416
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

they may be kept at a sufficient distance from the
noise and disturbance of passing traffic.

Moreover, by being placed on this site, the Su-
preme Court may be made to form one of a series of
public buildings, some of which it is contemplated to
erect almost immediately, and for which there will
be ample room on the block of land of which it forms
a part, whenever the Barracks shall have been re-
moved. In furtherance of this plan the Commis-
sioners have already recommended that the Govern-
ment should grant a piece of this land to the public,
for a site of a Music Hall and other rooms connected
therewith, on certain conditions, which will secure
the erection of a building worthy of the situation.
(A Minute on this subject (of the Hall) describing
the matter somewhat in detail, with the resolution of
the Commissioners thereon, will be found in the
Appendix C.)

The Provincial Government will probably find it
necessary to erect buildings for various other public
purposes. It is highly desirable that these should
be erected on ground adjoining the same site, when-
ever the present Albert Barracks shall be removed,
in accordance with an arrangement made between
the General Government and the Military Authori-
ties, which shall be presently described.

Other public buildings will doubtless follow. The
Commissioners think it of the highest importance to
keep open the opportunity of placing all these build-
ings in the vicinity of each other, without the inter-
vention of any buildings of a private character; so
that they may be comprised within one open Square
or Place, and each may contribute towards producing
a general and combined effect, which would be
entirely lost if they were scattered about the town
in isolated situations; on the other hand, if they are
collected and grouped together, as now suggested, it
may be safely affirmed, they will form such a tout en-
semble as cannot be equalled in any town in the
colony. It need scarcely be said, that the power
of effecting this result depends entirely upon the
keeping open, as a Reserve for public buildings, a
sufficient portion of the block of land described
above, as the second of the sites at the disposal of
the Commissioners.

The Commissioners trust they will not be con-
sidered as travelling beyond the strict bounds of their
duty, if they take this opportunity of expressing
their earnest hope that His Honor the Superintendent
of Auckland will see the necessity, with as little
delay as possible, of setting apart as a Reserve for
public buildings, a sufficient portion of that part of
this block which belongs to the Provincial Govern-
ment, to enable the recommendations of the Com-
missioners to be carried into effect in the manner
above indicated. The land, so reserved, should then
be granted to trustees, upon such trusts and con-
ditions as would effectually prevent this object being
defeated or frustrated at any future time, by the
appropriation of the land to any other purposes.

The particular spot fixed upon for the Supreme Court
House, is the highest part of the paddock behind the
Government House, to the east of the new Com-
missariat store, which it is trusted will be early
removed. It is intended that the principal front
should look to the north or seaward, and it is hoped
that the other buildings just alluded to will be so
disposed as to harmonize with and add to the fine
effect of this position of the Supreme Court House.

Particulars in detail of the character and extent of
this building will be found in the printed instructions
drawn up for the guidance of the competing Archi-
tects, see Appendix B.

While on the subject of the Supreme Court, the
Commissioners desire to express their obligations to
His Honor the Chief Justice, for his graphic and
exhaustive report upon all the requirements in
respect of the accommodations for a Supreme Court,
and of all the different persons or classes of persons
who take part in or are immediately affected by its
proceedings. This report has been of great assistance
to the Commissioners in determining the character
and details of this building.

Removal of the Barracks.

The site above described for the Supreme Court
was selected, as has been intimated, on the presump-
tion that the present Albert Barracks would be
removed, and the ground occupied by them made
over to the public. This arrangement was first
named to the Board by Mr. Whitaker, and has since
been confirmed by the following letter from Lieut.-
General Cameron, K.C.B., to His Excellency the
Governor, which he kindly communicated to the
Commissioners.

Head Quarters, Camp Pukerimu,
April 12, 1864.

Sir, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt
of the Memorandum of Ministers submitted to your
Excellency on the 9th ultimo, and proposing that the
present Barracks at Auckland should be surrendered
by the Imperial to the Colonial Government, and
that the latter should provide a new site and suitable
Barrack accommodation in exchange, without any
expense to the Imperial Government; and I now
beg leave to forward for your Excellency's informa-
tion, a letter from the commanding Royal Engineer,
to whom the subject was referred.

Although concurring in some of Colonel Mould's
remarks, yet, in consideration of the inconvenience
which the present site entails on the inhabitants of
Auckland, and also in consideration of the benefit
resulting to the Imperial Government, from the
provision of new and suitable Barrack accommoda-
tion, (including officers' quarters), I will avail myself
of the first opportunity of inspecting any site that
may be suggested, and if found desirable, will have
pleasure in recommending the proposal of Ministers
for adoption by the Secretary of State for War.

I have, &c.,

D. A. CAMERON,
Lieut.-General.

His Excellency Sir George Grey, K.C.B.,
&c., &c., &c.

This arrangement having then been assented to by
the Governor and the Officer commanding Her Ma-
jesty's forces, on the conditions above mentioned,
the Commissioners assumed that at no distant date
a proposition so advantageous and so desirable both
for the public and the military, on sanitary as well
as many other considerations, will be carried into
execution. Their opinion on the subject is couched
in the following resolution, which was unanimously
agreed to on the 27th of April:-

"That as the Commissioners have been influenced
in their selection of the site for the Supreme Court
by the expectation (founded on the statement made
by Mr. Whitaker to the Board, on the 9th of March
last) that the ground at present occupied by the
Albert Barracks will become available for general
building purposes, as a part of the town site; they
trust that the present Barrack ground may be made
available for such purposes, as soon as may be
practicable."

Government House.

Within the limits of the Government Domain there
are two spots evidently more suitable as sites for a
Government House than any other part of it, and to
which the opinion of the General Government, as
well as of the public, seems for a long time exclus-
ively to have pointed out as most eligible for that