No. 15

I have had the honor to receive Your Lordship's despatch
No. 16 of 26th October, on the subject of the presence in
England of Mr John Cooper, Chief Clerk (or perhaps more
correctly lately Chief Clerk) of the Treasury in this Colony.

2. Mr Cooper was as he states strongly recommended to
me by General Moody. Shortly after Mr Coopers departure for
England I was informed that there was a deficiency in his
accounts as Treasurer of the Columbian Hospital. I recommended
on the 16th of March 1865, [to] the Secretary of State, that in
consequence of such alleged deficiency Mr Cooper's Salary
should be stopped. When I arrived in England Mr Cooper
informed me that he had furnished a completely satisfactory
explanation of the Charge I had forwarded and it was hard
he should suffer in purse and character on account of the delay
of acknowledgement of his exculpation from the Colony. Under
these circumstances I expressed My belief in Mr Cooper's
honesty and recommended in a private note, I believe, that
his half Salary should be paid. It seemed difficult to reconcile the
the strong recommendations of General Moody with the charge
made on behalf of the Columbian Hospital and I certainly
thought the charge against Mr Cooper ought [to] have been reiterated
or withdrawn by the Government of British Columbia during the
long period which elapsed between the receipt of my despatch
of 16th March 1865 and that of Mr Birch's of 29th
September 1866.

3. It was not until I reached the Colony that I learnt
that Mr Cooper's explanation was far from satisfactory; that
he had no formal leave of absence and that the Officer
Administering the Government had abolished his office.

4. I now arrive at the conclusion that Mr Cooper has no
one to blame but himself for the suspicion which he allows to
remain on his honor, although I think it to be regretted that
Mr Birch did not reply to Mr Secretary Cardwell's despatch
of 13th July 1865 until the 29th of September of the
succeeding year.

5. The abolition of Mr Cooper's office has caused a
saving of Expense without any inconvenience, and I am of
opinion that his would be one of the sinecure offices I should
now have to abolish were Mr Cooper still in possesion of it.