216
employment of the Official vote to "vote dom" the Un-official
Members are so inept that their citation might be adduced as an argument to prove the absence of any legitimate grievance.
I attach excerpts from Hansard of all that
passed in the Legislative Council concerning the vote in Finance
Committee in connection with the Law Courts. The Chairman of that
Committee was of opinion, and I agree with it, that no useful pur- -pose would be served by further discussing the matter in the face
of the circumstances described in my previous remarks in Council; and it is to be noted that although at the meeting a fortnight later, when the proceedings of the Finance Committee were brought up for confirmation, I alluded to the vote no question was raised upon it by Un-official Members.
Commission
8.
With regard to the question of appointing a
to enquire into the organisation of the Nursing Staff at the Government Civil Hospital, I would invite your perusal of
the enclosed extracts from Hansard which give an accurate account of the discussion in the Legislative Council on this subject.
In intimating to the Council that I was un-
-able to accept the motion of Mr. Pollock for the appointment of a
Commission, I explained that I had asked your permission to
increase the Nursing Staff by 3 Sisters, and in the circumstances I
put it to the Council that a Commission of Enquiry was not necessa- -ry. The Mover of the Resolution preferred to ask for a division,
on which it is true that the Un-official Members voted on one side
and the Official Members and the General Officer Commanding on the
other. But I think any impartial person would come to the conclusion
that in this matter the Government did not "treat the Un-official
Members in an adverse and hostile spirit instead of taking them
into their counsel and co-operation" to use Mr. Pollock's words.
Moreover I am convinced that the other Un-official Members did not
Consider that they were being so treated. I append a Memorandum in
which I have explained in detail the circumstances under which
vacancies have occurred in the Nursing Staff and the steps taken
to