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their Bill has been accepted, which cannot take place till about the 23rd of this month, the refund can hardly be considered as actually completed.
4. The large Public Works loan is still in hand and it is necessary to withdraw further deposits for Expenditure in the Treasury and notices have been given to all the Banks. At the present moment when business is at a standstill and a considerable amount of specie has been taken away from the Colony (partly in consequence of the withdrawal of large deposits) from the Banks must no doubt in some cases be attended with inconvenience. And after consulting with the Treasurer I have consented to rather longer notices than had been ordinarily given. It would not, I submit, be good policy on the part of Government to insist strictly at the present moment on its presumed right to withdraw its deposits when they fall due without sufficient previous notice. This right, though not questioned by the Banks, is not in my opinion very clearly possessed by Government as all deposits have been made for indefinite periods, claimable at the expiration of intervals of three months from the date of deposit.
It has not been necessary until...