When the houses should be closed, such as the accumulated fund would have the disposal of things to warrant the sort of retrospective authenticity which Sir R.M. gave them, by which Colonial Revenue got the additional benefit of them at a time when it was still enjoying the annual contribution of $50,000 from the fund;
I notice also that the terms of that letter, if one of the "strengthening of the Police Force" now that which has become necessary that gambling is to be suppressed, whereas from the moment the houses were closed, Sir R.M. turned round and said the Police should have nothing to do with the suppression of gambling, which duty should be discharged by a special staff whose salaries appear in these returns.
I observe that the return includes only one of the contribution of $50,000 for this year; this contribution would naturally cease from the time that the licensing houses were closed, as the produce of the investments of the fund from that date will not amount to more than half that sum per year;
but as the houses were closed in January of this year, it is fair that this contribution should be continued till the end of this year, as the estimates were framed on that assumption when the Administrator did not know what distinct orders Lord Kimberley had given to Sir R. MacDonnell to close the houses on his return to the Colony & those estimates were sanctioned; but from the end of this year the contribution should cease.
All the other charges in these returns for the hospital, site for Police Barracks, salaries of the Detectives of Gambling, come within the specific terms sanctioned by Lord Kimberley as to Sir W. Kennedy's present application for sending out more men at the expense of the special fund; it is to be observed that these men are only to be enlisted for 5 years, that they are to have a right to return passages.
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