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M
proceedings at the Executive Council on the 22nd ultimo, which he
Days
induced him
to resign the temporary post of Acting Colonial Secretary.
2.
Though Dr Stewart at his request received, with the permission of the Executive Council, a copy of the minutes of the proceedings of the meeting in question, as read in his presence and confirmed by him and the other members, he has not thought fit to quote from that record the actual words that were used. On the contrary, in his letter to Your Lordship and its enclosures nos 2 and 3, he gives an incorrect account of what took place.
I, however, enclose for Your Lordship's information a copy of the minutes of Executive Council meeting on 18th July, 1881, and 25th July.
There is certain inconvenience, and perhaps impropriety, in a member of the Executive Council going beyond the full and careful minutes which he had himself confirmed (and which he, in this particular instance, I understand, assisted the Clerk of Councils in compiling), which I trust Your Lordship will not encourage.
4.
I did not charge him with a grave dereliction of duty. I simply regretted that in the matter of the Harbour Master's application for permission to begin a libel suit, the Acting Colonial Secretary should have suggested to the Harbour Master that he need not have asked