James to Under-Secretary of State
4th August 1870
Sir,
I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 5th ult relative to claims preferred by the Admiralty against certain Colonies, and to inform you that it is customary in all cases of stores supplied or labor expended at Foreign Stations on behalf of Colonial Governments, to obtain the signature of an officer responsible to the Department to which the supplies have been made.
2. As it is considered advisable by the Secretary of State for the Colonies that in addition to the signature of a responsible officer,theManuscript image the certificate or authority of the Governor of the Colony (by whom the charges have been incurred) should be obtained, I have to request you will cause such directions as you may think proper to be issued, in order that in future no requisitions may be made or certificate given for supplies from the Naval stations without the authority of the Governor of the Colony.
3. I am also to inform you that the order of the 6th May referred to in your letter related only to supplies to the War Department, and that it will be equally convenient to this Department whether the amounts due from Colonial Governments are paid on the spot, or are recovered by claims raised in this Office.
I am, Sir
Your obedient Servant
T. James
Prv Secy
Minutes by CO staff
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Mr Herbert
A copy of this letter together with a copy of ours to which it is an answer should go to the Governors H Kong, B. Columbia & Gibraltar with reference to Lord Granville's despatch to them of 30 June.
CC 6 Aug
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Draft at once for consideratn.
HTH 8/8
Other documents included in the file
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Herbert to Secretary of the Admiralty, Naval Store Branch, 16 August 1870, advising that a Circular Despatch would be issued directing the governors of the colonies to pay "on the spot" for all stores supplied by the Admiralty.
Minutes by CO staff
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Mr Herbert
Mr Blake has suggested & I think rightly that we shd get the Admy to assent to an uniform mode of paying for Stores & then to inform our Governors by Circular.
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Noted. p. 274.
JSL 1/2/71