352
Colonial Government. I have reason
to believe that, if left
to
use
their
own discretion, the whole of the Members, Official and Unofficial,
would vote against payment at
a
higher rate than £4000 per
annum, which rate has been
already agreed to by the Colonial Legislature.
4.
From the papers already
forwarded to Your Lordship (of
which another
copy is annexed
for easy reference), it will be
seen that the Chamber of
Commerce
Enclosure
resolved on the 14th June ultimo
protested in the strongest manner
against the proposed
measure,
and stated further that the question
is now
agitated amongst the mercantile community as to the
policy of subsidizing any line
of steamers between this Colony
and Europe, considering the
numerous means
of direct and
speedy steam communication now available.
Under these
circumstances, although I have
already