high, while that at Wellington is only 50 x 20 feet, the only drawback to the University Hall being its defective ventilation. Air Clayton’s plans embraced the erection of gallery accommodation clear of the walls, to seat 50 ladies, 40 councillors, 130 strangers, and 10 reporters, with a separate entrance and staircase to each gallery, the warming of the House and Bellamy’s, the accommodation of committees, Speakers, Premier and Executive rooms, library, Clerk of Parliament, &c. The total cost of erecting suitable accommodation for both Houses is put down at L 2,264 19s lOd. The total cost of adapting the University building to tho requirements of the Assembly is estimated at LG 16 Is 6d besides which L 594 ICs 3d would necessary to put the building in habitable condition. The remainder of the upper floor could be converted into Government offices for LII 9 18s Cd and additions to existing closet accommodation, &c., would have to be provided at a cost of L 214 7s; but of these two sums L2SO c-mld be fairly obtained from the University Council, as the expenditure is necessary to complete the premises for the use of thjj University. Tho expense of removing the printing-office to Dunedin is stated by Air Didsbury at L 1,285, to which must he added about LIOO for hire of a steam engine, and expense of accommodation. The travelling allowance of the officers whose attendance would be required in Dunedin, is put down at L 2,125. The estimated cost of a session of Parliament at Dunedin, to list for sixteen weeks, is therefore L 6,037 I9s lOd.