in contradiction to the Colonial Secretary's assertion in his letter of the 11th inst) on the Alves defalcations. The recklessness of this charge, unsupported as it is by fact, will induce your Excellency to hesitate before entrusting the summing up of any case to the hands of the Colonial Secretary, and to the confidence in your Excellency's love of justice, I have too great confidence.
I have too great confidence in your Excellency's love of justice to believe that your Excellency is unwilling to hear both sides of the question submitted for your Excellency's decision, and I would venture to request that, before reporting to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Your Excellency would kindly ascertain the views of the gentlemen I have referred to as to the extent of my culpability. If, after hearing them, Your Excellency decides to support the views of the Colonial Secretary, I shall, of course, be obliged to tender my resignation to the Secretary of State.
I venture to excuse the somewhat unusual course of addressing your Excellency directly on the ground that, as the Colonial Secretary has committed himself to a wholesale denunciation of my conduct as Treasurer, I know not whether any report submitted by me in the ordinary way would probably be accompanied...