Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Correspondence (private letter)
Watson, Alexander to
Elliot, Thomas Frederick 9 November 1867, CO 60:31, no. 11037, 412.
Abstract
Watson, Alexander to
Elliot, Thomas Frederick 9 November 1867, CO 60:31, no. 11037, 412.
Correspondence (private letter).
Minutes (3), Enclosures (untranscribed) (1).
Watson to Elliot (Assistant Under-Secretary)
41 Ann Street Edinburgh
9 November 1867
Sir,
I have the honor to report for the information of His Grace the
Secretary of State that, in pursuance of my last letter to You on the
subject of my salary as Colonial Treasurer of Vancouver Island, I
presented to the Crown Agents my draft for £100, that sum being the
difference, undrawn, betwixt my full pay, or the salary appertaing
to my office, and the rate of £400 per annum for the six months ended
the 31st October last and that the draft was returned unpaid, answer,
"no advice to accept at present." Annexed to my draft was
Governor Seymour's despatch dated the 30th March 1867, that being the
document upon which my claim is basedand
and not the "Certificate of
Leave" which was handed to me in London and which I cannot regard as
an authentic document for the following reason. At the suggestion of
Mr A.N. Birch, in order to save him trouble, I drew up in accordance
with the Colonial Regulations and submitted for the Governor's
Signature the usual form of "Certificate" required to be furnished to
Officers leaving a Colony which document purported to authorize me
to draw full pay for six months as Colonial Treasurer of Vancouver
Island
in terms of the Governor's despatch already referred to. The
Colonial Secretary and the Private Secretary both assured me that the
said document would be signed and duly forwarded to me before my
departure and upon the faith of these assurances I actually embarked,
with my family, for England. The Certificate, however, was not
forthcoming until my arrival at the Colonial Office in London when it
appeared that the words "Four Hundred Pounds"had
had been inserted after
the words "full pay" without my concurrence. I have no evidence that
His Excellency was aware of the alteration having been made and his
original offer to me thereby impaired to the extent of £200 per
annum. But Mr Birch was certainly aware that such an alteration in
the Governor's words "full pay" was contrary to my expectations and
not what I understood at the time when His Excellency made me the
offer.
and not the "Certificate of
Leave" which was handed to me in London and which I cannot regard as
an authentic document for the following reason. At the suggestion of
Mr A.N. Birch, in order to save him trouble, I drew up in accordance
with the Colonial Regulations and submitted for the Governor's
Signature the usual form of "Certificate" required to be furnished to
Officers leaving a Colony which document purported to authorize me
to draw full pay for six months as Colonial Treasurer of Vancouver
Island
in terms of the Governor's despatch already referred to. The
Colonial Secretary and the Private Secretary both assured me that the
said document would be signed and duly forwarded to me before my
departure and upon the faith of these assurances I actually embarked,
with my family, for England. The Certificate, however, was not
forthcoming until my arrival at the Colonial Office in London when it
appeared that the words "Four Hundred Pounds"had
had been inserted after
the words "full pay" without my concurrence. I have no evidence that
His Excellency was aware of the alteration having been made and his
original offer to me thereby impaired to the extent of £200 per
annum. But Mr Birch was certainly aware that such an alteration in
the Governor's words "full pay" was contrary to my expectations and
not what I understood at the time when His Excellency made me the
offer.
Having left the question of compensation for loss of office
entirely in the hands of Her Majesty's Government I was willing to
submit to the temporary inconvenience arising out of the loss of
"full pay" for six months but as nearly a year has already elapsed
since the abolition of my office without my having received any
satisfactory communication from the Government on the subject, I have
only to add—and I trust that you will submit the circumstances to
His Grace at your early convenience—that the balance of pay due to
me by the Colonial Government is now necessary to enable me to availmyself
myself of other employment which I have accepted and that the
withholding of said balance of salary can only have the effect, in my
humble judgment, of increasing the embarrassment of the Colonial
Authorities in dealing with my claim for compensation for the loss of
a Crown Appointment from no fault of mine.
myself of other employment which I have accepted and that the
withholding of said balance of salary can only have the effect, in my
humble judgment, of increasing the embarrassment of the Colonial
Authorities in dealing with my claim for compensation for the loss of
a Crown Appointment from no fault of mine.
Minutes by CO staff
Some time after the date of this letter, Mr Watson called at
this Office and had an interview with me.
Governor Seymour gave him leave on full pay. The Legislature
had only voted £400 for his place and this was assumed therefore to
be full pay, and he has been so paid accordingly.
But Mr Watson says that he never consented to serve for £400
per annum. The Law rendered it necessary that he should continue to
be actually Treasurer of Vancouver until March 1867. He consented to
remain as the Law required it, and he contends that he was therefore
entitled to the salary he had always had of £600per
per annum, and that
when Governor Seymour said full pay, he was entitled to understand it
as meaning £600.
per annum, and that
when Governor Seymour said full pay, he was entitled to understand it
as meaning £600.
I think it will be found, if ever there is need to re-examine
these papers—and if so, it certainly is curious—that Governor
Seymour did not in any of the letters which have reached us ever
distinctly name to Mr Watson the amount of his pay.
I told Mr Watson that there seemed to be a certain difference
as to matters of fact which it was almost impossible to clear up in
this Country, and he told me that he was on the eve of sailing for
British Columbia. I have ascertained that he did accordingly sail on
the 2nd of December 1867, having received the appointment of
Resident Inspector of the Bankof
of British Columbia.
of British Columbia.
Therefore all these papers may now be put by. I have only made
this memo in case it should be of use if ever the subject be revived.
Put by at once.
TFE
14 Feby
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Certification granting Watson six months leave of absence
with full pay at the rate of £400 per annum.