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five feet by thirty-six, the only part kept in 

 thorough repair, is fitted up for the meetings 

 of the House of Assembly; adjoining it are 

 diflerent committee rooms, library, &c. : above 

 this part, that forms the north-west angle, is 

 the apartment where the Legislative Council 

 holds its sittings, and on the same floor are 

 committee rooms, council office, &c. &c. de- 

 pendant on that branch of the legislature. In 

 the other angle are chambers for the Executive 

 Council and various oflSces connected with it ; 

 at the further end of the building is the Public 

 Library, below which are the offices of the 

 adjutant-general of militia, surveyor-general 

 of the province, the engineer department, 

 secretary of the province, and some others. 

 The vaults underneath the palace, excepting 

 such as are appropriated to the secretary of 

 the province and clerks of the court, and 

 occupied as depositories of the archives and 

 most of the public records, are in a ruinous 

 state; indeed so much so under the chamber 

 of the legislative council, where the session of 

 parliament is always opened, that it is now 

 hazardous to admit a large concourse of peo- 

 ple, who usually attend that ceremony. The 

 public convenience of this building for the 

 various purposes to which it is now applied 

 makes it a matter of surprise that the attention 



