Mr. Brown, with reference to a Bill then in progress in the House (the Colonial Residence Bill) wished to put a question to the hon. gentleman opposite him (Mr. Goulburn). He understood that there had been an appointment of a Mr. Le Marchant to be civil secretary of Antigua; an office of great importance in the government of this island—he wished to know whether the appointment to it was by commission or patent?
§ Mr. Goulburnsaid, that the office of secretary for all the Leeward Islands had formerly been held by one person; but on the death of Mr. Osborne it had been deemed advisable to separate the office; and Mr. Le Marchant, brother to general Le Marchant who was killed at the battle of Salamanca, had been appointed by patent to be secretary at Antigua, with the express condition that he should reside at that place.
§ Mr. Creeveyasked whether the papers which had been ordered, on his motion, relative to the leave of absence of sir Evan Nepean from his office in the Island of Jamaica, had been returned?
§ Mr. Goulburnsaid, that a letter had been written to Jamaica on the subject of the order; and that no indisposition existed on the part of the government to afford the information wished for.