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striction upon the statement already presented to you. As however his Excellency thought fit at that meeting to express his surprise at the action of the Committee, in not acceding to the proposal made by him, he stated at the suggestion of the Secretary of State, that the experiment of opening the Museum at all hours indiscriminately should be tried for six months, the Committee thinks only fair to themselves to state that on the 11th June, the date upon which they received a letter from the Colonial Secretary containing this proposal, a letter addressed to your Lordships on the 13th May had been almost a month in the hands of the Governor, and on the 4th June that although they had asked whether any despatch had been received by the Colonial Government from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, with reference to the matter, and, if so, to be furnished with a copy they had received no reply to these enquiries, notwithstanding that the despatch referred to must have been in his Excellency's possession for a considerable time.
This despatch from Sir Michael Hicks Beach was also referred to at the meeting of the Legislative Council the other day, but has not been furnished to the Committee, although applied for by them, in order that they might submit it with the other documents to Council.
The Committee have always been most anxious to listen to any suggestion that might be made, either by your Lordships or...