No. 6

Referring to my Despatch No 147 of the 17th November last, I
have the honor to forward to Your Lordship a copy of correspondence
which has passed between Lord Lisgar and myself upon the subject of
ensuring pensions to the Officers now in the service of British
Columbia who will be affected by the Union of this Colony with
the Dominion.

2. I think it right that provision for these pensions should be
clearly made by Act of Parliament of the Dominion, and I have
little doubt that Your Lordship will take the view of the matter
which I have expressed in this correspondence. If any of the
Officers to whom the arrangement applies should accept other
Office from the Imperial Government, or the Government of
Canada, the pension may be suspended during the time he may hold
such appointment; but I think that the right to elect whether he
will take such other office should rest with him.

3. The Report of the Privy Council of Canada of the 7th
January forwarded to me in Lord Lisgar's Despatch of 9th
January contains a provision that in consideration of the loss
and inconvenience I shall be subjected to by the termination
of my employment here upon the Union of this Colony with Canada,
half a year's Salary shall be paid to me. I should observe that
I did not make any official application for such an allowance.
In a private Note to a leading member of the Canadian
administration I had alluded to the prejudicial effect upon my
own position which would be produced by the Union. I mentioned
that although I confidently hoped for an appointment from Your
Lordship to other employment elsewhere I yet might be some time
without such occupation. And I asked whether he thought that it
would be unfair to request that I should be placed in the same
position as if I had obtained a year's leave of absence from my
government, in which case I should be allowed to draw half my
Salary for that time. The provision in the Minute of Council
has I believe originated in what thus passed in private
correspondence without any formal request.

4. I trust that Your Lordship will not regard this provision as
objectionable. I have some confidence that you will look upon
the special circumstances of the termination of my service here
as giving me a claim for other employment; but some time may
elapse before any suitable vacancy occurs; during which period
without this moderate provision from the Canadian Government I
should suffer serious loss and inconvenience from the effect of
a measure, which I know has been brought to a successful issue
mainly through my personal exertions.