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Colony, And to it's probable future as a place of trade, the Committee feel warranted in expressing their views on the subject to your Excellency.
Hitherto the Committee have refrained from addressing Your Excellency in consequence of the general interest in which the subject has engaged the attention of the whole Community: whose opinion has now been so emphatically expressed in the Resolutions passed at the Public meeting held on the 28th of August. On that occasion the meeting unanimously adopted and approved the arguments adduced by Your Excellency in your despatch of 6th May 1863, to Sir F. Rogers, And also those contained in Mr. Mercer's despatch of 9th July 1863, to the Duke of Newcastle, questioning the justice of the proposed contribution, and the ability of the Colony to bear the Charge; and the meeting declared its opinion that Troops are not maintained in this place for any purely Colonial purpose, and that their presence is unnecessary for such object.
Without wishing to enlarge upon the arguments which may be said to have been almost exhausted, the Committee...