Be good enough to move His Excellency The Governor, to issue a warrant to meet the disbursements of the month of April, the estimated amount of which, in consequence of my being relieved from expenses attending the above-named hulk, I am enabled to reduce from $1,800, to sixteen hundred dollars.
Hitherto, my applications for funds to cover the expenses of the month have been nominally in arrear, but actually in advance of requirements; for instance, my last application for funds was nominally to cover December expenses, $1,600, but in reality to cover those of January. This leads to some confusion, but to draw in arrear is, I believe, in accordance with the rules of the Treasury department.
In the present instance, the funds applied for are really to cover the expenses to 30th April, and therefore, by following the usual course, I should be without funds to pay the current requirements of the month of May. To obviate this, I venture to recur to the "floating balance" suggested in the late Acting Colonial Secretary's despatch No. 942 of 18th August last, and to beg you to move His Excellency The Governor to issue...