Franks to Adderley (Parliamentary Under-Secretary)
Langham Hotel
May 20th 1867
Sir,
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 3d inst.
With regard to the payments therein authorized, I beg to acquaint you that I have received from the Crown Agents the sum of £309.10, being £122 for my passage home, and £187.10 for three month's salary.
I beg to state that I have not received any Salary for the month of January, during half of which I was still Employed in preparing my Account Current, and that I believe I have other claims to compensation which I may desire to put forward at some more favourable time.
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But the purpose of this letter is to enquire—with reference to the concluding paragraph of your Despatch—on what ground you are directed to inform me that the Duke of Buckingham & Chandos cannot hold out to me any prospect of further employment? And to request—if this announcement is made to me in consequence of my Report from Governor Seymour—that I may be furnished with a copy or permitted to inspect such Report at the Colonial Office.
I have the honour to be
Sir,
Your obedient Servant
Charles W. Franks

Right Hon.
C.B. Adderley M.P.
&c &c &c
Minutes by CO staff
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VJ 21 May
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Mr Franks was informed that he was to expect no further employment. If this is caused by any report from Governor Seymour, he asks either to have a copy or to see it.
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I think that a man who is told to expect no further employment is entitled to ask the reason why. But the exact answer requires deliberation. I will only offer my impressions for what they may be worth.
One answer would be to give him the despatch. It is marked "Confidential," but Article 174 of the Colonial Regulations reserves to the Secretary of State a discretion. One inconvenience of giving the despatch would be that the Colonial Secretary in an official letter said that Mr Seymour "deeply regretted" that he had no other place to offer Mr Franks, while his Confidential despatch speaks of the "general rejoicing" of the Govt Officials and people at Mr Franks's ceasing toholdManuscript image hold Office. This inconvenience, it is true, would be Mr Seymour's own, produced by his own inconsistency, so far as it is one. But on more general grounds, one would be loth to produce a Confidential despatch if it can be avoided.
Another plan would be to tell Mr Franks that the Secretary of State is not prepared to produce to him Mr Seymour's despatches, but thinks it right to state to him that the Duke has been apprized of such numerous altercations between him and persons of all ranks in B. Columbia that, without entering into the merits of the several disputes, His Grace could not consideritManuscript image it for the public interest to confer upon him a fresh appointment in the Colonies.
Perhaps the last is the best course?
TFE 24 May
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I think the last the right course, & certainly not to show the Confidential Desp.
CBA 24/5
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Reply that Sec of State must decline to enter a discussion of the reasons which influence him in the disposal of public patronage.
B&C 24/5
Other documents included in the file
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Adderley to Franks, 30 May 1867, declining to open the subject of the reasons which influence the Secretary of State in conferring appointments to the public service.
Minutes by CO staff
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Mr Jadis
As the last letter was signed by Mr Adderley, care should be taken that this also, when transcribed, is submitted for his Signature.
Franks, Charles W. to Adderley, C. B. 20 May 1867, CO 60:31, no. 4974, 232. 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/B676F02.html.

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