No. 71, Separate

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 regarding 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 expected 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 majority 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.