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who have resigned with the middle of their term, on the ground of ill health, have been treated as being relieved at their own request, or have received the relevant passage allowance.
Some cases have come to notice where officers have first come on leave and then resigned while on leave.
In Sir R. Lowing's case, the terms of the minute on the case agreed to his receiving £330 out of £350. Various cases have been referenced here.
He had served within a four-month, officiating 6 years, whereas Sir G. Des Vaux had served about fifteen 3 years towards his pension; and the grant of such passage allowance was not justified on the ground that he was compelled by ill health to retire short of completing his term, so much as on the ground that it was for the public convenience that he should be relieved instead of being given leave to return.
We certainly must make no promise of giving him any passage allowance without going to the Treasury.
But as his first request was for leave, it would appear from 15750, $17478/10 that a few months more service may make all the difference in the scale of his pension. I think that request should first be considered.
Sir G. Des Voeux
1. Sir G. Des Voeux applies for 6 months' leave.
2. Failing that, he asks to be allowed to resign the Government of Hong Kong provided he can be granted return passage allowance of £800, but there is no precedent for this last in the circumstances of the case.
3. He says nothing about retiring on pension. [He may become an applicant for a government pension elsewhere. Wait till he raises the query.]
I would suggest he be granted the 6 months' leave. This would eliminate the passage allowance question, and if at the end of the 6 months he should not be able to go back, it will have been better for him than resigning at once on passage allowance. But perhaps he may be able to go back to complete the 10 months of resident service which he still requires to make up 4 years of pensionable administration.