, 1893-04-12

TO stop and consider he for his part believed
that most Members have already thought
over the matter most seriously. The Council
has spent a great deal of time on the different
stages Of this matter that have by degrees led
ny up to this Report; we have hitherto been
led away to look upon the Colonial Law and
the Rules Of Business as a guard against o
measure of this kind but. the last 8 years
experience has served to convince us that we
arc within the limits Of that law and those
rules, when we abstain now ON dealing
with q Budget presenting the extraordinary
features Of this one, under extraordinary Gil.
cumStances such as We have now in this
Island and the step cannot be considered
as an infringement, while ii is necessary. If
We look At the state of the Budgets and the
Governments action, and the way in which
the ri 5h = Of the Council in the most trivial
as well as he greatest instances are set at
naught, and when we remember that ut somw
future time or other these budgets will BE-
brought to bear against us, ii is high tins
that this Council should take u stand to show
thai we 90 not appreciate this sort of thing
Government now again speaks of the right Of
the Council, but even if you look at the Ease
they mention specially, the road repairs.
what are the experiences there ? 1t cannot but
be confessed, that nothing at all Of what the
CNN "S 49, NHJ '''tC az VI ANAOplCO
Is Needed or carried out. no. not even in the
Road Service. Still, we may be told.of the
responsibility we have when for instance
The Island was burnt to ashes, the Govern
hent stood behind the Council, and Govern
ment said y0u voted for the changes If the
Military and the Police. and therefore we
considered 1t must have been right. For the
last years the Council and its Committees
have spent their time and best energies ON
trying to point out where reductions and
alterations coula be made TO bring about a
more endnrable and bearable state of the
public finances, and nothing whatever has
come out Of it. Where then are the lights
of the Council? And what redress has the
Council Tor the Infringement of the rights
accorded to it by law ? None whatever. The
Colonial Law is in fact only on paper it 10
openly confessed; because the Colonial
Treasury is scant Of means, SO then the Minis.
ter says we o4H have no say but yet We are
to ray the deficits some day or other We
viii be c1lled on for settlement, and nothing
guaI autces us against increased taxation.
But it is strange 10 notice, that while
the Government talks of the rights Of
the Council they at the same time ignore
those very rights for under s 5H Of the
Colonial Law (Which he readJ the Coun.
Gil possesses the right to vote on all items noG
entered In virtue of legislatix We enactments, in
fct any and every thing which is pnt or can
be put on the Money Bills is subject to the
Councils vote, and when once given, the
Budget is rectitied accordingly it might be
supposed that nothing at all further could be
done with or to such a Budget beyond that
of getting His Majesty's sanction but We
ace those very items on which the Council
had been asked to vote, and which the Coun.
CT did vote out, are after the ~rectifca-
tons put in again simply because the Govern.
ment Interprets s 81 rs having reference to
this part of the p lblic expenditure, and in no
case has the G vernment been able 70 show
to the Council that the items 80 replaced have
really been necessary for the administrative
working, and which the Council had the
obligation not to refuse. If you say s 90 and
protest and the Royal Resolution cannot be
applicable to the big class of expenses based
on laws or ordinances. because they are never
put TO the vote, then we would be at a loss
to find any or many items which could be
said to fall under the duty which the Council
owes the State TO provide the expenses for
the other departments can not be clsssed
among the State purposes and how, moreover
can the Council have the DUP to graut9
if the Council has the privilege to vo.e. it
cannot have the duty. Looking at 5 SO andths
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