No. 15

When Mr. Arthur N. Birch was appointed by the Duke of Newcastle to
 the Colonial Secretaryship of British Columbia it was stipulated that he
was to retain his position in this Office unaffected in any respect by
this appointment, except that he was not to draw any Salary from the
Colonial Office and that he was liable to be recalled at the expiration
of two years from the date of taking up the appointment unless he then
should elect (which I understand will not be the case) to give up his
Clerkship here and to retain his Office in the Colony. It was at the
same time understood that it would be open to him to apply for an
extension of this period to three years if it could be granted without
inconvenience to the Office.

Mr. Birch has already been informed privately that he will be
 called upon to return to this Office on your arrival in British Columbia. But I think it requisite to repeat this announcement and to
 request that Mr. Birch will lose no time in returning to this Country to
resume his duties.