499
only to public streets and thoroughfares.
3.
After convictions had been ob-
-tained in these cases, it was represented to me in the
letter of which a copy is annexed that the Unofficial
Members of the Legislative Council in voting unanimously
for the enactment, did not realize that one of its effects
would be to render illegal the storage of merchandize and
effects in private streets so as to cause obstruction in
such streets. It is true that the elause with this effeet
was not embodied in the bill when read a first time on the
7th. September. Legislation on its lines had for some time
been under consideration of the Government, but it was only
an afterthought to enact it in the bill dealing with other
summary offences which was before the Council. Its purport
was set forth in the Attorney-General's address to the
Council on the second reading on September the 14th.,
and
in the "objeets and reasons" as printed on the bill for
that reading. I had no reason then to believe that it was
not understood by Unofficial Members who voted for the
bill.
4.
Being subsequently satisfied that
there had been a bona fide misunderstanding of the scope
and