1044 ADMINISTRATION AND LEGISLATION [PART V 
the Colonial debt is its general revenue, not any particular 
property or assets, I cannot admit that the creditors of the 
Colony have any right to claim the interference of Her 
Majesty’s Government in this matter. It is on the faith of 
the Colonial Government and Legislature that they have 
advanced their money, and it is to them that they must 
appeal if they consider themselves damnified. 
9. No doubt, if it was seriously alleged that the Act in- 
volved a breach of faith or a confiscation of the rights of 
absent persons, Her Majesty’s Government would have to 
examine it carefully, and consider whether the discredit 
which such action on the part of a Colony would entail on 
the rest of the Empire, rendered it necessary for them to 
intervene. But no such charge is made, and if Her Majesty’s 
Government were to intervene whenever the domestic legis- 
lation of a Colony was alleged to affect the rights of non- 
residents, the right of self-government would be restricted 
to very narrow limits, and complications and confusion from 
the division of authority must arise. 
10. In so far as the demand for disallowance is based on 
criticism of the policy and details of the Act, I have already 
indicated that where no Imperial interests are involved, or 
unless the measure was so radically vicious as to reflect 
discredit on the Empire of which Newfoundland forms a 
part, it would be improper for Her Majesty’s Government 
to intervene in what is essentially a matter of local finance, 
the policy of which is a matter for the Government and 
Legislature of the Colony. 
11. But it is alleged, as a further reason for intervention, 
that though the subject was one of far-reaching consequence 
to the future of the Colony, no allusion to the contract was 
made in the speech from the Throne at the opening of the 
session of the Legislature, and that when it was brought 
before that body shortly after the beginning of the session, 
it was pushed hurriedly through both Houses before know- 
ledge of the matter could have reached the voters, and 
without allowing due time for its consideration. 
12. These charges have been dealt with by your Ministers 
in the Minute of Council already referred to. They are 
questions affecting the conduct of Ministers in the adminis- 
tration of business for which they are responsible to the 
Legislature, and if the members of the Legislature have failed 
to protect the interests and discharge the duties of their 
position they will have to answer for their failure to their 
constituents. The fact that the constituencies were not