98
a west. It is about five miles distant
and I need scarcely say
walk
that it is often
impossible here to waste a quarter of a mile.
Mr. Wilson asked me
how he should trav-
el there and back, and I
have told him that he must charge to each person separately the necessary transport of himself
as well as of inferior Officers, such
as the Clerk of Works.
It is evident that the
9
simpler, cheaper,
and
more usual mode
adopted in other Colonies of making
allowance for
such
purposes
is
a
more
satisfactory mode of meeting the difficulty.
10.
I notice that Mr. Wilson did
make an application to that effect, and
that Mr. Mercer when transmitting it
to the Secretary of State stated he could not recommend it, as if granted it might lead to similar applications "the refusal
of
which would not be justifiable and
"their allowance inconvenient." Mr Cardwell
therefore declined to accede to the
11.
application
I think what is right should
be done, and cannot see
any inconvenience
resulting here. The Officer when travelling on duty
expenses of all minor
are
already paid, and when
the Colonial Surgeon
has
no other office has
long distances on land to travel frequently
enough,
12.
duly,
The Colonial Surgeon has Private Practice, and keeps several horses, whilst he has made his bargain specially