No. 39

I have received your despatch No. 44 of the 4th of May,
relative to the position of Mr James Cooper, the Harbor Master of
British Columbia.

I can only consider this case on public grounds. Mr Cooper was
appointed for the

service of British Columbia, and derives from it his
whole income. There can be no reason therefore to exempt him from the
rule that it's public officers are to reside within the Colony. Nor can
I sanction his being again permitted on any future occasion to charge
travelling expenses for proceeding to the Country which is expressly the
scene of any duty that may be found for him to perform.

I am not sure whether I clearly understand from your other despatch
of the 4th of May that Mr Cooper is in habitual public opposition
to the Government, as a member of the Legislature of Vancouver's Island.
But I need scarcely inform you that this is not a position which in any
part of

the World it is allowed to Officers holding permanent Government
appointments to assume. If therefore such be the fact in the present
instance, it will be necessary for you to inform Mr Cooper that, in
case he feels that he cannot do otherwise than oppose the Government, he
must relinquish his office. It is competent to any man to make his
choice between political life and official life, but he cannot expect to
be an active opponent of the Government, and to remain a public servant.
For the same reason it is the general rule that Officers holding
permanent appointments cannot be allowed to be writers in, or Editors or
Proprietors of political Journals, or to be otherwise engaged in the

conduct of such journals, and to this rule Mr Cooper must conform in
like manner with all other permanent servants of the Government in other
parts of the World.