SESSION OE PARLIAMENT AT DUNEDIN.

7

G—No. 9,

The total cost of adapting the building to the requirements of the Assembly would be £616 Is. 6d., besides which £594 16s 3d. are necessary to put portions of the building in a habitable condition. The remainder of the upper floor can be arranged for the offices of the Government at a cost of £119 18s. 4d. There are twelve rooms designed and estimated for, but they may be increased to fifteen by erecting cross partitions, although I am of opinion the arrangement shown by the plan would be found sufficient. In the estimate of £119 Bs. 4d. I include a sum of £60 7s. Bd. as necessary to furnish the rooms for their present purpose, leaving £59 10s. Bd. fairly chargeable to alterations or additions for the Executive Offices. The existing closet accommodation is both inferior and insufficient, and my estimates of £214 17s. provide for six new brick patent water-closets and six urinals in an enclosed and asphalted yard, so arranged as to bo approached only from the east and west corridors, and therefore may be kept for the sole use of Members, the Executive, and officers connected therewith; and as this expenditure is necessary to complete the premises for the requirements of the University, it cannot be fairly considered as required only in the event of the Assembly visiting Dunedin. The Printing Department would find sufficient room in the ground floor of the east end, where, on account of the nature of the site, the building is three stories in height. The floor space occupied in Wellington by this branch, prior to the last addition, amounted to 2,574 superficial feet, and the area available in Dunedin would be 2,503 feet; in addition to which there is a yard containing 1494 square feet, where I propose a portable steam engine might be placed for working the presses, &c, which can be hired for the Session of sixteen weeks for £24. The cost of adapting this part of the building for Parliamentary printing would be £76 17s. 6d., the whole of which may be regarded as necessary to finish the apartments for any habitable purpose. Gas and water are already laid on; and their extension, where required, has been taken into account in my estimates. Attached hereto will be found estimates in detail of the whole expenditure, which may be summarized as follows: — £ s. d. £ s. d. Alterations for the Legislative Council and House of ... ... ... ... 564 1 6 Bridge over Water Street ... ... ... 310 19 0 Executive Offices ... ... ... ... 59 10 8 Hot Water Apparatus ... ... ... ... 70 0 0 Hire of Steam Engine ... ... ... ... 24 0 0 1,028 11 2 Required to finish — Connected with Houses... ... ... ... 379 19 3 Printing ... ... ... 76 17 6 Closets, <fee. ... ... ... 214 17 0 Executive Offices... ... ... 60 7 8 732 1 5 Furniture- — Matting, Druggets, &c.—House ... ... ... 311 13 6 „ „ Executive ... ... 102 13 9 Hire of Furniture ... ... ... ... 90 0 0 504 7 3 £2,264 19 10 | The Provincial Government having taken Fernhill on lease for five years as a residence for the Governor when visiting Dunedin, I take it that any expenditure in this direction would not be chargeable against a vote for Parliamentary expenses for one Session: but, if considered otherwise, a rental of £10 per week would be a fair charge for the house and furniture, and, supposing the Session to last the usual time, £160 might be allowed. Furniture would also form an item of expense, for which I have allowed £90 in the above estimate ; but I have assumed that all belonging to the House, Committee Booms, Bellamy's, Galleries, Clerk to Parliament's Offices, &c, would be sent from Wellington in the " Luna." From inquiries I have made, I have no doubt but that sufficient other furniture could be hired in Dunedin for the Session at a probable cost of £90. The item of travelling allowances to the officers who would accompany the Executive would also form an exceptional expenditure. I estimate that the gross amount of salaries of such officers would amount to about £8,000 per annum, the allowance upon which, at the usual rate, would amount to £2,128 for sixteen weeks. Assuming that all officers would travel by the " Luna," the passage money has not been taken to account. The expenses connected with the preliminary inquiries made by the Clerk to Parliaments and Colonial Architect amount to about £75. As it is expected to accommodate the "University in the Custom House and Provincial Buildings, there would not be any charges under this head. Hoping this report, with the plans, correspondence, and estimates attached, will be found sufficiently comprehensive for the purposes of the Government, I have, &c, W. H. Clayton, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Colonial Architect.