31
Avoidance
Admiralty invariably postpones his Civil duties to his Naval duties. A recent example may be found in the combination of the duties of Consul and Superintendent of Captured Ships at Havana to which Lord Stanley seemed to refer as an illustration of the extreme difficulty of the employment by the two Secretaries of State of any one person to act under them both at the same time and place for different purposes.
Such an arrangement would involve the combination of two separate authorities, which must result in carelessness or disagreement.
It is also considered that appointing a joint Officer might raise considerable difficulty as to the selection, and perhaps still more as to the recall of the holder of the joint Office.
His Lordship approves that it would certainly greatly impair the authority of each of his superiors in this Country in proportion as it would vest him with the power of acting independently, not being absolutely necessary in either.
For these reasons, Lord Stanley was of opinion that the question of a permanent union of the two Offices is apparently grave.
But opposing views are to be considered.