433
unwilling to impose such a punishment on two officers who
have shown energy, capacity and tact in carrying out their
police duties in a country comparatively recently brought
under British control and where therefore such qualities
are specially needful. Moreover it is not possible to omit
from consideration that these officers who had had little
experience of accounts were left with insufficient instruc-
14
tions and were given to assist them an unscrupylous subor-
A
dinate whose previous history, had it been known as it
should have been, rendered him absolutely unfit for the
trust they reposed in him. I am therefore disposed to con-
sider that the present case would be adequately dealt with
by my communicating to the officers concerned my views as
set forth above as to their respective responsibilities and
blameworthiness.
13.
I now submit the matter for Your Lordship's
decision. Should it be decided that the loss is not to be
made good by the officers responsible for it I shall re-
quire Your Lordship's authority to write off the amount of
$2,903.08. Should the contrary decision be arrived at it
will be necessary to ascertain whether Mr. Ross has any rea-
sons to put forward why he should not make good his share
of the loss before I direct him to do so.
14.