John Cooper was appointed Chief Clerk of the Treasury in
March 1859. His position was under the overarching jurisdiction of the Treasury of
London, and Cooper was charged with financial matters such as issues of currency. Cooper was also eligible to sit on trials regarding financial problems, which included
“Angelo's Trial” - an embezzlement case - Cooper's position was to demonstrate to
the court the money accounted for and not accounted for.
In
1860, the staff of the treasury was relocated to
New Westminster where they would remain until
1868. At this time, Cooper outwardly protested the grants of land given to
Father Fouquet to build a church, one of his objections was that
the assembling of Indians in considerable numbers on the spot…would be objectionable
and calculated to injure respectability.
On
26 November 1861, Cooper was appointed, amongst other members, to a committee with the responsibility
to
draw up a set of rules for the organization and management of a hospital.
By
13 February 1862, Cooper was elected as the treasurer on the first Board of Managers for the Royal
Columbia Hospital.
Cooper's career in the treasury took a turn in
1865 when he was accused of
absconding funds
as $687 was missing soon after Cooper took his leave of absence to England. For the next two years, Cooper's position was questioned and eventually in
1866-1867 his direct and official connection to the colony of
British Columbia was terminated. After Cooper's “resignation,” he left for Australia; although, it is unclear how
long Cooper remained there as his date of death is unknown.
- 1. The Currency Question, The Daily Colonist, 22 August 1859, 1.
- 2. Conclusion of Angelo's Trial, The Daily Colonist, 18 August 1859, 3.
- 3. Edgar Fawcett, Some Reminiscences of Old Victoria: 1847-1923, (Toronto: William Briggs, 1912), 92.
- 4. Margaret Lilloet McDonald, New Westminster, 1857-1871, (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Library, 2012), 379.
- 5. Ibid., 253-254.
- 6. Ibid., 254.
- 7. Ibid., 258
- 8. Carnarvon to Seymour, 20 January 1867, NAC, 42.