“‘May it please your Excellency,—

“‘We have had under consideration the memorandum of your Excellency of the 19th instant, accompanied with the letter from the Postmaster-General, resigning his office and his seat in the Council, with the reasons he has assigned therefor.

“‘Knowing from the discussions with Mr. Connell that he was prepared to retain his office and seat in the Council, if an order was made to issue the stamps procured by him, including the stamp bearing the likeness of the head of the department, we are therefore justified in concluding that the Minute of Council of the 8th instant, in which your Excellency was advised to approve of, and order to be distributed the One, Ten, and Twelve and a Half Cent Postage Stamps procured by the Postmaster-General, and to order a new Five Cent Postage Stamp to be struck, bearing the likeness of the Queen, instead of the Five Cent stamp already procured by the Postmaster-General, is, notwithstanding the other reasons assigned by him, the real ground of his resignation.

“‘Without entering into the discussion of the powers of the different heads of departments, we observe that we have no desire to limit or circumscribe the legitimate authority of the Postmaster-General, or of the head of any other public department, and in advising your Excellency upon this question, we have not desired nor attempted to do so, as by the Act relating to the Post Office the approval of the Governor in Council is required to the issue of Postage Stamps.

“‘Your Excellency is aware that no such order was made by your Excellency in Council, authorizing the obtaining or issuing of the stamps. We admit the Postmaster-General had the consent of his colleagues to obtain decimal stamps, but they were procured and being distributed before they were submitted to your Excellency in Council for approval, or before the impress they bore was known to the Council, and when submitted it was the opinion of the Council that the Five Cent stamp should bear the likeness of Her Majesty....

“‘We cannot discern how the Revenue of the Post Office Department will be affected by the action of the Government; that must depend upon the extent of individual correspondence, and we do not believe that there will be a single letter less written in consequence of such action.

“‘As Mr. Connell has obtained your Excellency’s permission to publish his letter to your Excellency, we respectfully request your Excellency will authorize the publication of this reply.

“‘(Signed),

“(Copy No. 6.)