§ MR. OLIVEIRAasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether his attention had been directed to the ordinance issued by the Governor of Gibraltar, entitled "An ordinance to prohibit unlicensed printing within the city, garrison, and territory of Gibraltar," dated the 18th day of May last; and whether the said ordinance meets with the sanction of Her Majesty's Government?
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELLsaid, it was only within these few days that the ordinance to which the hon. Gentleman referred had been brought under his notice by a letter from the Minister of War (Lord Panmure), who sent him a despatch from the Governor containing the ordinance in question. He might say, however, that it was not at all necessary that that ordinance should have the sanction of the Colonial Office;—it was issued by the authority of the Governor of Gibraltar alone, who had authority so to do. He (Lord John Russell) had reason to believe, however, that that ordinance was hardly in accordance with rule, inasmuch as the regulations required that a draft ordinance should be promulgated a month before any ordinance having authority should be published. However, the matter had only been lately under his notice, and as his sanction was by no means necessary, he could only say that his attention had been called to it.
§ MR. BRIGHTwished to ask whether the Governor of Gibraltar had forwarded to the Colonial Office the memorial presented to him on this subject by the Exchange Committee of Gibraltar; and whether the noble Lord would inform the House as to the appointment of the successor to Sir Robert Gardiner? The Duke of Newcastle informed a deputation from Gibraltar some time since that as his term of office had expired, the Governor only 1649 held his office till his successor should he appointed, and the noble Lord at the head of the Government repeated the same statement the other night.
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELLsaid, he did not know whether the memorial had been so forwarded; but, with respect to the second and more important part of the question, the Duke of Newcastle had informed Sir Robert Gardiner at Christmas last, when the period of his government expired, that he would not object to allowing him to retain his office till the spring. Within the last few days Lord Panmure had fixed upon the officer whom he intended to nominate as the successor of Sir Robert Gardiner, and when the name had been submitted to Her Majesty the new appointment would be made.