}
careful consideration I came to the conclusion that I
116
would recommend to you that the Harbour Master should
bear $750 of the amount
-
a sum equivalent to one month's
pay, but before doing so I asked the views of my Executive
Council. Of the 6 Official Members three, viz.:- the
Colonial Secretary, the Director of Public Works, and the
Principal Civil Medical Officer, considered that half a
A Gov. 8869/93
month's pay was as much as he should be called upon to
make good, the other three, viz.:- the General Officer
Commanding, the Attorney-General, and the Colonial Treasur-
-er,
considered he should pay a full month's pay while
the two Unofficial Members advocated a much more severe
penalty. I may observe in this connection that, (as I am
informed) there is only one case on record in this Colony
during the past 20 or 30 years, of an officer being called
upon to make good losses of Government money. The case was
that of Mr. F. G. Mitchell-Innes, Treasurer and was
accompanied by such additional punishment as led to his
leaving the Service. You may perhaps not be unwilling to
take into consideration the fact that a pecuniary liability
has not hitherto been enforced in such cases in this
Colony together with the fact that Captain Basil Taylor,
though I believe a very competent seaman, has no aptitude
for
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