Colonial Despatches

I have had the honor to receive Your Lordship's despatch No. 16 of 26th October, on the subject of the presence in England of Mr John Cooper, Chief Clerk (or perhaps morecorrectly correctly lately Chief Clerk) of the Treasury in this Colony.

2. Mr Cooper was as he states strongly recommended to me by General Moody. Shortly after Mr Coopers departure for England I was informed that there was a deficiency in his accounts as Treasurer of the Columbian Hospital. I recommended on the 16th of March 1865, [to] the Secretary of State, that in consequence of such alleged deficiency MrCooper's Cooper's Salary should be stopped. When I arrived in England Mr Cooper informed me that he had furnished a completely satisfactory explanation of the Charge I had forwarded and it was hard he should suffer in purse and character on account of the delay of acknowledgement of his exculpation from the Colony. Under these circumstances I expressed My belief in Mr Cooper's honesty and recommended in a privatenote note, I believe, that his half Salary should be paid. It seemed difficult to reconcile the the strong recommendations of General Moody with the charge made on behalf of the Columbian Hospital and I certainly thought the charge against Mr Cooper ought [to] have been reiterated or withdrawn by the Government of British Columbia during the long period which elapsed between the receipt of my despatch of 16th March 1865 and that of MrBirch's Birch's of 29th September 1866.

3. It was not until I reached the Colony that I learnt that Mr Cooper's explanation was far from satisfactory; that he had no formal leave of absence and that the Officer Administering the Government had abolished his office.

4. I now arrive at the conclusion that Mr Cooper has no one to blame but himself for the suspicion which he allows to remain on hishonor honor, although I think it to be regretted that Mr Birch did not reply to Mr Secretary Cardwell's despatch of 13th July 1865 until the 29th of September of the succeeding year.

5. The abolition of Mr Cooper's office has caused a saving of Expense without any inconvenience, and I am of opinion that his would be one of the sinecure offices I should now have to abolish were Mr Cooper still inpossession possesion of it.