§ MR. B. COCHRANE begged to ask the hon. Gentleman the Under Secretary for the Colonies the questions of which he gave him notice yesterday. First, whether the Colonial Office had received any information that the Legislature of Nova Scotia had removed from the situation of Colonial Secretary Sir Rupert George, a most able, meritorious, and persevering public servant, who had filled that situation with honour and credit for a period of thirty-five years; and at the same time he had only been voted a retiring allowance of 400l. per annum; whereas, under such 927 circumstances, it was usual to give the whole salary for a retiring pension. Secondly, whether the Houses of the Legislature had enacted that for the future the Judges are to be removable on a petition from both Houses to the Governor, without any fault alleged or reason stated? And, thirdly, whether the Legislature had voted Sir John Harvey, the present Governor, a salary of 3,500l. per annum, and 450l. contingencies; but at the same time enacted that after Sir John Harvey no future Governor should have more than 3,000l., and no allowance for contingencies; and this, moreover, was only to be voted annually? It appeared to him (Mr. Cochrane) that if the Legislature had acted in this manner, a grave injury had been done to a public servant in the person of Sir Rupert George—that the independence of the Judges would be destroyed—and that no future Governor could conduct the administration in a manner to maintain his own character and the dignity of the British Crown.
§ MR. HAWES replied, that the Government had recently received despatches from the Government of Nova Scotia, stating that Sir Rupert George, who had long occupied the post of Colonial Secretary, and who had discharged his duties very ably, had resigned his office. The allowance to be made to Sir Rupert George, in consequence of his resignation of that office, was, as had been stated by the hon. Gentleman, 400l. a year; but Sir Rupert George held another office, on his retirement from which he would receive a pension to nearly double that amount. He would be quite ready to lay any papers relating to this subject which were in the possession of the Government upon the table of the House. In reply to the second question of the hon. Member for Bridport, he begged to say that it was quite true that an ordinance had been passed by the Assembly of Nova Scotia, which had been sent to this country, altering the tenure of office with regard to the Judges, and that ordinance was now under the consideration of Her Majesty's Government. The statement of the hon. Gentleman as to the salary of the Governor of Nova Scotia was quite correct. A salary of 3,500l. a year had been voted to Sir John Harvey during his tenure of office, which salary would be reduced whenever a vacancy took place, and there would then be no further allowance for a secretary and for contingencies. The hon. Member for 928 Bridport was probably aware that a change of government had taken place in the colony, which had undoubtedly led to the resignation of the Colonial Secretary, and to the prospective reduction of the Governor's salary. He (Mr. Hawes) might add, that he was quite ready to lay on the table any despatches for which the hon. Member for Bridport might think it right to move.
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cc928-9
- THE NATIONAL LAND COMPANY. 507 words c929
- RUSSIA AND TURKEY. 119 words cc929-31
- POSTAL COMMUNICATION WITH THE UNITED STATES. 675 words cc931-2
- METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENTS. 261 words cc932-76
- STAMFORD ELECTIONS. 20,895 words, 1 division