No. 18

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 3
of the 16th of January enclosing a letter from Mr. Ball, the Acting
Colonial Secretary, applying to be allowed to draw the full salary of
his appointment as Stipendiary Magistrate at Quesnelmouth, as well as
the half salary accruing to him as Acting Colonial Secretary.

Your despatch furnishes no explanation of the arrangements which
were made for the discharge of Mr. Ball's duties as Stipendiary
magistrate, nor any information which would shew whether he can properly
be considered as performing the duties of two Offices. Nor do you
submit any explicit recommendation either that Mr. Ball's application
should or that it should not be granted.

Under these circumstances I regret that I am unable to sanction a
compliance with Mr. Ball's request.