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cumstance of several of the public offices being
only in course of erection. This was the case
with the Colonial Treasury, and reference could
not be made to the papers of that department so
readily as would otherwise have been the case.
The estimates should, however, be prepared as
soon as possible.

The Governor suggested that it would be a
good plan to forward to England for approval,
and report, in the proper quarter, the same esti-
mates for 1843 as for 1842. The only difference
would be, to take a larger Contingent Account,
so as to provide for any case of increased estab-
lishment.

The Council was then adjourned to Friday, the
28th January.

better that he should wait upon each Member
with the Report, rather than that, according to
the suggestion in the fourth rule of the Commit-
tee, the document should lie at the office of the
Clerk of Councils.

The Attorney General thought, that the plan
laid down in the report was the best that could
be adopted. The suggestion of his Hon. friend
the Colonial Secretary would lead to very serious
inconvenience. Suppose the Messenger came to
his (the Attorney General's) house, when he was
from home, it might remain there for nearly a
day before he would have an opportunity of re-
vising it. The same might occur with other Hon.
Members; so that, if the report was to be taken
round to the houses of Hon. Members, several
days might elapse before it could be sent to the
printer.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28TH, 1842.

Present—His Excellency the Governor
The Colonial Secretary
The Attorney-General
The Colonial Treasurer
Mr. Earp.
Absent - Mr. Clendon
Mr. Porter.

After the usual routine business—

Mr. Earp said, he had the honour to present
the report of the Publication Committee (con-
sisting of himself, the Attorney-General, and
Mr. Clendon), to whom it had been referred to
take into conside.ation the best means of giving
publicity to the proceedings of Council. It was
not necessary to enter upon any explanation of
the subject, as the rules adopted by the Com-
mittee were few and simple, and, in his opinion,
admirably adopted to effect the object intended.
The Honourable Member then presented the
report, which was received.

On the motion of the Colonial Secretary, se-
conded by the Attorney-General, the Report was
read by the Clerk of Councils. To show the
desire of the Council to have their debates fairly
given to the public, we furnish an analysis of the
document:—

It recommends, 1st. That a competent Reporter
be engaged, at the charge of the government.
Secondly, That the debates be published as a
supplement to the Government Gazette. Thirdly,
That any Member may revise the report before
publication; so far as affects any thing which
he may be reported to have said in the Council,
Fourthly, That a fair copy of the report shall lie
at the office of the Clerk of Councils on the day
following the debates; and shall remain there
for one day at least, before publication, Fifthly,
That should the report be found in any way in-
correct, it shall be competent for any Member of
the Council, so far as regards himself, to order
such error to he corrected in the next publication
of the debates. The following rule defines the
duties, and embodies the instructions of Council,
to the Reporter;—“That he punctually attend
the meetings of the Council—that he faithfully
report the proceedings of the Council—that he
prepare the same for the press—and that he cor-
rect the proof sheets thereof.”

The Colonial Secretary suggested that, as there
was a Messenger of the Council, it would be

The Governor.—By all means let the report
be left at any one given place, where every Mem-
ber may have access to it.

The Colonial Secretary.—I do not press my
suggestion. All I want is, that the best plan
may be carried into effect, of giving Hon. Mem-
bers an opportunity, in the way most convenient
to all, of revising the reports.

The Governor.—Can any eligible plan be de-
vised by which those reports can be sold?

The Colonial Secretary.—It is recommended,
as the most efficient medium of giving publicity
to the debates, that they be published, from time
to time, as a Supplement to the Government Ga-
zette; but the Gazette is not sold for the benefit
of Government.

The Governor.—Although the reports of Coun-
cil have not been taken from the first commence-
ment of our sittings, yet they have begun at a
time when a knowledge of our deliberations are
most important to the community. One measure
of considerable interest (the Municipal Corpora-
tions' Act), has been passed; but the reports will
embrace all the most important discussions on
the Land Claims' Bill; and for future reference,
us a sort of Parliamentary Record within this
Colony, the reports will, when collected, at some
future period, be almost invaluable.

The Attorney General.—The main object is, to
make the reports not only as cheap, but as acces-
sible as possible; and further, to give them the
widest distribution within the means of the Coun-
cil. For this purpose, I think the official Gazette
is a very good medium; for I presume that in
this, as in other colonies, copies of it are sent to
magistrates, so that, wherever there is a Bench,
a copy of the reports of our debates will obtain
circulation.

The Governor.—Hitherto several official an-
nouncements have been published as Supplements
to the Gazette; such as, in one or two cases,
Notices of Land Claims, and other matters of in-
terest, all of which have been charged by the
printer in the same way as the Gazette itself,
which was taken by contract in Sydney—a town
where there are many printing-offices, and con-
sequently an opportunity afforded of much com-
petition—and the prices, I believe, are fair and
reasonable.

The Colonial Secretary.—Perhaps the best