THE NEW PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 910, 25 May 1877, Page 3

THE NEW PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

The laying of the foundation-stone of the new Public Buildings to be erected on the western side of Cathedral Square took place yesterday. The Hon. E. Richardson, exMinister for Public Works, had been requested by the General Government to undertake the duty of laying the first stone. Before proceeding to describe the occurrences of the day, a brief resume of the general scope of the building itself may not be uninteresting. It will have two ornamental facades, one on the east front and the other on the north, and a clock tower of considerable height. The style will be simple Italian, and the decorations, though not numerous, are yet sufficient to relieve the monotony so often seen in colonial buildings of this character. The principal entrance is at the east front, and on entering to the right we find the rooms devoted to the Life Assurance and the Customs, with the long room, lockers' rooms, &C. In the north front is a public room 30ft. x Bft. To the left of; the north front the Postal Department will be located, with sorting-room, 55ft x 25ft, postmaster's room, &c. The private letter boxes are reached by an entrance at the western side, by the Clarendon Hotel. The upper floor is readied by a staircase from the main lobby. Here to the right of the landing is located the Immigration Department, and to the left the Public Works and Inspector of Telegraphs. The Telegraph Department takes up the greater part of this floor, and faces the north point. This can be reached by the second entrance, winch is facing towards the Clarendon Hotel. The public room is 30ft. x 25ft., and the instrument room 55ft. x 25ft., while at the western end are ladies' rooms, cloak rooms, &c. The amount of the contract, without the fittings, is £14,521 17s 3d. The ceremony of yesterday did not appear to excite much interest, although before the proceedings closed a pretty fair number of spectators had gathered. The contractor, Mr D. Reese, had erected two platforms, which were filled with chairs, and also one large central one, the latter being for the speakers. Amongst those present were the Primate, His Worship the Mayor, Mr Mellish, R.M., Messrs Stevens, Montgomery, Rolleston,Coster, Bird, Hobbs, and a number of other gentlemen.

Mr W. 11. Clayton, the Colonial Architect, then advanced, and, addressing the Hon. Mr Eichardson, said Sir, I have heen deputed by Mr Eeese, the contractor, to request your acceptance of this silver trowel, level, and mallet to be used by you in laying the foundation stone of the new public buildings about to be erected hero.

Mr Clayton then handed the respective articles to Mr Richardson. The trowel, which was manufactured by Messrs Peterson and Co., is of solid silver and beautifully made, reflecting very great credit, on their taste. It bore the following inscription — "Presented on the 24th May, 1877, to the Hon. Edward Richardson, M.11.E. for Christcluirch city, for the purpose of laying the foundation stone of the Christchurch G-overnmcnt offices, by H. Eeese, contractor." The level, which was a \cry elegant affair, mounted in swamp totara, highly polished, also bore a silver plate with a similar inscription. The mallet is of she-oak, highly polished. Mr Clayton then asked Mr Eichardson to perform the ceremony, and placed within a cavity for the purpose a bottle containing the current coins of the realm, the newspapers of the city, and a scroll as follows :

Government offices for the City of Chvist-church—-The foundation stone of this building was laid by the Hon. Edward Richardson M.H.E. for the City of Christchurch, on the

24th day of May, 1877. The bottle in which this parchment is enclosed also contains copies of the liyttelton Times, the Canterbury Press. the evening papers Globe and Star, and the current coins. The Hon. Harry Atkinson behi£ Premier of the colony; Hon. Daniel Pollen. Colonial Secretary; Hon. Fredk. Whitakcr, Attorney General; Hon. George McLean, Commissioner of Customs; Hon. Chas. C. Bowen. Minister of Justice; Hon. J. D. Ormond. Minister of Public Works ; Hon. Donald Beid Commissioner of Crown Lands. E. C. J. Stevens, Esq., the Hon. Edward Richardson., and William Sefton Moorhouse, Esq., being members for the City of Christchurch in the New Zealand Parliament. James Gapes, Esq.. being Mayor, and Messrs Chas. Wesley Turner,, Fredk. Hobhs, Thos. D. Jones, Chas. Thos. Ick, Henry Thomson, Jas. Geo. Hawke-, Jas. Alex. Bird, Louis Edwd. Nathan, being members of the City Council. Fi'ancis Thos. Haskins, Town Clerk ; Chas. Walkden, City Surveyor; John O'Malley, Foreman of City Works. Tho contractor for the works being Mr Daniel Reese, and the amount of the contract, without fittings, is ,£14,521 17s 3d. Mr Uriah Hurrell, Inspector of Works. W. H. Clayton, Esq,, Colonial Architect, the architect of the buildings. The stone was then lowered, and Hon. Mr Richardson having tested it with the usual formalities, declared it to be well and truly laid.

