Separate
10th October 1865
Sir,
My attention has been drawn by the Treasurer to Clause 96 of the Colonial Rules and Regulations, which states that: Should any Civil Officer of a Colony be called to administer the GovernmentofManuscript image of a Colony when the Governor may be absent on leave, he will (unless some other arrangement has been made and sanctioned on his assumption of the Government) be entitled to receive only the Governor's half Salary and no part of his own Salary.
2. Previous to Mr Seymour's departure for England he informed me that I was entitled to draw the half salary of the Colonial Secretary in addition to the Governor's half Salary. IthereforeManuscript image therefore removed into the Government House to enable me to dispense such hospitalities as are expected, and are indeed necessary, from the Chief Officer in a Colony like this where as yet there are no suitable Hotels for the accommodation of Visitors.
3. If the Secretary of State's sanction is requisite, I have the honor to request that you will convey to me the necessary authority. NoadditionalManuscript image additional expense being entailed on the Colony by the arrangement. I will only add, that it is quite impossible in this expensive Country to keep up an Establishment at the Government House upon half the Salary of the Governor.
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient
humble Servant
Arthur N. Birch
Minutes by CO staff
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Mr Elliot
The Colonial Regulations are very clear on the point, and it is difficult to understand how they could have been misconstrued either by Mr Seymour or Mr Birch.
When Mr Birch wrote this Desp. he was not aware that the Act giving an additional £1000 to the Govr had been confirmed. TheManuscript image Acting Govr is of course entitled to half of the increased Salary which will augment his emoluments from £1500 to £2000. Had he been aware of this increase the present application would probably not have been made.
VJ 3 Jan
The Colonial Regulations say that a Civil Officer called on to administer the Government shall have half of the Governor's salary and none of his own. Governor Seymour, however, and Mr Birch settled that Mr Birch should draw half of his own besides. He has therefore been drawing £1500 as half of the Governor's salary and £400 as half of the Secretary's.
It would have been very difficult to sanction such an arrangement in the teeth of the Regulations.
ButManuscript image
But the embarrassment is removed by a fortunate accident. By an Ordinance which takes effect from April last, the Governor's salary is raised from £3000 to £4000. Mr Birch's moiety is therefore increased from £1500 to £2000.
I think that this renders the answer plain and I annex a draft accordingly.
TFE 15 Jany
Other documents included in the file
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Draft reply, Cardwell to Acting Governor Birch, No. 4, 16 January 1866.
Minutes by CO staff
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As this seems a plain case, I have prepared the present draft for approval.
Birch, Arthur Nonus to Cardwell, Edward 10 October 1865, CO 60:22, no. 93, 393. The Colonial Despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871, Edition 2.0, ed. James Hendrickson and the Colonial Despatches project. Victoria, B.C.: University of Victoria. https://bcgenesis.uvic.ca/B65113SP.html.

Last modified: 2020-03-30 13:22:16 -0700 (Mon, 30 Mar 2020) (SVN revision: 4193)