1
:
98
thoug
Secretary shewing to what extent I have thought advisable to
adopt the minor proposals made by the Commissioners, and in
this Despatch I will confine myself to the two or three larger
and more important issues.
5.
The Commissioners expressed them-
-selves as in favour of what they called a quasi- municipality
as opposed to regular Municipal Government. It is not clear
what this term connoted, or how far it differed from Municipal
Government. I considered this matter very carefully, as its
great importance deserved, and I came to the conclusion that
any form of Municipal Government quasi or otherwise was
wholly unsuited to the conditions of this Colony.
6.
Municipal Government has its
origin in an effort to decentralise, by transferring within
certain limits the control of their parochial affairs to the
inhabitants of a specified area or city. Here admittedly no
such limit could be set and the authority of a Municipal
Council would be co-extensive with that of the Crown Colony
Government. Clearly such a scheme would not effect any real
decentralization while it would duplicate offices and so greatly
increase the cost of administration and must inevitably lead to
constant friction and conflict of authority. (b). It is
acknowledged that the leading Members of the Community would
not