Having laid before my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty your
letter of the
24th Inst. with its enclosures respecting the
application for a grant of Colonial Pay to the Lieutenants in command
of Her Majesty's Gun Boats
Grappler and
Forward while employed on the
Vancouver Station; and suggesting that
as as the Revenues of those
Colonies are not in a state to admit of any grant on this account, an
Extra rate of Pay might be allowed; I am commanded
by their Lordships to acquaint you, for the information of His Grace
the
Duke of Newcastle, that my Lords consider there are great objections
to the principle of granting Extra Pay, and that they do not deem the
case
in in question sufficiently strong to be made Exceptional.
Minutes by CO staff
The application was for extra allowances to all the Crew and not
merely to the Lieutenants in command. It is sufficiently plain
however that this would not remove, but probably increase, the
general objection entertained by the Admiralty.
I suppose therefore that the Governor may now be answered that these
allowances cannot be granted. We can frame a despatch which will
give some idea of the important objections of principle, so as to
soften any disappointment which may be felt at the refusal.