No. 35
8th September 1864
Sir,
I have the honor to forward herewith a Requisition from the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works for certain Stores required for his Department, and to request you will be good enough to instruct the Crown Agents to procure the Articles in question and to ship them to this Colony with all convenient speed.
2. As the Chief CommissionerofManuscript image of Lands and Works, Mr J.W. Trutch is now on his way to England he has asked permission to purchase certain Drawings and Works on Engineering which are required for his Department, I have therefore the honor to request you will at the same time authorize the Crown Agents to advance Mr Trutch a sum of Two hundred pounds (£200) for this purpose.
I have the honor to be
Sir,
Your most obedient
humble Servant
Frederick Seymour
Minutes by CO staff
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Mr Elliot
With regard to the Stores for the Land & Works Dept instruct the Agents to procure & send them out: but to authorize the payment of £200 to Mr Trutch for the purchase of Works &c on engineering would appear to be somewhat irregular—the better course would be for Mr Trutch to furnish in the first instance a list of the Drawings & books he requires, specifying their cost?
VJ 18 N
See 10598: please return this with it.
TFE 18/11
See Minute on 10598.
VJ 19
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I thoroughly agree with Mr Jadis as to the inexpediency of putting a sum of money into the hands of Officers home on leave, in order that they may purchase articles which they say that they want for their Departments. If we were to deal in this way with "smart" men coming home from half-Yankee Colonies, it would be our own fault if we soon discovered gross jobbing, not to say worse. Of course I say this without intending any reflection on the gentleman concerned in this particular instance: I merely object to an obviously faulty practice.
I think that we should indeceive Mr Trutch immediately lest he should begin making purchases on the strength of this irregular scheme.
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I also think that the sum is extravagant, and that we should refuse at first to authorize so much for books. If he has any good pleas to offer for it, we shall hear them.
I further think that we should make Governor Seymour aware that the project in this case is objectionable in principle.
As to the small requisition for drawing materials &c, it might be inconvenient and vexations to defer it, and I prepared a draft authorizing the Agents to prepare the supply.
TFE 19 Decr
P.S. Mr Cardwell has approved the draft to Mr Trutch, and the other draft on drawing materials is to be copied for Sigre. The rest can wait till we receive Mr Trutch's answer.
TFE 19/12
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
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Requisition for stores for the lands and works department, showing a total expense of £50.6.10.
Other documents included in the file
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Elliot to Crown Agents, 20 December 1864, forwarding copy of the requisition and authorizing purchase of the goods.
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Elliot to J.W. Trutch, 20 December 1864, advising that the £200 could not be authorized but that he should submit a list of the required materials for consideration.