Colonial Despatches

Referring to your Despatch with Enclosures No 74 dated 30th December 1865 I have the honor to submit the following statement for your information.

In my opening Speech to the Legislature on the 28th November 1865 I stated as follows, The anomalous state of the law regardingthe the postal service of this Colony generally demands your attention. There is no law authorizing the Executive Government to frame rules and regulations or fix the rates of postage. The expenditure for this branch of the Public Service during the year 1864 amounted to $14,487 while the Revenue reached only $3510 showing an excess of expenditure over Revenue amounting to $10,997, a disproportion which must be expectedto to continue in the absence of suitable laws and regulations. I followed this up by causing the Acting Attorney General to introduce the accompanying Bill into the Legislative Council through which it passed after careful consideration on the 8th February 1866, and was thereupon sent to the Legislative Assembly. It was there left unnoticed till the 23rd May 1866 when it was finally disposed of in the manner detailed in the debate of which I enclose a copy.

I forbear to comment upon this debate beyond assuring you that the statement of "Dr Dickson" "that the real object of this Bill was to create an office for a certain person" is wholly devoid of foundation.

The Legislative Assembly did not introduce or pass any postal Bill up to the time of their dissolution on the 2nd September 1866.

I could find no difficulty in assigning reasons for the persistent refusal of a majorityof of the late Assembly to pass a postal Bill of any kind, and I do not anticipate a better result in any future Session while the Legislative Assembly is constituted as at present.

I have referred the whole subject to a Board of Officers and will transmit a copy of their Report for your information when received.