233
at a greatly increased strength,
as
to
enable it to take advantage of the brief periods when Minting may become profitable to the Public.
36. Much of the Commission hesitates to recommend either of those alternatives for they do not advise increasing the Mint's mechanical power, and nevertheless they do advise keeping
the establishment open. That advice would therefore entail
a continuance
of the
the
present costly expenditure, without affording
any additional chance of recouping it
when
37.
an
occasion might offer. I therefore disagree with
a conclusion that obviously contradicts the
premises -
I cannot
but
a
Colony without funds to meet its liabilities, and is eventually obliged
to give up
even the drainage
of roads and
damage of a portion of the town, as well as to abandon other works of
Public utility
in consequence of the pressure occasioned by the large capital already sunk in
establishing the Mint whilst
fresh taxation to a considerable amount
has recently been imposed to meet the current expenditure, it would appear
extremely hard to insist on this Community continuing a large annual expenditure
on
an undertaking whose success
is
pronounced by the most competent parties to be extremely improbable if not altogether hopeless.
Despatch from Secretary of State No 156
No57766
14th Feb 1866