516
118
CORRESPONDENCE ON RESIGNATION
personal attendance is indispensable to answer questions on the spot, which, even if time permitted, could not be done by a lengthened and tedious correspondence; I have resolved to undergo the responsibility of proceeding to England, to bring the whole question under the imme- diate attention of Her Majesty's Government; and I cannot help enter- taining a confident hope, that when the magnitude and pressing exigency of the case is fully seen and understood, and the motives in which my conduct has originated been explained, I may rely on the justice and liberality of Lord Stanley and Her Majesty's Ministers.
My accounts are made and the monies under my charge ready
up to be transferred, on the half-year ending 30th instant, to whomsoever his Excellency may be pleased to direct to officiate as treasurer.
I have, &c.,
R. M. MARTIN.
મ
Inclosure 5 in No. XV.
To the Colonial Secretary.
H. M. Treasury, Hong Kong,
July 8, 1845.
Sir,
THE decision of his Excellency the Governor on my letters of 19th and 24th ultimo*, refusing me leave of absence for six months on public business, and with a view to what I deem the public good, compels me, most reluctantly, to adopt the only alternative of requesting his Excel- Tency to receive my resignation as Her Majesty's Treasurer for the colonial and diplomatic services in China, until I can bring the subject, through the Secretary of State for the Colonies, under the consideration of my Sovereign, who was graciously pleased to appoint me to the important office and trust which I have now the honour to place in the hands of his Excellency.
My quarterly accounts are made up to the 30th June, 1845, declared before a magistrate, and passed by the auditor.
I beg that a board may be appointed to receive from me the monies under my charge, and that his Excellency will state to whom I am to transfer the accounts and books of my department, and the vouchers for payment made by me since 30th day of June last.
In order that I may be enabled to pass my accounts in England, and receive for myself, and for my sureties, the exchequer quietus, I have the honour to request that a copy of my day cash book be furnished me from this office.
I have, &c.,
R. M. MARTIN.
* The reply to my letter of this date was a mere reference to the previous decision of the Governor, who, I was informed, would only permit me to proceed I tried in vain to England by my putting the word "resignation" into my letter. to avoid this; but each draft letter was rejected by the Governor, to whom it was Mr. Shelley told me submitted by Mr. Shelley, then acting colonial secretary. that the Governor insisted on my resignation, and that he would appoint his
R. M. M. relative, Mr. Mercer, to my situation.
119
No. XVI. To the Right Honourable Baron Stanley, Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies.
My Lord,
Bombay, September 3, 1845. DESIROUS of placing immediately before your Lordship, the accom- panying paper of "Points for the consideration of Her Majesty's Government on the British Position in China,” previous to the evacua- tion of Chusan,--and of sustaining those points, as they can only closed my accounts for the half-year effectually be done verbally, ending 30th June last at Hong Kong, and embarked in the fastest sailing vessel in China for Bombay, hoping to reach the mail steamer departing thence for Suez on 27th August.
In this I am disappointed, after considerable labour and expense, the mail steamer having left this four days before my arrival here.
I deem the obtainment of Chusan of so great national importance, on political, commercial, financial, and religious grounds, and the recti- fication of our position in China (at Canton especially), of such moment previous to February next, that I am resolved to proceed through Persia, or by any route which will enable me to reach England before final orders have been issued by Her Majesty's Government for the evacuation of Chusan.
14
"Minute on
I therefore beg to transmit these "Points,” and the appendices, to your Lordship by post, lest any accident befal me; and I venture to express a hope that the facts I have adduced therein, as well as my previous reports on Hong Kong, on Chusan, and the British Position and Prospects in China," may be found suffi- cient to authorize Her Majesty's Government to hold Chusan, if only for a time, and to prevent, if possible, the French occupying that island, which intention I heard confirmed at Java on the 6th August last, the French Ambassador having just then quitted Batavia for China. Perceiving from the public journals, that Sir R. Peel is much pressed for a reduction or alteration in the tea duties, I beg to transmit herewith a section of a “Commercial Report on China" which I amn preparing for your Lordship. The section (No. VI.) relates to the "Rise and progress of the tea trade." There are some tables which cannot be completed until I reach England, but I trust the section will be found of use to Her Majesty's Ministers.*
This elaborate section is now at the Board of Trade. March, 1846.