Page:The Present State and Prospects of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales.djvu/115

 and this opportunity is afforded by the evidence collected by the committees of the legislative assembly. The deportment of the members in debate (as far, at least, as can be collected from the public prints) has been marked by a courtesy of demeanour towards each other, and an absence of anything like an unfair imputation of motives, or unpleasant personal allusion, highly creditable to their feelings as gentlemen. When too they have differed from the governor, the expression of opinions used by the house has always been in most respectful terms, showing a proper sense of what was due to others as well as to itself. I repeat, therefore, that I think the colonists generally have reason to be satisfied with the result of this first attempt at self-government, and to be grateful to the home government for having conferred on them this unsolicited boon. And while I regret that the usury bill should have received any support in the council, which I consider a blot on its character, and while I feel unjustly treated, as belonging to a body without reason excluded from all participation in the elective franchise, I still, as a colonist, join cordially in both these sentiments.

The same act of parliament which established the Legislative Council, established also through New South Wales rural corporations, called district councils, which have power to tax property within their districts for the purpose of making roads, building bridges, paying one-half of the expenses of the police force and other local objects. The Legislative Council, and in its default the governor, is to declare what property is to be liable to taxation. These councils are elective, and the qualifi-