He had not spoken on the subject 1o .any other members of the Council, m my ol" whom were very deeply inter ested in the subject of these reso lutions ; he had thought it best not to do so. He begged to apologise for inserting figures where ic was cus tomary to lea\e blanks to be filled by the Council He trusted that those member* who had read his resolutions would recognize the principle of equity whLh ran through them all. He be lieved that if the principles there laid down could be carried out, the Colony would be benefitted in a far greater measure than by the money it purposed borrowing—that was, if other pro vinces suffered in the same degree as Hawke's Bay. His resolutions would meet with opposition from both dis honorable and honorable motives. Jn the first place, they were a direct blow .at the rich man—the money lender, and the rich man had many friends. This class would oppose him. There were those indirectly interested, and alto gether the name;- of those who would oppose him from dishonorable and in terested motives was legion. Of those who would oppose him from honorable motives, there were those who believed that this scheme would affect the credit of the Colony, and those who believed the Colony could not do it—that such a measure would be ultra vires. He could not agree with either of these opinions There were others, who, while they would hail such an enact ment, could not conscientiously give their support to it, having entered into engagements at higher rates. As to the power, he believed Parliament to be omnipotent in such matters, and English history would show that Par liament had often taken the matter in hand before, Up to the time of Henry VIII, it vvas illegal to charge interest, but during the reign of that monarch, it was allowed, and an act was passed, fixing 10 per cent, as the limit. When Kdward VI came to the throne, this Act was at once overthrown, and in to -est again done away with. In the reign of James 1 it was again legalized. In .hi time of Cromwell it was reduced to 6 per cent, and this Act remained in force until after the llestoration. 