CHAP. viii] RELATIONS OF THE HOUSES 573
been made by Sir James Martin’s Ministry, namely fifteen
out of thirty-one, had had the result that the Council had
defeated the Bill by nine against it to eight in favour of it.
This result showed that the Government could not rely on
passing useful measures. They were unwilling to take steps
to swamp the Upper Chamber, but they could not accept
the existing position, and they proposed to introduce a Bill
to reconstruct the Council on an elective basis. They could
not expect to carry their Bill if the Council were determined
to oppose it, and therefore so long as the nominee principle
existed they were determined to maintain the principle laid
down by Mr. Wentworth. The minute ended by saying that
‘While dutifully expressing their loyal attachment to the
Throne and institutions of the Empire, your Excellency’s
advisers cannot, even by implication, consent to relinquish
the smallest vestige of the liberties of this Colony, or concur
in any rule or instruction at variance with the absolute right
of its people to govern themselves in all matters within their
own shores, as secured to them by the Constitution’, In
a subsequent dispatch of August 27, 18721 the Governor
expressed his personal view on the situation. He considered
that if further additions were made to the House—e. g. if it
were increased to thirty-six in number, being one-half the
number of the Assembly, it would furnish a precedent for
future additions which it would be difficult to resist. He
therefore considered that the principle of maintaining the
House should not be altered.
The Secretary of State for the Colonies in his dispatch of
November 29, 18722 maintained the principle that the
Numbers ought really to be limited. He pointed out that
it was doubtful whether a Legislative Council on an elective
basis would not be more liable to come into collision with the
fepresentatives of the Assembly. He added that the maintenance
 of the rule to limit the numbers had been agreed
Pon to begin with in the Colony, and was in itself reasonable,
and was not really being forced on the Colony by the Secretary
of State. He trusted, therefore, that the Government would
* Parl. Pap., H. C. 198, 1893-4, p. 94. 2 Thid., p. 98.