Colonial Despatches

I have the honor to forward to you herewith at the desire of the Assay Department of British Columbia, certain correspondence respecting a claim put forthby by them to an increase of salary.

2. I regret that these Gentlemen should have assumed the position that these Documents will disclose, for it appears to me to bear very much the complexion of an attempt upon their part to coerce the Government into a compliance with their demands, at a moment when they believe their services are indispensable, and the Government wholly in their power to carry out animportant important measure in connection with their Department.

3. Your Grace is aware of the project I entertained of issuing Gold pieces from the Assay Office of the value of Ten and Twenty dollars American currency, and Her Majesty's Government have approved the scheme. To carry it out I consider the Staff at the Assay Office ample, in short that is proved by the fact that a large number of these pieces have for practice been producedby by that staff, and indeed the Gentlemen themselves do not pretend to assert that they are unequal to the labor. They consider however the operation as one in no way connected with their duties, and before undertaking any of the work, apply for an increase of salary. I inform them that when the contemplated arrangements are carried out I will take their case into consideration, they reply by refusing to "take anypart part" in what they term "Mint operations."

4. They also endeavour to support their claims to increased salary by referring to "promises of the Home Government" made through the Master of the Royal Mint at the time he engaged them. For these assertions I cannot find the least foundation. The reports of Professor Graham respecting the engagement of these Gentlemen are full and precise. An increase of salary is promisedafter after the first year of their engagement if that increase was duly accorded; therefore perfect faith has been kept with them in the promises made by Professor Graham, and not only so, for they have since their arrival in the Colony been provided with free quarters, an advantage which does not appear to have been promised by Professor Graham, and one which is not to be lightly estimated in a Countrywhere where most of the other public Officers have had to incur a heavy outlay in purchasing land and building Houses for themselves. It is, however, not improbable that Professor Graham did hold out hopes to these gentlemen that in time they would obtain larger salaries than he could offer, to an increase the legitimate result of their own exertions and integrity, but such a circumstance would form no ground on which to assert so positive a claim asthat that put forth by these gentlemen, nor to justify them in the course they have adopted.

5. I cannot therefore consider that these gentlemen have any case of complaint to present to your Grace, and I trust your Grace will support me in the action I have taken. The period for which their salaries were assured to them by Professor Graham will expire next month, and it was myintention intention then to remodel the Establishment for it has been a most expensive one, the entire outlay in connection with it having exceeded £9000, while the receipts are little more than £900. The staff has been a double one and capable of conducting the most extensive operations, but 40,000 ounces of gold only having passed through their hands in 2 years, these gentlemen have in consequence been leading a life of comparative idleness.Now, Now, when there is a prospect of their services being remunerative, they refuse to render those services unless specially paid for them.

6. Your Grace will observe that when first requested by these Gentlemen to refer their case to you, I declined to do so, considering that there was no necessity to trespass upon your Grace's time with a matter of detail which was left to me to settle. As however, they have claimedtheir their right to such reference, I have only to comply with the regulations of the service and to forward the correspondence with this my report.