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House of Lords. The Court was however obstinate, and after renewing the Tax Ordinance for two or three months, to allow of a reference to this country, finally allowed it to expire on the 30th of September last, from which date the whole revenue of the colony, except a comparatively small sum derived from permanent taxes, has ceased. Such is the plain history of this case.
It is only necessary to add, that it has scarcely been disguised by the members of the Combined Court, and openly avowed by their supporters in the Colony, that the object of the course pursued was not economy, but to embarrass Her Majesty's Government, and compel them to recommend to Parliament an alteration of its commercial policy.
There was not the slightest ground for the measure as one of economy. The Governor's salary is certainly not more than sufficient to enable him to live as he ought in so exceedingly expensive a colony, nor did the state of the finances require any such reduction. On the con- trary, the revenue was better than in former years, and is derived from taxes which there is no neces. sity for taking off, inasmuch as they fall almost exclusively on the labouring population, who, instead of requiring relief, are so well off, that the difficulties of the colony are mainly attributable to their having no adequate motive to perform a reasonable amount of labour, because they can live as well as they desire with so little exertion.
But though the conduct of the Combined Court has been thus unreasonable, no efforts have been spared to put an end to these unfortunate differ- ences, by adopting the most conciliatory course compatible with the maintenance of the just au- thority of the Crown. With this view Her Majesty has been advised to intrust the Government of the colony to Mr. Barkly, though an opponent of the present Government in the House of Commons, because it was hoped that he would command the confidence of the colonists from having been one of the ablest (though the least unreasonable) of the advocates of their interests in Parliament, and from being himself a landed proprietor in Guiana,
Another of the Crown Colonies as to which
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C.O. 885
Reference-
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