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138 the information of your Honourable Committee, the accompanying copies of Minutes recorded on the subject by the Governor-General and the Honourable Messrs. Bird and Prinsep.

'2. The perusal of these will most fully explain to your Honourable Committee our views and sentiments in regard to the important question reviewed in your despatch above referred to.

'We have the honour to be, with the greatest respect, Honourable Sirs,

Your most faithful humble servants,

Auckland. J. Nicholls. W. W. Bird. William Casement. H. T. Prinsep.'

The military members of Council were Sir Jasper Nicholls, the Commander-in-Chief, and Sir William Casement, his colleague in the military department. The papers may not have reached the military members in time to admit of their recording Minutes. But the concurrence of all the members collectively in the Minutes sent home was unreservedly expressed in the despatch itself; 'the perusal of these will most fully explain our views and sentiments.' There is no qualification whatever, no syllable of dissent. If words have any meaning, the words of this brief despatch commit every member of Council who signed it to agreement with the views of the Governor-General.

Sir John Kaye in support of his statement, quotes