No. 4

In Your Lordship's Despatch Newfoundland No 13 of the 17th June,

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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 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 I 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 year 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 of 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,

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though I should not have troubled you now upon the subject,
except that Mr Hankin the Colonial Secretary is in doubt
whether he may be 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 the emoluments of the Officer whom he
succeeded for a time,

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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 by 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 period 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 Newfoundland 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 Sterling 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 Lordship 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 without placing me at
a serious disadvantage compared with the position occupied by my
predecessor, or my own in my former Government.