15 May, 1857
Present:
His Excellency The Governor,
The Honorable The Lieutenant Governor,
The Honorable The Acting Colonial Secretary,
The Honorable The Attorney General,
The Honorable J. F. Edger, Esquire.
The Council met today by special summons.
The Colonial Treasurer, the Chief Magistrate, and Mr. George Lyall attended the Council by request from the governor.
The Minutes of the last Council were read and approved.
The Governor stated that in the exercise of the powers that had been intrusted to him, he had thought it desirable in the interests of the public service to call to the Legislative Council (pending reference to Her Majesty) the Colonial Treasurer, the Chief Magistrate, and Mr. Lyall who had been recommended by the Bench of Justices. In the case of the two former gentlemen, they had been given to understand that their appointment to the Legislative would be favourably considered by the Home Authorities if the Governor recommended their appointment, and His Excellency thought that their admission should be associated with the nomination of another non-official Member, and he cheerfully recognized the claims of Mr. Lyall.
Frederick Henry Alexander Forth, Esquire, Colonial Treasurer, Henry Tudor Davies, Esquire, Chief Magistrate; and George Lyall, Esquire were sworn in as Members of the Legislative Council, and took their seats accordingly at the Council Board.
The Governor said that as the Council was now constituted in broader basis, and as the existing rules and regulations for the conduct of the public business were obviously ill adapted to the necessities of the case, he proposed to summon a special meeting of the Council at which he would suggest that the Honorable The Attorney General should be requested to draw up orders for the proper management of business in the sittings of the Council.
His Excellency added that the financial position and prospects of the Colony had necessarily been much affected by late events, and that the Estimates which had been drawn up long before the troubles, would be found not to correspond with the results, either as to receipts or expenditure. Many of the sources of income had been seriously interfered with, while the demands upon the Colonial Treasury had enormously increased. The Cost of the Police has been much augmented, but it was a subject of congratulation that we had passed through our perils with so little sacrifice, and now He was happy to state he had official Knowledge that large reinforcements both of sea and land forces were on their way, so that there was no longer ground for alarm as to the security of the Colony. To his application for a Parliamentary Grant in aid no answer had been received, which was no doubt attributable to the state of parties in England, but with every desire to cause a judicious economy, he must continue to incur the expenditure which circumstances might make necessary for the general security.
Her Majesty's Government had not consented to place questions of revenue and expenditure under the control of the Legislature of the Colony, nut had expressed a desire to receive any information or observation which Honorable Members might be disposed to offer. The new Colonial Treasurer had been instructed to look into the state of the finances and to report thereon. It was distinctly the purpose of the Home Government to make the Colony independent of Parliamentary aid.
His Excellency stated that at a special meeting of the Council he would make some remarks upon our financial status, and would have to ask for a suspending power as regards some of the provisions of the Registration Ordinance, as he did not now see the means of providing for the cost of giving them effect.
A discussion followed as to whether the meetings of the Legislative Council should be public or secret, and as to the right of members to divulge what took place at the Council Board. His Excellency thought that at one stage of the discussions of every Ordinance, the presence of the public was desirable. The Government at home had expressed no opinion on this matter.
It was Resolved that the Council be summoned for Monday next the 18th Instant, at 12 o'clock precisely.
(Signed) John Bowring,
Governor.
Read and approved,
this 18 day of May, 1857.
(Signed) L. d'Almada e Castro,
Clerk of Councils.