This Colony
Colony as I freely admit, is bound & maintain. –
1. In 1.105 of the 27th ultimo I explained how it was that, although originally I had not seen my way to defraying part of the cost of one Gün books, I had become so persuaded of the necessity of increased taxation to put the general finances of the Colony right, that an item for the Colonial Share of the book required might be defrayed from the contemplated increase of Revenue. Since then a Stamp Ordinance calculated to increase the Revenue by more than $100,000 annually has been passed, and likewise the Estimates for 1867 including thereon $26,000 the Colonial moiety of the annual cost of a first class Gun book like the "Plover". I therefore trust that you will take early measures for securing the services of such a scholar. Otherwise the legislation for suppressing Smuggling about which Her Majesty's Government has hitherto evinced so much interest cannot be fairly or completely tried.
7. I must therefore urgently press on Your Lordship, the extreme