CLO
the leaves from a tree. It has been considered unattainable. In fact, this Government never pretended to interfere with Gambling for the moral purpose of reforming an Alien and heathen population perpetually changing. It simply maintained that there are Police Considerations so strong as amply to justify the Policy adopted. Nevertheless, it is eminently satisfactory to find that by subjecting a few Licensed Houses to government supervision, an important diminution has resulted of gambling as well as of the worst consequences generally of that vice.
I am therefore so far from thinking that this Colony can found any claim to assistance on the ground of expense caused by the Licensing system that I have long since reported to His Grace the Duke of Buckingham the direct expense entailed thereby on the Colony to be insignificant. And I may add that the benefit, by suppressing corruption of the Police and diminishing crime, is such that it would be well worth the Colony's while to pay an extra sum for it instead of pretending to found a claim for extra assistance.
It is quite compatible with the fact that the Police of the Colony has never been nearly as effective as is desirable, and that improving it would be a great boon.