Hon. Mr Richardson then ascended the platform and said—My Lord, ladies, and gentlemen, —Now that the formal portion of the pi'oceedings are completed, I wish to avail myself of this opportunity to say a few words. The necessity for increased accommodation for the Government offices in this city has long been felt, and so far back as 1871 1 felt it my duty, as one of your members in the House of Representatives, to urge the matter most strongly on the Government. In 1872 the same task devolved upon me. In 1873, however, the Government promised to bring the vote before the Assembly, and they cheerfully voted the money for it. I am in a position to say that, had it not been for the local controversy with regard to the site, Christchurch would long ere this have had suitable buildings completed and in use. Gentlemen, —I think it is a pretty well recognised fact that visitors and strangers passing through a place look to the character and style of the public buildings to form an idea and impression of the resources and importance of a country. And in doing so lam not sure that they are far wrong. Should visitors apply this rule here —and now I speak as a Canterbury man, and with some degree of pride—l think we should be able to stand the test well. The public and private buildings of Christchurch, as a whole, are I think on such a scale as makes them likely to create a favorable impression on the mind of the visitor. The building which we have this day commenced, with its two ornamented facades and its clock tower rising 90ft., will, I think, be a handsome addition to the public buildings of the city, and also of infinite convenience to the business community. By thus concentrating the departments, the merchants and others will be able to get easy access to the Custom House, Telegraph and Post-offices. I have, therefore, very great pleasure in congratulating the public of Christchurch, who have business to transact in these offices, on the increased facilities and convenience afforded them of doing so, and also the officers who will have to transact the business. I am not going here to offer excuses for Government olficers, but I say this —and I say it with some considerable amount of official knowledge—that it is marvellous how the officials of the post-ofhec department can carry out their duties as they have carried them out with such efficiency, when for years past they have been located in so unsuitable a building. I only wish I could have expedited this building so as to have been enabled to have given it to them sooner. Gentlemen, this building, though not elaborately ornamented in its architecture will yet bo handsome in style. It is in the simple Italian, which is one admirably suited for buildings of this character, because it gives the architect an opportunity of giving plenty of space at a moderate cost. This is why I took this plan when it was submitted to mo while Minister for Public Works, in place of the very elaborate one which my friend the Colonial Architect also placed before me. I may say that lam very glad the Government hare placed the contract in the hands of Mr Reese. Not but that there are contractors who would do the work as well, or perhaps better than Mr Reese, but because I have had the opportunity for many years past of seeing Mr Reese carry out works with energy and efficiency, and this under adverse and almost ruinous circumstances to himself; but still he carried out the. works with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of the Government. The Government having entrusted this important work to him, I feci sure that under the supervision of the Colonial Architect Mr Reese will bring the work to a conclusion in a manner satisfactory to the Government and to himself. I can only express a hope that he will be enabled to complete it within the time specified in the contract, and that it may prove a remunerative work to him. I only wish now to add a few words. I have standing by my side to-day Mr Rolleston. I have not alluded to-day to the question of different forms of Government ; I purposely avoided doing so; but I take this opportunity of saying that we mainly owe to Mr Rolleston's exertions the very fine site which this building occupies. [Hear, hear.] The Mayor said he would ask those present to give three cheers for the Hon. Mr Richardson.

Hon. Mr Eichardson was sorry to interrupt his Worship, but as that was the Queen's Birthday, he claimed precedence on behalf of her Majesty. [Cheers.] Three cheers were then given for the Queen, and three for the Hon. Mr Eichardson.

His Worship the Mayor then addressed those present,. He dwelt at some length on the wretched accommodation provided for the Resident Magistrate's Court, and expressed a hope thai, the members for the city would use their influence with the Crovernment to let this be remedied. He also urged upon those gentlemen the duty of supporting the request made to the Government by the City Council for the use of the Provincial Council Chamber until the city had a Hall of its own wherein to meet. As regarded a Town Hall, he thought the citizens should, now that the Post-otiicc was to be vacated, erect a handsome building in the Market Place. The site was their own freehold, and they would not have, therefore, to borrow money to purchase the land. His Worship concluded by asking the co-operation of the city members, as a duty they owed to I heir constituents in obtaining a suitable building for a Resident Magistrate's Court, and also the vise of the Council Chamber temporarily for the City Council. The proceedings then terminated.