Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch to London
Kennedy, Arthur to Pelham-Clinton, Henry Pelham Fiennes 20 May 1864, CO 305:22, no. 6966, 232.
Abstract
Despatch to London.
Minutes (2), Enclosures (untranscribed) (1), Other documents (1), Marginalia (1).
Kennedy forwards a letter from Watson, Treasurer of Vancouver Island, who is applying for a salary increase. Blackwood’s minute indicates that the
Civil List questionremains in a
very unsettled positionwhich will affect how soon they can authorise the raise. Rogers and Cardwell minute that the Colonial Office will be
unable to sanctionany increase in salary without
sufficient security that funds will be forthcoming.
No. 27
20th May 1864
My Lord Duke,
I have the honor to enclose the copy of a letter from Mr A. Watson,
Treasurer of this Colony, applying for an increase of Salary.
2. Your Grace will observe by the correspondence named in the margin
that Mr Watson was appointed at a Salary of £500 per annum. Your
Grace has in your despatch dated 15th June 1863 proposed to fix Mr
Watson's Salary at £600 per Annum—a sum, in my opinion, barely
sufficient to secure theservices
services of a competent Officer, having
regard to the very high cost of living in this Colony.
No. 78, Dec: 28th/61, Govr to Secy of State. No. 91, Mar:
15th/62, Secy of State to Govr. No. 25, May 17th/62, Govr to
Secy of State.
services of a competent Officer, having
regard to the very high cost of living in this Colony.
3. Mr Watson appears to be an industrious and accurate Officer and
I have authorized his drawing Salary at the rate of £600 per annum
from the 1st January 1864, on the distinct understanding that it is
subject to your Graces approval.
Minutes by CO staff
Sir F. Rogers
Mr Watson was the manager of the Branch Bank of B.N.A. at V.C. Island. He was offered and accepted the post of Colonial Treasurer with a salary of £500 per ann. payable out [of] the Crown Land Revenue—£400 a year having previously been the salary of the Office. He now asks for an increase of salary up to £600 (which is the amount proposed in the Civil List despt. to be assigned to the Treasurer) alleging that Gov. Douglas had recommended that the salary of the Office should be increased.
Mr Watson was the manager of the Branch Bank of B.N.A. at V.C. Island. He was offered and accepted the post of Colonial Treasurer with a salary of £500 per ann. payable out [of] the Crown Land Revenue—£400 a year having previously been the salary of the Office. He now asks for an increase of salary up to £600 (which is the amount proposed in the Civil List despt. to be assigned to the Treasurer) alleging that Gov. Douglas had recommended that the salary of the Office should be increased.
It appears to me that Governor D. has fulfilled his promise. The
Office—tho' not in Mr. W.'s time was £400. For Mr. Watson it has
been augmented to £500. I see no expectation held out by the Governor
of augmentation beyond that sum. But we have
ourselves without
solicitation on the part of any body raised the salary to £600—which
I quite think was no more than right
to do—when the Crown Land funds shd. be surrendered to the
Assembly in exchange for a Civil List. Mr. Watson, however, wants
the increased rate at once. Taking into consn. the very unsettled
position of the Civil List question I scarcely think the S. of State
can prudently acquiesce in that application, unless the Governor means
(for he does not explain himself) that the increase is to come from
the Assembly. If that is his intention we can have no objection to
Mr. Watson at once receiving the increased rate of Salary.
ourselves without
solicitation on the part of any body raised the salary to £600—which
I quite think was no more than right
to do—when the Crown Land funds shd. be surrendered to the
Assembly in exchange for a Civil List. Mr. Watson, however, wants
the increased rate at once. Taking into consn. the very unsettled
position of the Civil List question I scarcely think the S. of State
can prudently acquiesce in that application, unless the Governor means
(for he does not explain himself) that the increase is to come from
the Assembly. If that is his intention we can have no objection to
Mr. Watson at once receiving the increased rate of Salary.
ABd
28 July
I should state that Mr. Cardwell is unable to sanction any increase
of Mr Watson's or any other salary witht sufficient security that
funds will be forthcoming to meet the charges wh are thus created,
and those not merely from any accumulated balance, but from the
Revenue annually accruing.
