No. 5

I have received your Despatch No. 154 of the 8th Ult. enclosing an
application from Mr. Ball, one of the Stipendiary Magistrates in B.C. on
 behalf of his son to the nomination to a Naval cadetship for the present
year.

The limited number of nominations placed at my disposal annually
by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, is allotted in the first
instance to the North American and Australian Colonies.

If any of the Colonies to which nominations are due, omit to submit
the name of a candidate within the first quarter of the year, in
accordance with instructions contained in Mr. Cardwell's circular
Despatch of the 25th October 1865, a copy of which I enclose, the
nomination is considered to have lapsed. The Secretary of State is thus
occasionally enabled to entertain applications from other Colonies. In
view of this contingency my Predecessor's circular Despatch of the 11th
June was sent to B.C.

You will inform Mr. Ball that if any Colony should fail to nominate
a Candidate within the prescribed period, I may be able to submit the
name of his son to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty for the
lapsed nomination.

I must however clearly explain that the object of these nominations
to naval cadetships is not to benefit the Colonial Public service, but
to connect with this country, through the royal navy, members of
families who are fixed in the Colonies irrespectively of any public
employment. It is only in the absence of applications of this kind that
I consider myself at liberty to exercise these nominations on behalf of
the sons of Public Officers.

I transmit to you for your information and guidance copies in
duplicate of the circular Despatches noted in the margin,

*

relative to the examination and entry &c of naval cadets copies of which
should be given to Mr. Ball for his information. The form enclosed in
the circular Despatch of 18th August 1868 should be filled up [by] him
and transmitted to me at your earliest convenience.

I also enclose a copy of a letter which I have cause to be
addressed to Mr. Ball's son in this country, acquainting him with the
 result of the application which has been made on his behalf.