A —No. 5

Separate,

4 PAPERS ON INCREASING THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS. No. 2. COPY OF A DESPATCH FROM HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE TO GOVERNOR SIR GEORGE GREY, K,C,B. Downing Street, 26th March, 1862. Sir, — I have received your Despatch, No. 33, of the 30th November last, in which you transmit a copy of a paper which you had received from your Ministers expressing their opinion, that it is desirable that the local Government should have the power of adding to the number of the Legislative Council by the period of the next Session of the General Assembly, and recommending that you should obtain from Her Majesty's Government the power to increase the Council from time to time by an additional number often Members. Having fully considered this recommendation, and the ground upon which it is made, I think it best, while withdrawing the existing limitation of tt)e number of the Council, to refrain from imposing any fresh restriction where none has been imposed by the Legislature. I shall, therefore, advise Her Majesty simply to repeal, by an additional Instruction, the limit which is now placed on the extension of the Legislative Council, and that Instructions will be transmitted as soon as the necessary forms will admit of its completion. I have, &c, Newcastle. Governor Sir George Grey, K. C. 8., &c, &c.