Colonial Despatches

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 3 of the 16th of January enclosing a letter from Mr. Ball, the Acting Colonial Secretary, applying to be allowed to draw the full salary of his appointment as Stipendiary Magistrate atQuesnelmouth Quesnelmouth, as well as the half salary accruing to him as Acting Colonial Secretary.

Your despatch furnishes no explanation of the arrangements which were made for the discharge of Mr. Ball's duties as Stipendiary magistrate, nor any information which would shew whether he can properly be considered as performing the duties of two Offices. Nor do you submit any explicit recommendation either that Mr. Ball's application should or that it should not be granted.

Under these circumstancesI I regret that I am unable to sanction a compliance with Mr. Ball's request.