No. 4

I duly received Your Grace's Despatch No 44 of the
9th August last, transmitting an extract from a Report of
the Commissioners of Audit, upon the subject of the disallowance
of a sum of Sixty pounds (£60) from the accounts of British Columbia
for the year 1861, and calling upon me for a report in respect
of the circumstances under which credit for that sum was claimed.

2. The sum in question formed a portion of the Revenue
collected by Constable Seymour in May 1861, under instructions
from Mr Nind, the Magistrate in charge of the Alexandria District,
and was stolen from his person while sleeping at a way side House
near the Forks of Quesnelle. The circumstances of the loss were
declared to on oath by Constable Seymour, and were verified, so
far as they could be, by Mr Nind; from inquiries which he
subsequently made. When therefore, the claim for credit on
this account was first brought forward, I saw no reason to doubt
the truth of the statements made, and having a full appreciation
of all the difficulties attending the collection of revenue in a wild
and desolate country, I approved of the claim for credit being allowed.

3. Since the receipt of Your Grace's Despatch now under
reply, I have called upon Mr Nind for a special report in
respect of this matter, and I have personally examined Mr
Seymour upon the same subject. I forward herewith Mr Nind's
report for Your Grace's information, and I can only express my
own conviction that the loss occurred solely as represented, and
was, under the circumstances, not the result of carelessness or
neglect of precaution, but simply the result of the risk the
custodian was compelled to incur.

4. I trust this explanation may prove satisfactory to Your
Grace, and that the disallowance of credit entry may now be removed.

5. In accordance with the requirements of the Commissioners
of Audit, I forward herewith a Certificate from Mr Nind that the
amount has been included in the sums brought to account as Revenue.

6. I have to apologize for not earlier replying to Your
Grace's Despatch; but I deferred making any report upon the matter
until I could personally gather the particulars from Mr
Seymour,
who is, I believe a most respectable and trustworthy man, and who
left the service of the Government about twelve months ago for
the purpose of bettering his condition.