(
exhibited much solicitude regarding the promise made by
Your Lordship in the name of His Majesty's Government and
pressed me to suspend the clause abolishing Divans until
the amount of the assistance to be given by the Imperial
Government in aid of the direct loss incurred by this
Colony in carrying out the Imperial policy (or at any rate
the proportion it would bear to the whole loss) was known.
As a matter of fact that clause (Section 10 of the Ordinance)
does not come into operation until March 1st next,
a date later than that proposed in the amendment put
forward by the Honourable Mr. Murray Stewart, but did not
adduce this point in reply, and confined myself to the
larger principle, that the promise contained in Your Lordship's
despatch was a clear and definite one made in the
name of His Majesty's Government and that I could not hold
over the clause pending a more precise explanation of that
promise. Should Your Lordship, however, see your way to
inform me as to the proportion of the loss which His
Majesty's Government will ask Parliamentary sanction to
defray, it would, I have no doubt, create a good impression
and disarm the existing hostility were I able to announce
your decision in anticipation of the debate on the
Estimates.
3.