155
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882
5
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
Mauritius, and to leave the Island without receiving Sir J. Pope Hennessy's formal defence.
I am satisfied that Sir J. Hennessy's case will be in no way prejudiced by the step taken by you in suspending him from the administration of the Government.
I have, &c.
Sir H. Robinson.
No. 64.
(Signed) H. T. HOLLAND.
THE RIGHT HON. SIR H. T. HOLLAND, BART., G.C.M.G., M.P., to ADMINISTRATOR
MAJOR-GENERAL W. H. HAWLEY.
SIR,
(No. 24.)
Downing Street, February 16, 1887.
I HAVE the honour to forward, for your information, copies of two letters* which I have received from Sir J. P. Hennessy relative to his suspension from the Government of the Colony, and the deprivation of his salary.
2. I have also received on the 4th instant your telegram, reporting that the Council was prorogued, that Sir J. P. Hennessy had not applied for any salary, and that his continued presence in the island was extremely inconvenient.
3. I presume that in accordance with my predecessor's telegram of the 22nd January and my Despatch of the 27th of January† you have called the Council together and caused a vote to be taken for the payment of half the Governor's salary to Sir J. Pope Hennessy during his suspension.
you
4. I accordingly telegraphed to you, via Durban, in the 11th instant, instructing to pay such salary to Sir J. P. Hennessy without his making any application for it, and requesting you to inform him that the question of his reinstatement cannot be considered till he arrives in England, and to add that unless he comes home by the first opportunity he will incur grave responsibility.
5. Sir J. P. Hennessy is mistaken as to the object and intention of the Commission of the 25th of September last, and I am advised that the course adopted by Sir H. Robinson in suspending him was legal and was strictly within the spirit and words of the Commission. 6. As regards salary it was considered that if Sir H. Robinson should find it necessary to act on that Commission Sir J. Hennessy would be able to receive half salary under Ordinance 5 of 1873, but as doubts were raised on that point you were instructed to apply to the Council of Government for a vote of the half salary in question.
The Officer Administering the
Government.
No. 65.
(Signed)
I have, &c.
H. T. HOLLAND.
THE RIGHT HON. SIR H. T. HOLLAND, BART., G.C.M.G., M.P., to ADMINISTRATOR MAJOR-GENERAL W. H. HAWLEY.
(No. 38.)
Downing Street, February 25, 1887.
SIR,
I HAVE had under my consideration Sir J. Pope Hennessy's despatch of the 30th August last,‡ transmitting the proceedings of the Executive Council in the case of Mr. II. Cockburn Stewart, Assistant Colonial Secretary, and reporting that he had, in accordance with the opinion of the minority against that of the majority of the Council, suspended Mr. Stewart, and also the further despatches respecting the case noted in the margin§.
2. I have also had before me a report on the subject from Sir Hercules Robinson to whom my predecessor caused the papers to be referred.
3. Sir H. Robinson has expressed his opinion that Mr. Stewart has been guilty of carelessness and irregularity, but not of anything criminal or dishonest, that he should not have been suspended, and that he should now be allowed to return to his duty and should receive his full pay, not only from the date of his acquittal by the majority of the Executive Council, but also from the 2nd July last, beyond which date the delay
Not printed.
• Nos. 52 and 58.
↑ Nos. 46 and 47.
in the trial has not been satisfactorily accounted for, but that his half pay for the remainder of the period of his interdiction, viz., from the 4th March to the 2nd July should not be restored to him but be forfeited as a punishment for his negligence.
4. After a careful perusal and consideration of the records of the proceedings in the case, I concur in Sir H. Robinson's conclusions, and I have accordingly to instruct you to reinstate Mr. Stewart in his office, and direct the full salary to be paid to him from the 2nd July, and at the same time to convey to him my very serious disapproval of his conduct, and to warn him that any further irregularity on his part will be severely
dealt with.
5. I have also to instruct you to ask the Council of Government to vote the amount required to make up Mr. Stewart's full salary, as unless such provision is made, the refund of the half salary drawn by the Acting Assistant Colonial Secretary will be necessary.
6. If Mr. Stewart has not fully refunded to the Colony the whole amount due from him in respect of railway fares or any other account, the amount of his debt must be deducted from the arrears of salary.
7. I must further mark my sense of his conduct by instructing you that he is not to
be again employed, even temporarily, in any office directly connected with the Treasury or Audit Departments.
The Officer Administering the Government.
SIE,
No. 66.
I have, &c. (Signed)
H. T. HOLLAND.
SIR J. POPE HENNESSY, K.C.M.G., to the RIGHT HON. EDWARD STANHOPE, M.P. (Received March 7, 1887.)
*
Mauritius, January 18, 1887. In your telegram of the 2nd instant, which I received yesterday, and imme diately answeredt by that day's mail, you refer to explanations may be required to give on the receipt of Sir Hercules Robinson's report.
2. Of course I shall be most happy to give Her Majesty's Government any expla nations whilst I am in Mauritius, or whilst on leave of absence, if you think it necessary
for me to take leave of absence.
3. But I venture to point out that there may be a slight hardship and some public inconvenience in the latter case, especially as Sir Hercules Robinson has not told me what are the "general grounds" on which he based his action against me.
4
4. He has left this community and myself absolutely in the dark as to the general grounds," beyond the statement that they led to the conclusion he arrived at, and that they could not be affected by a defence.
5. I entertain very little doubt but Her Majesty's Goverment will not approve of the novel innovation of general grounds of suspension, which could neither be embodied as charges nor affected by a defence. But I suppose I shall learn what the grounds of suspension are when I see Sir Hercules Robinson's report, and it is quite possible, no matter how general they may be, that a defence might have disposed of them.
6. If they are to be communicated to me, for my explanations; a question will arise, where is it likely that my explanations can be best made?
7. If they refer to my policy and proceedings in Mauritius, it is evident that the explanations can be best given in Mauritius.
8. If they refer to my policy in Hong-Kong and elsewhere, or to my views about Ireland (which formed a part of the complaint of one of the memorialists sent from Downing Street to Sir Hercules Robinson to investigate), I could deal with them in London; but if they relate to this Colony, the materials for effectually dealing with them will probably be here.
I bave, &c.
The Right Hon. Edward Stanhope, M.P.,
&c.
&c.
• No. 37.
&C.
(Signed)
J. POPE HENNESSY.
† Not printed.
U 2