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Cochran, Andrew William. Eight letters to Roderick Mackenzie, 1823-1837. An electronic transcription. MFTP #0004 plan of operation of the Commissioners[.] They have examined [M]r Hale about the revenues & expenditure, and I have heard that Mr Bouchette has been before them, but I doubt it[.] It is professed that they are only to inquire into the alledged grievances arising from the past administration of the Government, & not in any way to middle with the present administration[.] But I suspect it will be found, (if it is not the case already) that this distinction will be lost in practice[.] One of the Commissioners to inquire into the past, is the person who administers the present Government: and if there should be another Commissioners of a very decided & active reforming character, and disposed to make himself busy & to assist his brother Commr the Governor in his particular duty of administration, it will in that case be found that the Commission is one for governing the country as well as for inquiry[.] And as there are only three of them the operation of the Machine as a governing Machine will be this: The Governing Commissioner, A, is under the necessity of adopting some measure of Govt as for instance, to make an appointment, or he may be called upon by the Assembly to remove an obnoxious officer[.] He is undecided, or deliberating, what to do. The busy Commissioner B. who hunts about for what he considers to be public opinion, imparts his notions to A & tells him what he thinks would be best[.] The quiet cautious reflecting Commissioner C who may be disposed only to inquire in the first instance, may be of a different way of thinking from B, but as the Governor A has to act or to speak, one way or the other, he adopts the opinion of B. thus saving himself from responsibility in his governing capacity, by having on his side one of those who are to assist him in his inquiring capacity[.] Thus, as the pretended grievances to be inquired into embrace every branch and [2] L E G E N D : |
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