No. 32

I have had under my consideration your Despatches named in the
margin.

*

The questions raised in them about the salaries of the Officers in
the Civil List, proposed in June 1863, have been settled for the present
by my Despatches 4 of the 30th of April and 26th of the 1st Instant.
But when I authorized the payment of £3,600 to the Governor and the
Colonial Secretary I had not been informed that your Predecessor had
already directed the Treasurer to pay out of Crown Revenue the other
Salaries in the Civil List at the old rates, amounting to £2,020. You
will distinctly understand that all payments which have been or can be
sanctioned, must be within the amount which the Crown Revenue will be
sufficient to meet, until such time as proper provision shall be made by
the Colonial Legislature for payment from other Colonial resources.

As to the remaining questions your requests to be allowed a private
Secretary and house rent, and to be reimbursed such hotel expenses as
you may have been put to for want of a residence, are in their nature
reasonable, but so far as appears at present the payments already
authorized are as great as the Crown Revenue will suffice to meet, and
I regret therefore my inability to sanction any further charge upon
that Revenue without being assured of its adequacy to bear it.

I have to request that you will lose no time in transmitting
the fullest information in your power.

As to the crown Revenue i.e. the Balance now in hand—the
payments which by reason of Contracts already entered into are
certain to be made to the Crown—and the estimated receipts from
future land sales and other sources if any, and also assuming
British Columbia to be unwilling to enter into the arrangement for
a reunion, as to the prospect of your Legislature's making proper
provision for the future conduct of the Government.

With reference to the 9th paragraph of your Despatch marked
Separate of the 5th of May, I have to observe that the Revenue
which has not been surrendered by the Crown to the Legislature is
not applicable as General Revenue, and for the proper mode of
treating it I would refer you to my Despatch No. 27 of the 1st
Instant.