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anxiously awaited the moment when practical effect might be given to it.
In the published extract from your Lordship's despatch the ratification of the offer was made contingent upon its passing the Legislative Council.
Instead, however, of the proposal being put to the vote of the Legislative Council, it was put to the vote only of the Unofficial members of the Council, the official members not being allowed to vote.
As Your Lordship's published extract of Your despatch had not made any distinction between the votes of Official and Unofficial members, those of the Civil servants who had accepted the offer not unnaturally supposed that the matter would be decided by the votes of the entire Council, and the offer was made spontaneously by Your Lordship and was twice repeated, and the other Officers similarly circumstanced naturally concluded that Your