Colonial Despatches

In Your Lordship's Despatch Newfoundland No 13 of the 17th June, acquainting me with my appointment as Governor of this Colony it was stated that the Salary is at present £4,000 a year, and £1,000 for travelling expenses,but but that the amount of this Salary was a matter of complaint in the Colony and you would not be prepared to reject any application that it should be reduced to £3,000 a year together with the Governor's actual travelling expenses not exceeding £1,000.

2. On my arrival here Ihave have ascertained that my predecessor Mr Seymour received (£5,000) Five Thousand Pounds per annum, besides his travelling expenses, of which the actual amount only was drawn; for in addition to the amount of £4,000 under Act of the local Legislature he drew the sum of £1,000 a yearfrom from the Crown fund which has never been transferred to the control of the local Legislature.

3. I find that Mr Seymour considered himself authorised to draw this amount by some sanction given by Lord Carnarvon, mentioned in Mr Seymour's Despatch Separate ofthe the 17th April 1867, but of which I see no other record. I do not, however, regard myself as entitled to do the same without reference to Your Lordship, though I should not have troubled you now upon the subject, except that Mr Hankin the Colonial Secretary is in doubt whether he may bepaid paid the half of the allowance from the Crown fund at the rate of £1,000 per annum for the period during which he administered the government between the dates of Mr Seymour's death and my arrival. Mr Hankin was presumably entitled to half of theemoluents emoluments of the Officer whom he succeeded for a time, and I would recommend that he at all events should be allowed this amount, as it will not add to the expenses of the Colony. As regards my own case, I believe from what I learn that no objection would be taken bythe the Community to my receiving the same amount of official emolument that Mr Seymour drew, as I shall probably be the last Governor of the Colony under the existing establishment, for I think there is reason for anticipating that at no distant periodarrangements arrangements may be made for uniting British Columbia with the Dominion. And I would ask for Your Lordship's favorable consideration, upon the ground that I find the expenses of living in this Colony are so much greater than they are in Newfoundlandthat that in fact £4,000 is scarcely equal to more than half that amount in my former residence. Servants wages are more than double—for Female Servants three times—the rates in Newfoundland or Halifax; there is some difficulty in procuring Housemaids even at Fifty Pounds Sterlingand and their board; while almost all other prices and expenses are from fifty to one hundred per cent greater than in the Eastern Provinces, and I have not the advantage of allowances such as for Light and Fuel which was enjoyed at Newfoundland.

5. But, if Your Lordshipshould should regard a reduction of the Salary as necessary on any application which might be made, I would respectfully submit that to reduce it to £4,000, of which £1,000 might as heretofore be paid from the Crown fund, would be as great a reduction as could be effected withoutplacing placing me at a serious disadvantage compared with the position occupied by my predecessor, or my own in my former Government.