act. Hay said, there should be some penalty on their resigning; to this Torrens made no reply. Hay then said, that though the Government assented to the measure, they did not altogether approve of it; and that, if such a colony was to be established, they would prefer administering it themselves. Torrens replied, that, in point of fact, the Colonial Office had the management of the colony; they had the appointment of the Governor, and of the whole of the colonial functionaries, just the same as in any other colony, and that the commissioners under the Act could be considered in no other light than as an emigration committee, whose business it was to sell the colonial land, and to employ the proceeds in sending out poor emigrants. Hay then asked, what would become of the poor emigrants if the commissioners declined? Torrens replied, that if the functions of the commissioners should cease, the only consequence would be, that unless the Government chose to sell the land themselves, no more land would be sold, and no more emigrants would be sent out. Mr. Hay asked, in this case, what would become of the emigrants already sent out; Government could not sanction a plan which would endanger their being left in destitution. Torrens replied, it was impossible they could be left in destitution, because no emigrants could be sent out except in conjunction with capitalists who required their services in the colony. That, previous to sending out any poor emigrants, capitalists requiring their services must have paid down the price of their passage in the purchase of land, and that, therefore, by the plan of the colony there could be no labourers without capitalists to give them employment. This answer appeared to satisfy Hay on this point, who said that the questions would require further and more deliberate consideration, and that Lord Aberdeen would send a very early reply to the letter then delivered.'
"Thus ended this interview with the ancient foe to
