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sow be said to represent, are due to His xcellency the Governor, Sir George Bowen, for the initiative he has taken in anticipating publio 'opinion and obtaining for us in this colony a measure of self-overnment. It will perhaps be 'within your recollection that early last year, at our last annual meeting, I ventured to say that the time bad arrived when we in this colony should demand some control over 'our own affairs, and I suggested the arrival of a new Governor was a which to press our fitting opportunity on demands. I think it a subject of very great congratulation that the Governor, Sir George Bowen, forestalled, as I have said, any agitation in this colony, for agitation is much to be depro- cated. He forestalled us and completely took the wind out of our sails and went ahead of us. I think it is hardly matter of surprise that Sir George Bowen, after having administered for so many yours the affairs of those great de- mocratic communities in the South Pacific, should have felt somewhat stifled by the close poli- tical atmosphere of this Downing-street ridden colony. It is scarcely to be believed, but it is true, hat although we have here a highly paid Go- zernor, well versed in affairs, nono more so, and Lassisted by departmenta presided over by men fit to govern a dominion, with all the machinery of Executive and Legislative Councils, we have not V modicum of control over our own affairs; we innot do the smallest thing without interference the Colonial Office or some young gentleman n the Colonial Department who desires to show ais raison d'être by mischievous meddling in affairs with which no amount of competitive, oram can give him the least effective acquaintance. I regret Sir George Bowen's sobeme was not carried out in its integrity, as it is a far better one than that which has been accepted. do not want any mechanical or conventional Wast We do want system of voting. is a free and independent Council which will "control the measures of Government and represent the intellicent publio opinion of the colony. Now we know that in the reconstruct-
the ed Legislative Counoil
Colonial Office will still have a majority of official votes, and can influence them as it likes, but we also know what can be done by an active and intelligent minority in any representative assembly. It therefore devolvestupon us and the other constituent body to send up man who will not only represent our interests but who also know how to fight our battles and win them; for believe me, the battle is not one that has to be fon ht out by a single effort, but step by step, slowly, until we bave obtained that which we ought to have, the control over all our ordinary municipal taxation and our ordinary municipal expenditure-(hear, hear)--- leaving only in the hands of the Colonial Office a veto over auch matters as belong to Imperial in. terests and where it may be occasionally exercised with advantage in such a mixed community as this. Gentlemen, I believe there is before this 'colony a magnificent future of prosperity, and that that prosperity will be hastened and in- creased if we have the management of our own affairs, for the simple reason that those who 'have interests at stake have a very lively ap .preciation of what is needed. But if we are to romain as before, with our destinies entirely under the control of the Colonial Office, that time may be indefinately retarded and mini- mised. Under these circumstances I feel sure we shall consider a great responsibility rests upon as as to the member we shall send up to represent us, and I only hope we shall be found equal to the opportunities that have been committed to our charge. The order of our proceedings as arranged by the Committee will be that any mom. bors present who have to propose a member for nomination to the Council will send up to the Secretary a paper containing the name of the gentleman proposed and those of the proposer and secouer. If only one name is submitted I shall put that by resolution to the meeting. If , more than one name is proposed a ballot will be called for and the votes will be counted by my friend the Vice-Chairman and the Secretary (Auniansa).