Colonial Despatches

I have the honor to transmit Enclosures numbered from 1 to 5 being communications which have passed between the Legislative Assembly, the Legislative Council, and myself, and to offer the following remarks and explanation.

During the week ended the 16th June 1866 the Legislative Assembly had (according to newspaper statements) sat on several occasions with closed doors—or in secret—a course which of late they have frequently adopted. On Saturday morning the 16th June I read in a newspaper (the proprietor and editor of which have both seats in the Assembly) an epitome, of the Resolutions marked No 1, andsome some hours afterwards I received the Resolutions themselves.

The Speaker subsequently called upon me (Saturday 16th June) and pressed me to transmit the Resolutions without an hour's delay. I pointed out to him the Colonial Regulations laid down for my guidance in Section VI under the head of "Correspondence," and informed him that I could not take any such step without consulting my Executive Council,and and further that I apprehended you would at the same time expect me to forward the opinion of the other Branch of the Legislature on the important changes in the form of Government &c which the Legislative Assembly proposed.

I consulted my Executive Council at the earliest moment (Monday the 18th June) when they concurred unanimously in the reply marked No 2 dated 18th June which I sent to the Assembly. I at the same time transmitted theResolutions Resolutions of the Assembly with the Message marked No 3 for the "consideration and opinion" of the Legislative Council.

On the 20th June I received the Resolutions of the Assembly marked No 4, and on the 21st June I received the Resolutions marked No 5 which were passed unanimously by the Legislative Council.

The Despatches which I have had occasion to address to you from time to time leave me little to add in the way of comment upon these Resolutions.

I must however draw your attention to the Resolution of the Assembly dated 20th June as follows—"Mr Speaker is ordered to telegraph the foregoing Resolutions because the Governor declines telegraphing them unless approved by the Honorable Legislative Council, five eighths of whom are officials." This you will observe by a reference to my Messages is a manifest misstatement. My reply to the Assembly was as follows—"I have now submitted these Resolutions to the LegislativeCouncil Council and on receiving the opinion of that Body will lose no time in transmitting them with my report thereon to Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies."

I gave this matter careful consideration and my Executive Council unanimously concurred in my opinion that I should not be justified in transmitting the original Resolutions of the Assembly, passed in secret session (and for aught within my knowledge by a narrow majority) withoutaffording affording the Council and the public an opportunity of knowing their purport and forming an opinion upon them.

I entirely concur in the views expressed in the Resolutions of the Legislative Council; and I may here remark that several of the "officials" composing the Council possess considerable Real Estate in the Colony, and the three non-official Members own more real property and have a larger stake in the Colonythan than the 15 Members of the Assembly in the aggregate.

The constitution of the Legislative Assembly of this Colony whether as regards character or capacity is I think very unfortunate and I fear that few persons possessing any self respect will be found willing at any time to undergo the ordeal necessary to an election to a seat in the House.

I will not further occupy your time than by begging you to believe that I have exercisedmy my best judgment and endeavoured to pursue an impartial course in this matter, and by expressing a hope that the course I have adopted will meet your approval.