THE NEW PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

Press, Volume XXVII, Issue 3695, 25 May 1877, Page 3

THE NEW PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

The laying of the foundation-stone of the „ Pakßc Buildings to be erected on the ZZtJnmto of Cathedral Square took place **sai»y. Tα* s Hon - E - Richardson, exMh&b& for Public Works, had been reloeied by the General Government to unaett&B the duty of laying the first stone, ■β-lore proceeding to describe the occurrences of %fae day, a brief resume of the general scope lof the building itself may not be uninterestinir. It will nave two ornamental facades, one on the. east front and the other on the north, and » 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 ie 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 upner floor is reached by a staircase from the main lobby. Here to the right of the landing ifl located the Immigration Department, and to the left the Public Works and Inspector of Telegraphs. The Telegraph Department takes up the gjeater part of this floor, and faces the north point. This can be reached by the second entrance, which 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 liad gathered. The contractor, Mr J). 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. H. Clayton, the Colonial Architect, then advanced, and, addressing the Hon. Mr Bichardson, said — Sir, I have been deputed by Mr Reese, the contra«tor, 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 here.

Mr Clayton then handed the respective articles to Mr Kichardson. 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.H.E. for Christchureli city, for the purpose of laying the foundation etone of the Chnstchurch Government offices, by D. Beese, contractor." The level, which ■was a very elegant affair, mounted in swamp totara, highly polished, also bore a silver plate •with a similar inscription. The mallet is of ehe-oak, highly polished. Mr Clayton then asked Mr Kichardson 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 Christeliurch —The foundation stone of this building was laid by the Hon. Edward Eichardson, IMLELR. for the City of Christchurch, on the 21th day. of May, 1877. The bottle in which this parchment is enclosed also contains copies of the Jjyttelton Times, the Canterbury Press, the evening papers Globe and Star, and the current coins. The Hon. Harry Atkinson being Premier of the colony; Hon. Daniel Pollen, Colonial Secretary; Hon. Fredk. Whitaker, 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 Reid, Commissioner of Crown Lands. E. C. J. Stevens, Esq., the Hon. Edward Eichardson, 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. Wedey Turner, Fredk. Hobbs, Thos. D. Jones, Chas. Thos. Ick, Henry Thomson, Jas. Geo. Hawke-, Jas. Alex. Bird, Louis iidwd. Nathan, being memT)ers of the City Council. Francis Thos. Haskins, Town Clerk; Chas. Walkden, City Surveyor; John O'Malley, Foreman of City Works. Tha contractor for the works being Mr Daniel Eeese, 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 Eichardson having tested it with the usual formalities, declared it to be well and truly Ma.

Hon. Mr Richardson then ascended the platform and said—My Lord, ladies, and gentlemen,—Now that the formal portion of the proceedings 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 tliis city has long been felt, and so far back as 1871 1 felt it my duty, as one of your members in the Souse of Representatives, to urge the matter most strongly on the Government. In 1872 the same task devolved upon mc. 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, Ohristehurcb. would long ere this have had suitable buildings completed and in use. Oentlemen, —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 resources and importance of a country. And in doing so I am not sure tliat they are far wrong. Should visitors apply this rule here—and now I speak «a 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 * favorable impression on the muid of the visitor. The building which we have this day -commenced, with its two ornamented facades *nd its clock tower rising 90ft., will, I think, be a handsome addition to the public buildings of the city, and also of infinite convenience wthebueiness community. By thue concentrating &c departments, the merchants and others *ifl be able to get easy access to the Custom jswiee, Telegraph and Post-offices. I have, "««««He, very great pleasure in congratu«mg the pnblic o f Christchurch, who have pusmess to transact in these offices, on the £adKties and convenience afforded t?1 Omg TO » and 50 the officers who ■will nave to transact the business. I am not #»ng here to offer excuses for Government T™ 9, ™* I«y this—and I say it with some amount of official knowledge— *nat it a marvellous how tie officials of the department can carry out their they have carried them out with wen efficiency, waen f or yearß tne _ j^^ w»e» located in so unsuitable a building. I •only wish I could have expedited this buildJag so as to have been enabled to have ST 611 ** *5* them sooner. Gentlemen, «"s building, though not elaborately ornamented in its architecture will yet Oβ handsome in style. It is in the *nnple Italian, which is one admirably suited ior buildings of this character, because it €jves the architect an opportunity of giving FWity of space at* a moderate cost. This is ■*»y-I took this phm when it was sub**tf*ed to mc while Minister for Public Works, in place of the very elaborate one "Vwch my friend the Colonial Arclutect also before mc. I may say that I am very gap; the Government have placed the contact in the n&nde of Mr Keese. Not but tuat there are contractors who would do the work as well, or perhaps, better than Mr *«»v but because X have had the opportunity for many years past of seeing Mr *eese, carry out works with energy and «P««»cy, and this under adverse and tS^Lr™^ o, *" < 3* cu n>stance3 M - himself ; wo, BfciU. he earned out the worke with, to hffljseK and to the eatas&stioii o£ the r-TOfPnient. The Government having en™m this important work to him, I feel •ne that under the supervision of the Colonial

Architect Mr Reese will bring the work to a conclusion in a naimnf satisfactory to* the Government and. to himaoif, I can only express a hope that he will be enabled to complete it within the tame 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 RoUeston'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 Richardson 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 Richardson.

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 that the members for the city would use their influence with the Government 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-office 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 their constituents in obtaining a suitable building for a Resident Magistrate's Court, and also the nse of the Council Chamber temporarily for the City Council. The proceedings then terminated.