the mily portion of the public Revenue with which the Legislative Council is concerned is the Police Rate, which meets about half the Police expenses, the Crown funds supplying the deficiency. I have been particular in drawing attention to this, as it is a powerful argument against the necessity of further opening the Legislative Council to the public.
The experiment made by the late Governor a few years ago has in my opinion entirely failed, and justified my prediction at the time of its proposal!
And I state this without the most remote intention to insinuate remissness or any other fault to the two honourable gentlemen, Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council, but the simple fact is that they have their business, as Merchants, to attend to, and the conduct of this is naturally of far more importance to them than the business of the Council or the general interest of the Colony.
At the same time I see nothing obstructive or prejudicial in the presence of two Unofficial members, and as the step has been taken I would not revoke it, but I would not enlarge the number, or at any rate go beyond three.
More especially when consideration is given to what I have stated above with reference to the small portion of the Colonial Revenue with which the Council has to deal.
As regards then the filling up of vacancies as they occur (and one has already occurred, de Colonial Regulations, cap. II, 1·7), I would adopt Jane Auch...
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