Some experience dictates the necessity of advances on Imprest to the Honourable Governor and he has expressed to me his firm conviction that the Government works now in progress, and which it is of so much importance to carry out without loss of time, would be seriously delayed, and in some instances that even the contracts which have been entered into would be violated and thrown up altogether, unless the system of advancing money on Imprest be continued in its full extent as at present understood.
If the Paymaster General had a strong motive to which he might at once remove the whole amount of any vote which has already been passed for the construction of works which it may take a year to complete, it might be a different thing; even then however, it would be necessary to take very large securities from him for the due appropriation of the Government money so entrusted to him.
But I do not perceive that the Government runs any pecuniary risk by continuing its present system, because no money is ever advanced to the Paymaster General on Imprest, until the necessary requisitions and vouchers have been examined by me, and have been approved by the Colonial Secretary. When this form has been gone through the Paymaster General presents his requisition for an advance on account of a warrant which has been duly granted by Your Excellency, and further gives the Colonial Treasurer a receipt for the amount with an undertaking annexed that the sum shall be duly accounted for by him.
If Captain and Lieutenant Police be not relieved from the strain for 3 months Imprest, the wages of their Police force ...