Hamilton to Rogers (Permanent Under-Secretary)
Treasury Chambers
20 May 1861
I am directed by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majestys Treasury to acquaint you for the information of the Duke of Newcastle with reference to your letter of the 7 Inst that Their Lordships see no objection to the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for British Columbia for the year 1861.
They will not object to the increases to the Salaries of the Civil Officers as shown in the Table enclosed in your letter but They wish to be informed whether theColonialManuscript image Colonial Secretary besides having his salary increased from £500 to £800 will receive pay for the first time for acting as Auditor as My Lords would consider that if he has hitherto discharged the duties of both Offices for a Salary of £500 it was not necessary that he should receive the double advantage of a new separate pay of £200 as Auditor and of the additional Salary of £300 for his office of Secretary.
I am etc.
Geo. A. Hamilton
Minutes by CO staff
Manuscript image
Mr Elliot
In a desph to Govr Douglas dated the 3 March/59 the S. of S. expressed his opinion that the Colonial Secy & the Auditor of B. Columbia might be combined in one person.
We have hitherto had no reason to doubt the practicability of this combination, which we suppose to have taken effect.
I quite agree with the Treasury. If Mr Young has done both duties for £500 a year he can equally perform them for £800.
I should advise the sanctioning these Estimates of Revenue and Expre for /61 subject to the deduction of the £200 per ann: set apart by the Govr for the Acting Auditor.
ABd 23 May/61
I agree with Mr Blackwood. In fact the proposal to give the Colonial Secretary the double benefit appears so strange that it was some time before I could think that it was meant. I think that the general projects about salaries may be approved, but that then it should be pointed out that the Colonial Secretary has hitherto discharged the combined duties of his Office and that of Auditor for a salary of £500, and that he ought now to perform the same for the Col. Secretary's increased salary of £800, and that H.M. Govt cannot approve of assigning to him, over and above the increase of his salary, an acting allowance of £200 per annum as auditor.
TFE 27 May
CF 29
N 30