Mr. Bennetsaid, he rose to move for the production of certain papers containing an account of the suspension of Mr. Theodore Hook from his office of treasurer in the Mauritius; and of the sums of money due by him to the government of that colony. It might be in the recollection of the House, that about 17 or 18 months ago, he had put a question to an hon. gentleman opposite respecting the transaction which he had just alluded to. The answer given upon that occasion was, that ministers had received no official information on the subject, but they knew that Mr. Theodore Hook had arrived in this country. He had repeated the question this year; possessing, however, at the time, no information on the subject to which it referred. He had since obtained some information, the nature of which he would state to the House. He had reason to believe that the information was strictly correct. He would not now mention the name of the gentleman from whom he had received his information, but would reserve to himself the privilege of doing so, if he thought fit before the discussion terminated. It appeared from the facts which had been laid before him that on the 15th; of January, 1818, the acting governor of the Mauritius, governor Hall, received a letter from Mr. Allan, one of the confidential clerks of the treasury of the colony, informing him that Mr. Hook had appropriated to himself a part of the allowances for the expenses of his department, by appointing his own coachman to the situation of office-keeper, at a salary of 40 dollars a month, and his cook to another situation with a salary of 15s. Mr. Allan who was the master clerk of the treasury, also re- 1343 ported to the governor, that Mr. Hook had appropriated The himself the sum of 39,150 dollars. The governor replied to Mr. Allan, by a letter dated the 25th of January, 1818, in which he stated, that it was a subject which could not be kept secret, and therefore he would send his letter to Mr. Hook, to whom it referred. The governor afterwards received another letter from Mr. Allan, in which he stated that Mr. Hook has given him the letter which he had written to the governor, and bad accompanied it with his dismissal from the office he held, and declaring that he Allah was ruined forever. The governor next received a letter from a Mr. M'Manus, who informed him that Allan had been desired to quit the colony by Mr. Hook, who pretended that the governor had authorized him to give that order. The governor, however, in a letter to Mr. Allan, denied that he had issued such directions, and desired him to remain. Mr. Allan again wrote, requesting that some inquiry might be instituted, and that in the meantime the stamps and other official documents might not be altered. He had not seen this letter, but he was informed that it showed the mind of the writer to have been in a state of extreme anxiety. In consequence of this letter, the governor, on the 9th of February, appointed a committee, consisting of his chief secretary, the auditor, and his deputy, to examine the accounts. The result of this inquiry was, that all the statements of Allan were found to be correct. This unfortunate individual did not, however, long survive the ill usage which he had received. He died before the report was made by which his character for truth and integrity was established, and the accuracy of the information he had given incontestably proved. In consequence of the nature of the report made by the committee, governor Hall suspended Mr. Hook from his office, and being of opinion that he could not be tried for his offence in the colony, he sent him to England. When Mr. Hook arrived in this country he was, he supposed, dismissed; but he did not know any thing certain on this point. He wished now to know what portion, if any, of the money due by Mr. Hook, the government had received. It appeared from a regular official document, signed Thomas Webster, 8th of December 1818, that the accounts of Mr. Hook's office stood as follows:—The debtor side amounted to 63,865 dollars, and the cre- 1344 ditor side to 24,132 dollars, leaving a deficiency of 39,733 dollars. This being the case, he thought that the House should possess some authentic information on this subject, and, to obtain it was the object of his motion. Before he sat down, however, he wished to ask the right hon. gentleman opposite, whether Mr. Hook had given any sureties for his conduct. If Mr. Hook had given sureties, he supposed that government would be entitled to call upon them to make good, the deficiency.
§ Mr. Goulburnthought that the House would not be acting justly, if it acceded to the motion of the hon. gentleman. Whatever might be the demerits of the individual whose conduct was now brought under consideration, he was still entitled, in common with every other person labouring under a charge, to a fair measure of justice. He could have no objection to the production of the despatch moved for, were it not for the reasons which he would briefly state. The case of Mr. Hook involved a question of considerable importance. When the dispatch which contained the substance of what had been stated by the hon. member was received in this country, it was thought fit to refer it to the Colonial Audit-board, in order that the accounts might be examined. The governor of the Mauritius had confined himself to sending Mr. Hook to this country, together with his papers. When Mr. Hook arrived, which he did in the character of a prisoner, and accompanied by other persons who were to be tried for offences committed at the Mauritius, application was made to the law officers of the Crown, to know whether the government would be justified in detaining him, and whether the circumstances of the case were of such a nature, as to authorize the institution of a criminal proceeding against him? The law officers of the Crown were of opinion that government possessed no legal power to detain Mr. Hook a prisoner, and that a criminal information could not be supported on the facts laid before them. Under these circumstances, no other course could be taken than to leave the Audit board to proceed with the examination of the accounts, and to endeavour to obtain fresh information from the Mauritius. Mr. Hook, was at this moment under examination by the Board of Audit; and a fresh case had been submitted to the law officers of the Crown, to ascertain whether he could now be prosecuted criminally.
§ The motion was then withdrawn.