Confidential

Your Lordship's Confidential Despatch of 19th May last
instructed my predecessor to consider carefully and report
whether it would not be advisable either to reduce the Salaries
of future holders of Offices under the Crown Salaries Act 1863,
or to abolish some of those Offices in case a proposal to that
effect should hereafter be carried in the Council. This
Despatch arrived after Mr Seymour's death and has hitherto remained
unanswered.

2. With regard to the question of reduction of Salary I have no
hesitation whatever in recording my opinion that estimated by
the cost at which the ordinary comforts of life may be procured
in different places, the Salaries of all Officers in this
Government, with perhaps the single exception of the Governor,
are
lower than in any Colony with which I am acquainted. The Colonial
Secretary, and the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works receive
the highest amounts, £800, except the Salaries of the Chief
Justice, and the Governor. I know that this sum is not equal
here, to £400, in any of the Eastern Provinces, nor to much more
than £500 in most West Indian Governments. I could not
recommend that the Salary should be reduced if the Office is
still considered necessary.

3. Dr Helmcken, whose motion in the Legislative Council caused
Your Lordship's enquiry, is now a Member of the Council of
Government. He does not, now at all events, wish to touch the
emoluments of existing incumbents. I have explained to him my
opinion, and also pointed out, what is probably of more
importance in its bearing upon the question, that it would be
purposeless to enter upon any discussion of future provisions,
while the question of Union with Canada is under consideration;
because the whole legislative and official organization of the
Colony must be recast and the expense of a large part of the
Civil Establishment would be assumed by the Government of the
Dominion, in the event of such Union.

4. The propriety of abolishing any of the Offices which in any
case are not or would not be required is another question. The
Act provides for—The Governor, Chief Justice of the Mainland,
Colonial Secretary, Attorney General, Chief Commr of Lands &
Works, Collector of Customs, Chief Inspector of Police, and
Registrar General.

5. I assume that until the Union of the Colony with the
Dominion, the office of Governor will be necessary.

6. The difficulties which have arisen from the existence of two
Chief Justices in the Colony have formed already the subject of
much correspondence with Your Lordship's Department. I should
be very glad if it may be rendered possible to abolish one of
these Offices by provision being made elsewhere for one of the
existing Judges.

7. The Colonial Secretary, Attorney General, Chief Commissioner
of Lands and Works, and Collector of Customs, hold Offices which
cannot be dispensed with; and the only two about which there can
be question are those of the Chief Inspector of Police and the
Registrar General. These Offices are useless. But as regards
the first of these two, the services of the present holder of
the appointment, Mr Brew, have been made available as a
Magistrate; though the arrangements found convenient for the
public service have produced the absurd anomaly that he is
stationed at Cariboo and draws the Salary appropriated by annual
Vote for the Magistrate of that District, while another
Magistrate at New Westminster draws his Salary, provided by the
Crown Salaries Act for a Chief Inspector of Police who so far as
I know was never required. Although, however, the Office might
be abolished the amount of the Salary could not thereby be saved
as it is now paid and would still be required for the services
of the Magistrate.

8. With regard to the last case, that of the Registrar General,
I am of opinion, from which I believe there is little dissent,
that it is desirable to consolidate the Registration Ordinances
and assimilate the systems of Registry in the two Sections of
the Colony; and that one Office only is required, which should
be at Victoria. The provisions of the Vancouver Island Law
which is preferable in its general character requires that the
Registrar should be a barrister, and Mr Alston the present
Incumbent is in every way well qualified to discharge the duties
for the United Colony. I propose to introduce an Ordinance
during the next Session and after its passage if Your
Lordship approves of the measure, the Office of Registrar
General of the Mainland will practically be abolished.

9. It would be hard upon Mr Bushby who at present holds this
appointment that he should be summarily dismissed from an
Office which he had a right to regard as protected by Law from
any change, and I shall therefore endeavour to secure him other
employment and the continuance of the same Salary until his case
has been brought under Your Lordship's notice. But there is no
doubt, so far as his Office and the Colony are concerned, that
he is a supernumerary Official. I wish that I had a suitable
appointment to offer to him, for I believe that he might be
recommended with confidence to Your Lordship for almost any
in this Government both as regards character and capacity; but
Your Lordship knows the position of affairs in this Government,
and except as an additional Stipendiary Magistrate, for whom I
doubt the willingness of the Legislative Council permanently to
provide, I should be unable to find employment for Mr Bushby.
Under these circumstances I recommend him to Your Lordship's
favorable consideration for an appointment in some other
Government.