HC Deb 23 June 1884 vol 289 cc1085-6
SIR GEORGE CAMPBELL

asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, If Her Majesty's Government has now settled rules regarding the acceptance of paid employments in connection with private undertakings by the salaried servants of the State?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. CHILDERS)

In reply to my hon. Friend, I have to say that Her Majesty's Government, after full and careful consideration, have arrived at the conclusion not to issue any rules on this subject beyond those laid down in the Treasury Minute of the 27th of March, 1849, and in the letter from the Treasury to the Home Office of the 6th of April, 1875. These Papers have been laid before Parliament.

SIR GEORGE CAMPBELL

asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, If he can state the result of the Circular, issued by the Secretary of State last year, to inquire whether there are any cases in which stipendiary magistrates and other salaried officers in the Colonies have engaged in private occupations at the same time; whether any further general rules have been or will be issued on the subject; whether the rule against engaging in trade or commercial undertakings applies or will be applied to the holding and working estates or plantations; and, whether the magistrate in Grenada, who was so situated, has given up either his magistracy or his plantation?

MR. EVELYN ASHLEY

I regret that, owing to an oversight, the Circular referred to did not issue last year as was intended. The two Questions, whether it will be necessary to make any further general rules, and whether the ownership of estates will be considered as coming within Rule 76 of the Colonial Regulations, must wait the answer to the Circular. But my hon. Friend must be fully aware of the difficulty of laying down any absolute hard-and-fast rule in the West Indies, and that provision must be made for exceptional instances, if it can be shown to the satisfaction of the Secretary of State that the officer's efficiency and impartiality in the discharge of his duties will not be impaired. The magistrate in Grenada referred to has been required to give up his distillery, but not his plantation.