§ MR. CAUSTON (Southwark, W.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in expressing his willingness to make certain concessions to the Gibraltar ratepayers, the Secretary of State for the Colonies made those concessions dependent upon the ratepayers assenting to the Chairman of the Sanitary Board being appointed by the Governor, and to the office of Engineer to the Board being held by the Colonial Engineer, ex officio, until the new drainage and waterworks are completed?
§ BARON H. DE WORMSThe Secretary of State informed the deputation of Gibraltar ratepayers that he was willing to make certain concessions on the understanding that further opposition to the recent Order in Council would be withdrawn; but that he could not agree to the repeal of the provisions of the Order vesting the appointment of the Chairman of the Sanitary Board in the Governor, and combining the offices of Colonial Engineer and Engineer to the Sanitary 362 Commissioners. He intimated, however, that the question of the separation of those offices might, if thought necessary, be again brought forward after the completion of the new drainage and waterworks.
§ MR. CAUSTONI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Colonial Engineer at Gibraltar, when acting as Engineer to the Sanitary Commissioners, was in 1886 removed from the latter office by the Governor, which decision was approved and confirmed by the then Secretary of State; and whether he will state the reasons given for removing him from such office?
§ BARON H. DE WORMSIn 1886 the then Governor of Gibraltar recommended the separation of the two offices referred to, and his recommendation was approved by the then Secretary of State. The reasons assigned by the Governor were that, in his opinion, the duties of the two offices were rather conflicting, and their combination led to inconvenience, and that he was not satisfied with the manner in which the duties of Engineer to the Sanitary Commissioners were performed by the Colonial Engineer. These reasons have been fully re-considered, and the Secretary of State has arrived at the present decision with the full concurrence of the present Governor, and in accordance with the recommendation of Major Tullock.
§ MR. M'LAGAN (Linlithgow)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will inform the House of the decision the Secretary of State arrived at, on the circumstances placed before him, with regard to the conduct of the official at present holding the post of Colonial Engineer at Gibraltar, which has on two occasions—1885 and 1890—been brought officially to the notice of the Secretary of State for the Colonies?
§ BARON H. DE WORMSOn the first of the two occasions referred to the Secretary of State, Lord Derby, arrived at the conclusion that a charge made against the officer in question, while acting in another capacity, had not been proved. On the second 363 occasion the Secretary of State directed him to be reproved for an act of irregularity, not connected with his office and not derogatory to his character.
§ SIR T. ESMONDEI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it is a fact that, after the Colonial Estimates (Gibraltar) for 1892 were published for general information, a Supplementary Estimate was prepared but not made public, by which, among other things, the salary of the Colonial Secretary was increased; and whether the community of Gibraltar, which contributes nearly £60,000 a year by local taxation, has any voice in the expenditure thereof?
§ BARON H. DE WORMSThe salary of the Colonial Secretary was increased by direction of the Secretary of State from 23,060 pesetas to 25,000 pesetas—roughly £65—when the Estimates for 1892 were sanctioned, as he considered it desirable that the remuneration of that officer should be placed on a level with that of other officials at Gibraltar whose duties were not of so responsible a character. The revenue of Gibraltar derived from taxation, other than port dues, which are paid by the shipping, amounts to between £14,000 and £15,000 a year, of which a considerable part is paid by the garrison. The hon. Member has probably included in the £60,000 port dues, rents of Crown property, postal revenue, and other items which cannot properly be classed as taxation. The public expenditure is under the direct control of the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
§ SIR T. ESMONDEI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it is a fact that a Government employee, on full pay of the active list, is also employed by the Anglo-Egyptian Bank in Gibraltar as manager of its Gibraltar Branch; and whether the circumstance has been previously brought to the notice of the Colonial Office, and what was the decision of the Secretary of State thereon?
§ BARON H. DE WORMSThe circumstance referred to was brought to the notice of the Secretary of State. The gentleman alluded to undertook the joint managership of the Branch of 364 the Anglo-Egyptian Bank as an incident to the administration of a trust estate, and could not relieve himself of it without injury to those for whom he is trustee; and the Secretary of State, upon the strong recommendation of the Governor, decided in these circumstances to allow the arrangement to continue as a wholly exceptional case, by which the gentleman in question gives his services to the Bank after office hours.