177

360

His Grace
The Duke of Newcastle
&c. &c. &c.

as to the validity of what is,
virtually, the Constitutional Charter
of this Colony, must produce
infinite confusion here, and
must materially impair, throughout
Australia, the authority of the
legal advisers of the Colonial Office.
I submit, therefore, to Your Grace's
better judgement that if any
doubts really exist on the
question raised by Mr. Lutwyche
such doubts should be removed
forthwith by a declaratory Act
of the Imperial Parliament; and
that if (as I hope) there be no
reasonable ground for doubt on
this subject, I should receive,
by the return of the Mail
(if possible,) a declaratory despatch
to that effect.

I have &c.
Sigd./G. F. Bowen

P.S. Since writing the above
despatch, I have had the
satisfaction of receiving from
Sir Charles Nicholson, who
was (I need scarecely say) during
eleven years Speaker of the
former Legislative Council in
New South Wales, an assurance
that the interpretation suggested
by me in the 6th paragraph, is
identical with the meaning
universally assigned to the
enactment in question by the
leading public men in these
Colonies; - and that (to the best
of his belief) no one ever contemplated
the

361

the possibility of the construction
which Mr. Justice Lutwyche has now
for the first time attempted to place
upon it.

Sigd. G.F. B.

His Grace
The Duke of Newcastle
&c. &c. &c.

No. 83.

Enclosure [underlined]

Government House
Brisbane, Queensland.
5th October, 1860.

My Lord Duke,

At the request of the
Government of this Colony, I have
the honor to solicit Your Grace
to cause the Post. Master General
to be informed that the postage
stamps provided for Queensland
will come into use (replacing
those of New South Wales,) on
the 1st November next. Consequently,
they will be affixed to all
letters posted in this Colony
for England by the November mail.

2. I enclose specimens
of the Stamps, for the information
of the Post Office authorities.

I have &c.
Sigd. / G.F. Bowen