250 THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNMENT [PART II
upon this subject, as each case must stand or fall upon its
own merits ; but I should be disposed to say generally
that such expenditure would be justifiable, first, on the
ground of necessity, or, secondly, on the ground that it is
sure to be subsequently sanctioned, joined to strong grounds
of expediency, even though short of actual necessity.
You are probably aware that in England the Treasury
have no power of transferring surpluses on civil or revenue
service votes to meet deficiencies occurring on other votes
of the same service; but a fund has been established by
Parliament called the Civil Contingency Fund, amounting
to 120,000Z., out of which the Treasury can provide tempo-
rarily for any services such as you allude to in the third
paragraph of your Despatch. In the following estimates
a vote is taken for all such advances, and the sum so voted
is repaid to the Civil Contingency Fund.
It appears to me worthy of your careful consideration
whether a similar contingency fund might not usefully be
established in the Colony, though without further informa-
tion I am not myself in a position to judge whether such
a measure would in the result prove beneficial, or whether
if proposed it would be likely to obtain the sanction of the
Colonial Legislature.’
On March 25, 1869! Lord Belmore reported to the
Secretary of State on a difficulty which had arisen in the
matter of such warrants. He had paid some salaries on
a warrant issued without the approval of Parliament, and
the Legislative Council had protested. As he read the
Constitution Act, an appropriation was not required to
authorize the Government to sign any warrant, but to autho-
rize the Treasurer to act upon the Governor’s warrant, no
matter when or how long before signed. He quoted as
his authority for his action the dispatch of 1868.
To this dispatch Lord Granville replied, disapproving the
views of the Governor, and this gave rise to an interesting
discussion of the views of the Secretary of State by the
Executive Government of the Colony. The following
extracts will show the position adopted by either side, and
are of importance as illustrating the views held of responsible
government by Lord Granville.
t Parl, Pap., C. 2173, p. 117.
