CO129-313 - Governor Sir Blake - 1902 [10-12] — Page 587

582

either Chinese or Non-Chinese, cannot possibly make any

difference to the passing of any particular measure with-

out the approval and sanction of the Governor and finally

that of the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for

the Colonies. Furthermore the Official Members are all

paid servants of the Crown and are bound to vote according

to order, irrespective of their own private opinion or

conviction.

In dealing with this question, I may be allowed en

passant to mention that there are members who are nomina-

-tedto seats on the Legislative Council who are paid

partners of large commercial firms in this Colony or paid

Directors or Managers of Companies, Banking, Landed and

otherwise, and in any measure which is brought forward

and is likely to affect the pecuniary interest of the

firm or Company, their locus standi is never called into question as to whether they have a right to be included

in the discussion of and vote on such measure or have

their judgment thereon characterized as warped.

So far as I am aware, there is no standing order, no royal instructions, no direction from the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies and no recorded precedent bearing on this question, and I believe this is absolutely the first instance where such a question has been raised in this Colony, and I am therefore glad of being afforded an opportunity of having this question decided upon for my future guidance and for the guidance of my successors, as I do not desire after close upon 21 years of continuous honorary public services in this Colony, to, even unintentionally, transgress any Rule prescribed for the observance by Honourable Members of

the Legislative Council.

I may state here for His Excellency's information that since March 1882, I have held various public appointments for long terms of years without fee or

(10)