proposed Trust. You will have the goodness to understand that Lord Aberdeen does not intimate—as, in fact, he has not formed—any decided opinion upon this matter, but thinks it of such essential importance, and involved in such obscurity, as to require a solution of the question on the highest accessible authority before the discussion advances further.
"R. W. Hay."
"After much consultation on this letter, between Torrens and myself, we agreed that there was nothing in it tending to discourage or to lead us to suspect Hay of renewed bad faith. We, moreover, agreed that the commissioners ought to sustain the responsibility required of them, which is nothing more than a pledge for honesty and honour. Having thus determined, we called on Hay according to appointment, though we had little to say to him. He received us very civilly, and behaved in a very different manner to that which he manifested when Torrens last saw him. Torrens and I told him we saw nothing in his letter but what should be answered in the affirmative. Hay replied, he must have such an opinion expressed in writing by each of the commissioners. "We thanked him for his promptitude; he said he would not allow of delay in our matter, but would help us all he could. Torrens then gave him a paper relative to the Church Society, and the rules of the Literary Association; and on my telling him that they were put into his hand merely to show that there existed a body of persons willing to go to the colony, and who were somewhat above the common class of emigrants, he replied, they certainly proved that some persons, fond of intellectual pursuits, were prepared to emigrate with us.
"March 18th.—To-day a meeting of the Provisional Committee was held to examine the accounts and settle
