No. 35
24 February 1867
My Lord,
On the Union of the two Colonies of
British Columbia and
Vancouver Island and the extraordinary financial depression into
which both had been allowed to fall, it became
necessary
necessary to make
considerable reductions in the Public Establishments.
The Official Staff of
Vancouver Island has suffered most
inasmuch as it was abolished by the Act of Parliament which
brought about Union, but in one or two cases I have acted upon the
authority given me in Your Lordship's letter of the
14 of
September 1866, and effected such reductions in the staff of
Public Officers on the Mainland as the financial depression required.
2. Among
2. Among the Gentlemen who lost Office is
M Charles
Franks, appointed as Treasurer by the late
Duke of Newcastle.
It would be rather an abuse of terms to speak of
M Franks'
Services to the Colony in the very light duties he has
had to perform, yet he has come to
British Columbia on the
faith of a permanent appointment and he has had nothing to say,
beyond drawing a considerable Salary, to bringing the Colony
to
its
its present wretched financial condition.
3. Although I do not consider
M Franks as a valuable
public officer on account of his infirmity of temper there may
be situations which he is qualified to fill. He has received a
good education and is not deficient in quickness of apprehension.
4. As a Compensation for the loss of an Office, to which in
my candid opinion he ought never to have been appointed I
have
have
offered
M Franks the amount of his passage to England and
three months full pay. He has not drawn either. Should Your
Lordship think fit to bestow this allowance or something higher
upon
M Franks, Your order upon the Colonial Agents will of
course meet the case.
5. After lingering long in the Colony
M Franks suddenly
departed without giving me any notice and thus it came about
that he went home
unaccompanied
unaccompanied by any despatch from me.
Minutes by CO staff
M Elliot
M Franks holds a warrant of apptment from this Office—with
instructions from
the Treasury as to his conduct as
Treasurer. Perhaps
the Treasury may feel that they have a
voice in this case. Any how we should have to obtain their
concurrence in any payment to
M Franks. Much as this
Gentleman has made himself disliked by his Brother Officials
we must be just to him. He has lost his Office, worth £750
a year, owing to the Union of the 2 Colonies, & is entitled,
I think, to some gratuity as compensation. And it
w
be better probably to grant that than to let him reenter
the public service, of which, according to all accounts,
he is not an ornament. He has been nearly 3 years in Office.
I believe however that
M Frankshas
has obtained access
to
M Hunt, and is a very constant applicant to him at
present for further employment.
I cannot say that I see any reason for awarding to him more
than the Governor offered.
I think that we would be well to send a copy of this
despatch officially to
the Treasury (which will incidentally
show them the Governor's account of
M Franks) and to tell
them of such decision as may be adopted here as to offering
the same payment as was offered by the Governor.
Refer to confidential despatch
rec from
Gov. Seymour—after
reading which it appears to me that
M F. is fairly
entitled—
not having been dismissed—to the usual gratuity
which is a month for each year of office—and his expenses
home—if Treasury concur in this
M F. will have no claim
for reemployment under this department, &
sh be so
informed at once.
Gov Seymour's despatch hardly indicates
M F.'s conduct as [detailed?] in the Confid: desp with accuracy.
The Treasury must be made aware of both.
Other documents included in the file
Elliot to
G.A. Hamilton, Treasury,
23 April 1867, forwarding
copy of the despatch for consideration and advising that it was
intended to extend the same terms as offered by the governor.
People in this document
Adderley, Charles Bowyer
Blackwood, Arthur Johnstone
Carnarvon, Earl
Elliot, Thomas Frederick
Franks, Charles William
Grenville, Richard
Hamilton, George Alexander
Hunt, George Ward
Pelham-Clinton, Henry Pelham Fiennes
Seymour, Frederick
Organizations in this document
Colonial Office
Treasury
Places in this document
British Columbia
Vancouver Island