Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Correspondence (private letter)
Cooper, John to Carnarvon, Earl 26 September 1866, CO 60:26, no. 9342, 277.
Abstract
Cooper, John to Carnarvon, Earl 26 September 1866, CO 60:26, no. 9342, 277.
Correspondence (private letter).
Minutes (2), Other documents (3).
Cooper to Carnarvon
Forest House, Forest Row
Dalston
Septr 26th 1866
Dalston
My Lord,
Upon the 15th instant, Governor Seymour addressed me as follows;
I have written to the Colonial Office about your half
salary and expressing my belief that there is no foundation
for the charge which has been brought against you.
I have the honor to request that the Crown Agents for
the Colonies may be instructed to hand to me, my half salary
Two hundred and thirty three Pounds, six shillings and
eight pence (£233.6.8) upon my application.
Referring to the letter addressed to me in October last
by Sir F. Rogers, I have the honor to state
that the legal
proceedings mentioned have not yet terminated, the case though
set down for the last sitting of the Court, did not come in,
and is to be heard in November next.
that the legal
proceedings mentioned have not yet terminated, the case though
set down for the last sitting of the Court, did not come in,
and is to be heard in November next.
I have the honor to be,
Your Lordship's obedt Servant
John Cooper
Chief Clerk of the Treasury
of British Columbia
Your Lordship's obedt Servant
John Cooper
Chief Clerk of the Treasury
of British Columbia
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Elliot
Inform Mr Cooper that the Governor will be reminded of this arrear & be called upon for a report. In the meanwhile the S. State does not feel himself at liberty to order Mr Cooper the payment of his 1/2 salary.
Inform Mr Cooper that the Governor will be reminded of this arrear & be called upon for a report. In the meanwhile the S. State does not feel himself at liberty to order Mr Cooper the payment of his 1/2 salary.
ABd
27 Sep
I confess that on looking into this matter I
see no justification for witholding Mr Cooper's 1/2
salary. Nakedly stated the matter stands thus.
The Government owes Mr Cooper a certain sum
of money.
of money.
There is a question whether Mr Cooper does or does not owe a
sum of money to a certain institution in B. Columbia
called the Royal Columbian Hospital.
There are no means of knowing whether the Hospital
is right or Mr Cooper is right as a matter of account,
nor does the Royal Hospital ask us to interfere. Nor is
it alleged Mr Cooper will be unable to pay any sum due from him,
if it is due.
But a year & a half ago the Govr wrote to us
recommending that Mr Cooper's salary shd be
witheld—not till the matter was settled but till he
had been called on for an explanation. The explanation
(wh perhaps he was not very distinctly called upon to
explain) was furnished—& of course we are quite unable
to guess how much it was worth. It was sent to the
Colony more than a year ago
(July 1865). The Colonial Govt have
taken no further notice of this matter (it being in fact no affair of
theirs or ours but the affair of the Governors of the Hospital
who, if anybody, shd have applied to us to stop Mr Cooper's salary) and Mr Cooper remains accordingly without money.
(July 1865). The Colonial Govt have
taken no further notice of this matter (it being in fact no affair of
theirs or ours but the affair of the Governors of the Hospital
who, if anybody, shd have applied to us to stop Mr Cooper's salary) and Mr Cooper remains accordingly without money.
It is very probable that Mr Cooper has misbehaved &
quite true (as Mr Jadis says) that Mr Cooper's
statements do not relieve him from responsibility.
But that responsibility is not to us but to the
Institution—from whom we have received no request
to interfere, & who could not with any reason request
that we shd refuse payment of our debts for a year
& a half while they are carrying on their legal proceedings.
I shd be therefore for paying Mr Cooper at once.
Other documents included in the file
Record of Cooper's extended leave of absence, prepared by
colonial office staff.
