No. 57

I have the honor to forward to Your Lordship a Memorial from
Officers of the Civil Service who will remain in the employment
of the local Government of this Province after Union with the
Dominion. They fear the effect of "Responsible" or Party
Government upon the security of their present appointments, and
pray that they may still be entitled to look to Her Majesty's
Government for further employment elsewhere in the event of
their losing their offices through no fault of their own.

2. I have communicated to these gentlemen the first part of
Your Lordship's Despatch No 3 of the 19th January, in which
you authorized me to

inform the Civil Officers of British
Columbia that their acceptance of employment under the Canadian
Government will not preclude them from applying at any future
time for other employment under your Department and that it
should not efface any claims to such employment which they may
derive from their character and past services.

I regard this assurance as including all officers, whether they
should remain in the service of the local Provincial
administration, or belong to Departments immediately transferred
to federal control. These gentlemen, however, fear that the
language applies only to the latter class, and that claims on
the part of public servants remaining under the local
administration will not be recognized. Hence this appeal to
your Lordship's consideration.

3. I do not share the fear of these Gentlemen with regard to
their future prospects, as the action of responsible government
in other places has not generally been found to work any
injustice to persons in the public service; and I have pointed
out to them that it is unreasonable to expect any definite
pledge from Your Lordship to afford them further employment.
But, I have no doubt that you will not object to affording them
assurance that the language of the Despatch which I have quoted
applies to their cases as well as to those persons taking
service immediately under the Government of the Dominion.
Considering that the introduction of Responsible Government in
this Colony takes place under circumstances different from those
in other places where it has been established—in consequence of
the great and unprecedented change from the position of a Crown
Colony to that of a Province of the Dominion with local
self-government—I think that the present Public Officers have
some more than usual claims to your favor and protection.